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Lions S C.J. Gardner-Johnson Receives Medical Clearance

December 14th, 2023 at 6:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

C.J. Gardner-Johnson suffered a torn pectoral muscle in Week 2, altering his chance to impress this season and command a more lucrative deal for the 2024 season. Months later, the Lions safety has a chance to come back.

Rumored to not be shutting down his effort to play again this season, the fifth-year DB is indeed moving close to a return. Gardner-Johnson received medical clearance Thursday, and Dan Campbell said the free agent pickup will be ready to return “pretty soon.”

The Lions have not yet designated Gardner-Johnson for return from IR. He would have three weeks to be activated once his practice window opens. Based on Campbell’s comments, it sounds likely the Lions will have Gardner-Johnson back in uniform before the regular season concludes. The team is in fairly good shape for injury activations, holding five IR-return moves. Alim McNeill joins Gardner-Johnson in being expected back late this season.

The team has lost two of its top five secondary cogs this season; cornerback Emmanuel Moseley suffered a second ACL tear in two years not long after Gardner-Johnson went down. The Lions added four key pieces to their secondary this offseason (CJGJ, Moseley, Cameron Sutton, Brian Branch) but have been without two of them for months. Tracy Walker, who suffered an Achilles tear early last season, has returned to a regular role in Gardner-Johnson’s absence.

While Moseley will be hitting free agency on the heels of another injury-marred season, Gardner-Johnson looks set to have a chance at reestablishing his momentum. Rumored to be a player the Eagles wanted back, Gardner-Johnson saw his market not produce what he expected. He signed a one-year, $6.5MM Lions deal. Although Gardner-Johnson played in the slot under former Saints DBs coach Aaron Glenn, the third-year Lions DC kept him at safety, where the Eagles stationed him last season. Gardner-Johnson’s six INTs tied for the NFL lead last year.

The soon-to-be 26-year-old cover man’s chances of scoring a better contract may have taken a hit because of his injury, but making key contributions and showing no hiccups upon returning from this early-season setback would help his cause ahead of free agency. The Lions have exclusive negotiating rights with Gardner-Johnson until next year’s legal tampering period.

Titans Poach Two From Practice Squads, Place Two On IR

December 13th, 2023 at 10:03pm CST by Ely Allen

The Titans made two pairs of roster moves today, according to NFL beat writer Paul Kuharsky, placing cornerback Kristian Fulton and defensive tackle Kyle Peko on injured reserve and signing defensive tackles Quinton Bohanna and Keondre Coburn to fill their spots on the active roster. Bohanna was signed from the Lions‘ practice squad, Coburn from the Chiefs‘.

The loss of Fulton is difficult, as he has been a starter for Tennessee at the position since his sophomore season. At the same time, though, Fulton has been a liability in the team’s secondary, taking a huge step back in play this year. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Fulton settles in as the 112th-ranked cornerback out of 119 graded players. Absences on IR have become an annual occurrence for Fulton, who missed 10 games as a rookie in 2020, four games in 2021, and six games last year. He’s missed Monday’s win over the Dolphins and will now miss at least four more games in 2023.

Peko is unfortunately in a similar position as Fulton. He has served as a starter in Tennessee for most of the season, as well, but also grades out extremely poorly per PFF, ranking at 127th out of 131 interior defensive linemen.

At cornerback, the team will ask last year’s second-round pick Roger McCreary and undrafted rookie Eric Garror to step up in Fulton’s place. In Peko’s place, Tennessee could turn to Jaleel Johnson for more snaps, but new arrivals Bohanna and Coburn should get plenty of opportunities to step in and contribute.

Bohanna spent his first two years in Dallas, starting nine games in his sophomore season. After falling behind Johnathan Hankins and first-round rookie Mazi Smith on the depth chart, Bohanna was waived by the Cowboys and signed to the Lions’ practice squad. Detroit elevated him in three games this year, two of which he started, but couldn’t find a place for him on the active roster. The Titans, on the other hand, should give him an immediate chance to enter the rotation.

Coburn is a sixth-round rookie out of Texas. After initially making the 53-man roster in Kansas City, Coburn has bounced back and forth between the Chiefs’ and Broncos’ practice squads. His only game action has been a brief appearance in the Chiefs’ season-opening loss. In Tennessee, he’ll get a new chance to find his place on the depth chart and potentially contribute as a Titan.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/13/23

December 13th, 2023 at 6:58pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s practice squad transactions:

Cleveland Browns

  • Signed: T Joey Fisher

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Minnesota Vikings

  • Signed: G Henry Byrd

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Updated 2024 NFL Draft Order

December 13th, 2023 at 2:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two different teams have held the No. 1 overall pick in consecutive years since 2017. Amid a radical rebuild effort, the Browns carried the top pick into the 2017 and ’18 drafts. The Jaguars did the same in 2021 and ’22. It is possible the Bears will follow that up in back-to-back years. The big difference here would be the Bears traded the 2023 top choice and may unload the 2024 top pick for another windfall, depending on their evaluation of Justin Fields.

The Bears and Panthers’ March trade, giving Carolina access to Bryce Young, has become a seminal moment for both teams. As it stands now, Chicago holds two top-five picks. The Panthers are 1-12, giving the Bears a two-game lead on the Patriots and Cardinals for the top slot with four games left. Chicago finishing with the first overall selection, providing access to the quarterback of its choice, would create a big-picture decision for a Bears team that already passed on the 2023 quarterback class to stick with Fields — a QB the Ryan Poles regime did not draft. North Carolina’s Drake Maye has declared for the draft, while USC’s Caleb Williams is widely expected to follow suit.

A new Cardinals regime is also evaluating its QB, though Kyler Murray‘s $46.1MM-per-year contract (which runs through 2028) will be much harder to escape compared to Fields’. This creates an interesting scenario that will have teams who do not land two-two draft slots monitoring how Chicago and Arizona proceed. The Patriots are widely expected to pursue a quarterback in the draft, and they are likely to do so without Bill Belichick.

With gridlock forming in the AFC and NFC wild-card races, considerable movement will take place over the next month. The winner of the NFC South will likely lose several spots in the ’24 draft, as the Buccaneers did this year by winning the ’22 division title at 8-9. Here is how the draft order looks going into Week 15:

  1. Chicago Bears (via Panthers)
  2. New England Patriots: 3-10
  3. Arizona Cardinals: 3-10
  4. Washington Commanders: 4-9
  5. Chicago Bears: 5-8
  6. Las Vegas Raiders: 5-8
  7. New York Jets: 5-8
  8. New York Giants: 5-8
  9. Tennessee Titans: 5-8
  10. Los Angeles Chargers: 5-8
  11. Atlanta Falcons: 6-7
  12. New Orleans Saints: 6-7
  13. Seattle Seahawks: 6-7
  14. Los Angeles Rams: 6-7
  15. Denver Broncos: 7-6
  16. Arizona Cardinals (via Texans)
  17. Buffalo Bills: 7-6
  18. Cincinnati Bengals: 7-6
  19. Green Bay Packers: 6-7
  20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 6-7
  21. Indianapolis Colts: 7-6
  22. Minnesota Vikings: 7-6
  23. Pittsburgh Steelers: 7-6
  24. Houston Texans (via Browns)
  25. Kansas City Chiefs: 8-5
  26. Jacksonville Jaguars: 8-5
  27. Detroit Lions: 9-4
  28. Philadelphia Eagles: 10-3
  29. Miami Dolphins: 9-4
  30. Dallas Cowboys: 10-3
  31. San Francisco 49ers: 10-3
  32. Baltimore Ravens: 10-3

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/9/23

December 9th, 2023 at 5:02pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves and callups heading into the Week 14 slate of Sunday games:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

There was some thought that Ammendola’s stint with the Texans had come to an end after four appearances. However, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 notes that regular starting kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn still isn’t ready to return from his strained quadriceps, requiring the practice squad kicker to step in for at least another week. Ammendola has connected on six of his nine field goal attempts and all 10 of his XP tries this season.

With Trevor Lawrence a game-time decision for Sunday’s game, the Jaguars are adding some QB depth to the active roster. Rourke is a former CFL standout, with the quarterback earning the CFL Most Outstanding Canadian award in 2022. Following that breakout, 25-touchdown campaign, Rourke got a look from a number of NFL teams and ultimately signed a three-year deal with the Jaguars this past offseason. He was waived at the end of the preseason and has spent the majority of the season on Jacksonville’s practice squad. Per ESPN’s Michael DiRocco, the rookie will be the emergency QB3 for Week 14.

Similarly, the Seahawks will call up Mannion and O’Connell as they deal with injuries to starting quarterback Geno Smith and linebacker Jordyn Brooks. Smith is questionable heading into tomorrow’s game with a groin injury.

Stewart is back on the Colts active roster after having served a six-game ban for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Through six games this season, the veteran has compiled 20 tackles, two stops for a loss, and five QB hits.

Crosby is set to make his 2023 debut and make an appearance for a team other than the Packers for the first time since the 39-year-old was drafted back in 2007.

Schweitzer head right back to injured reserve after being activated last week. The Jets signed a lineman to the active roster from the practice squad and elevated one for tomorrow’s game to add some depth at the position.

LB Josh Bynes Retires

December 8th, 2023 at 9:44am CST by Adam La Rose

Josh Bynes‘ NFL career will not extend to a 13th season. The veteran linebacker revealed on Friday that he has retired as a member of the Ravens, the team with which he spent much of his career.

Bynes entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent, finding his first regular opportunity with Baltimore. He established himself as a rotational member of the team’s defense and a key special teams contributor in 2012, something which became evident in the postseason. Bynes made the final tackle in Super Bowl XLVII, a play which earned him his lone championship and helped put him on the radar of other teams.

The Auburn alum spent three seasons with Detroit from 2014-16, starting 19 of his 38 games in the Motor City. He then joined the Cardinals on the most lucrative pact of his career (three years, $5.58MM). Bynes served as a full-time starter in his second and final Arizona season before returning to the Ravens in 2019. His play his second Baltimore stint earned him a deal with the Bengals for the following season, during which he posted a career-high 99 tackles.

That campaign was followed by another return to the Ravens, where Bynes earned 19 combined starts across the 2021 and ’22 seasons. In all, he racked up 582 tackles, 8.5 sacks and five interceptions in 138 career games (82 starts). Now 34, Bynes will hang up his cleats with roughly $9.4MM in career earnings. As he turns his attention to the next chapter of his life, he indicated (via Ryan Mink of the Ravens’ team website) coaching could very well be in his future.

“The thing I’m most proud of is perseverance,” Bynes said when reflecting on his career. “I’ve been released, cut. I’ve been told I wasn’t good enough, not fast enough to play in the league, wouldn’t be in the league long at all even if I had the opportunity to play. I can show my peers that regardless of what anybody says, you can do anything. You just go out there and prove it every single day. I feel like I proved that for my entire 12 years.”

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/5/23

December 5th, 2023 at 6:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Tuesday’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

  • Signed: WR Davion Davis
  • Placed on practice squad injured list: WR Jared Wayne

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Lions Place DL Alim McNeill On IR

December 5th, 2023 at 3:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Lions will be without a key defensive piece moving forward. After Alim McNeill left the team’s Week 13 win on multiple occasions, the Lions moved the ascending starter to IR.

Dan Campbell said McNeill was facing a potential absence; Tuesday’s transaction confirms a lengthy stay off the roster will commence. The third-year defensive lineman will not be eligible to be activated until Week 18. Given McNeill’s performance thus far this season, this represents a considerable blow to Detroit’s defense.

Chosen in the third round during Campbell and GM Brad Holmes‘ first draft with the team, McNeill has been a regular Lions starter throughout his career. This season, however, has brought a breakthrough. Pro Football Focus ranks McNeill as the NFL’s sixth-best interior D-lineman. The young defender has five sacks and has matched his full-season tackle-for-loss showing by notching six in the Lions’ first 12 games. Among Lions, only Aidan Hutchinson exited Week 13 with more sacks (5.5) than McNeill.

The good news for the Lions: they might have McNeill back for the playoffs. The North Carolina State product sustained a knee sprain, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero, who adds a return this season is in play. This represents a positive development for a Lions team that also may be targeting late-season returns from C.J. Gardner-Johnson and James Houston. Still, the number of unavailable defenders in Detroit is piling up.

Detroit has lost Gardner-Johnson, Houston and Emmanuel Moseley to severe injuries this season. Moseley’s second ACL tear in two years will sideline him into the 2024 offseason. At defensive tackle, the Lions are reasonably well situated. The team has veteran Isaiah Buggs, former second-round pick Levi Onwuzurike and rookie third-rounder Brodric Martin. The latter has not seen much time this season, with the Lions making him a healthy scratch for most of the year. Martin has only played in one game this season. McNeill’s injury could force the Lions into bumping the second-day draft investment into part-time duty.

The Lions rank 23rd defensively, though the unit ranks 10th in DVOA and fifth against the run. McNeill has been a central part in the success against ground attacks. To help fill the void, the Lions signed 13-year veteran interior D-lineman Tyson Alualu to their practice squad. In addition to the McNeill and Alualu transactions, Detroit signed cornerback Kindle Vildor from the practice squad to the 53-man roster.

Lions Sign DL Tyson Alualu

December 5th, 2023 at 12:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

Tyson Alualu is set to continue his NFL career for a 14th season. The veteran defensive lineman has agreed to a deal with the Lions, his agency announced on Tuesday.

The 36-year-old had spent the past six seasons in Pittsburgh, and he expressed a desire to continue his time with the Steelers this offseason. Instead, he will now head to the Motor City in a bid to carve out a rotational role on the Lions’ defensive front. Justin Rogers of the Detroit News notes Alualu will start on the team’s practice squad, as has become standard practice around the league for midseason additions.

This marks another late-season addition to Detroit’s defense, with Alualu following Bruce Irvin — who is also in his age-36 season — in signing with the NFC North leaders’ practice squad. Irvin made his debut with the Lions in Week 13. While Irvin had made a habit of in-season signings during the 2020s, this is new territory for Alualu. The veteran interior D-lineman played 17 games as a rotational player in Pittsburgh last season.

Over the course of his career, Alualu has played in 191 games and started 111. Although Alualu spent six seasons working alongside Cameron Heyward up front with the Steelers, he was a regular starter with the Jaguars from 2010-16. Pro Football Focus graded Alualu poorly last season but viewed him as one of the NFL’s top D-linemen as recently as 2020. Alualu suffered a season-ending injury during Week 2 of the 2021 season. The Lions will see what the former first-round pick has left in the tank.

Detroit’s latest addition comes after starter Alim McNeill left Sunday’s game due to injury. Dan Campbell said the third-year starter might not be ready in time for Detroit’s Week 14 game against Chicago. McNeill left the Lions-Saints matchup multiple times due to injury, though his practice designation Wednesday will begin to determine how likely a Week 14 absence will be.

Mutual Interest Between Chargers, Lions’ Ben Johnson For HC?

December 5th, 2023 at 12:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

DECEMBER 5: While Johnson is sure to have several suitors during the 2024 hiring cycle, Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post notes his preferred destination would be the Chargers. It remains to be seen if Los Angeles’ offseason evaluation of the coaching and front office staffs will produce a change, but in the event it does there will apparently be mutual interest between team and candidate in this case.

NOVEMBER 28: The Lions’ continued ascent under Dan Campbell stands to make his coordinators high-end HC candidates in 2024. While Aaron Glenn figures to generate additional interest, Ben Johnson will be a sure bet to land multiple interviews.

One of those requests may come from the Chargers, who have yet to make a decision on Brandon Staley. But with the defense-minded HC looking likely to be fired after this season, The Athletic’s Joe Person notes many in league circles expect the Chargers to have Johnson atop their wish list in 2024 (subscription required).

Regardless of the Bolts’ potential vacancy, Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer offers that Johnson will be the top offense-oriented coach on the market. Considering where NFL hiring has landed over the past several offseasons, that may well make him the top candidate available. This is obviously before we know if Bill Belichick will become a coaching free agent or if the iconic New England sideline presence will be a trade option for teams. But Johnson may end up receiving multiple offers this time around.

Johnson, 37, jumped off the 2023 coaching carousel early, opting to remain with the Lions for a second season as OC. The Panthers were interested in the North Carolina native — to the point David Tepper had him positioned as the team’s top candidate early in the run. Johnson was not interested in that job, and although the Panthers are again believed to be eyeing a coach with an offensive background (even after the historically quick Frank Reich firing), it is difficult to believe Johnson would be overly interested this time around. With Tepper having canned a third coach in-season since 2019, his reputation continues to plummet. The Panthers are 30-63 since Tepper bought the team in 2018.

The Chargers have enjoyed more success than the Panthers in that span, but they have also developed an earned reputation for squandering opportunities. Staley has presided over the latest round of those, and his tenure will likely be best remembered for the 27-point collapse in last year’s wild-card round. Barring a dramatic late-season turnaround, the Bolts should be expected to move on from the first-time HC. The Chargers have not fired a coach in-season since Kevin Gilbride in 1998, making it more likely than not Staley stays on to close out his third campaign. The Bolts sit 4-7 after three consecutive losses, one of which coming against the Lions.

While Staley’s defenses have underwhelmed, as injuries continue to affect the unit, the AFC’s Los Angeles job will be attractive due to Justin Herbert‘s presence. Herbert will likely be the best quarterback attached to a coaching vacancy in 2024. At 25 and signed to an extension that runs through 2029, the Pro Bowl quarterback will be a key variable on the 2024 coaching carousel.

L.A.’s current play-caller, Kellen Moore, has more experience running an offense than Johnson, who is in his second season calling plays. But Johnson has done plenty to elevate the Lions, overseeing a Jared Goff resurgence. The throw-in piece in the 2021 Matthew Stafford trade, Goff bounced back in 2022 and sits 11th in QBR this season. He ranked fifth in this metric last year — a career-best placement. The Lions went from 25th offensively in 2021 to fifth in Johnson’s first season as the full-time play-caller. Through 11 games this year, Detroit ranks seventh in scoring and sixth in offensive DVOA.

Although Johnson took a risk by not pursuing HC jobs to the end in this year’s cycle, he both received a Lions raise and remains a valued commodity going into the 2024 hiring period. The Bolts bet on an inexperienced coordinator in 2021, hiring Staley after his one season as the Rams’ DC. Johnson, who has been with the Lions since 2019, would be a similar hire. But as an up-and-coming presence on the offensive side, the Detroit assistant may have his pick of the 2024 openings.

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