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Detroit Lions News & Rumors

Lions Activate WR Jameson Williams, DE Romeo Okwara

December 3rd, 2022 at 4:16pm CST by Ely Allen

The Lions announced today that they will be adding two major pieces at a time when the team is playing its best football of the season. Rookie first-round pick Jameson Williams is set to make his NFL debut after spending the first 12 weeks of the season on the reserve/non-football injury list and defensive end Romeo Okwara is set to play his first football since October 3rd of last season.

Williams was a transfer student who joined the Crimson Tide after two seasons at Ohio State. In his lone season at Alabama, Williams dominated as the team’s No. 1 receiver. While teammate (and fellow rookie who also has yet to play an NFL snap) John Metchie III led the team in catches (96), Williams led the team in every other receiving category with his 79 receptions for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns. A month after Metchie tore his ACL in the 2021 SEC Championship Game, Williams tore his in the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship game.

Detroit has had to make do without many receiving options this year. Williams has been unavailable until now, free agent addition DJ Chark has only appeared in five games this year due to an ankle injury, and Quintez Cephus has been on injured reserve since the beginning of October, much like he was last year. With all those receivers out, second-year wide out Amon-Ra St. Brown has stepped up for a breakout year leading the team in receptions (65), receiving yards (716), and receiving touchdowns (4). Kalif Raymond and Josh Reynolds have also been asked to step up during the absences. It’s unclear how much Williams will be involved this week, so it might make sense for the Lions to play this week with a top-three of St. Brown, Raymond, and Chark, easing Williams into professional play and counting on Reynolds and Tom Kennedy in relief.

Okwara is in his fifth year with the Lions after spending two years as an undrafted free agent with the Giants. Detroit claimed the pass rusher off waivers from New York just before the 2018 season and he rewarded them immediately. Okwara started 14 games for the Lions in 15 appearances and led the team with 7.5 sacks and 14 quarterback hits, adding eight tackles for loss for good measure. After a surprising down year in 2019 where Okwara saw his usage plummet, he came back with a vengeance in 2020. Okwara posted career highs in sacks (10.0), tackles for loss (11.0), and quarterback hits (18) leading the team in each category by a mile. Okwara saw his 2021 season end with a torn Achilles tendon in Week 4 and hasn’t seen the football field since, spending all of this season so far on the reserve/physically unable to perform list.

The Lions pass rush could certainly use the 2020-version of Okwara. The team’s sack leader this year in rookie No. 2 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson, who only has 5.5 sacks. After Hutchinson, Detroit has three players tied with two sacks apiece. One of those players is Okwara’s younger brother Julian Okwara. The younger Okwara brother is unfortunately headed to IR after injuring his elbow in the team’s Thanksgiving Day matchup with the Bills. Unless the team feels strongly about bringing the third-year outside linebacker back for the final two games of the regular season, his year may be over. Activating Romeo is a big boost but losing your second-most effective pass rusher for the season in Julian hurts.

In addition to the team’s three reserve list transactions, the Lions will also promote center Ross Pierschbacher from the practice squad as a standard gameday elevation against the Jaguars this week.

Bears Add QB Tim Boyle

November 30th, 2022 at 6:04pm CST by Ben Levine

The Bears could be down their top two QBs when they take on the Packers on Sunday, so the team has added some reinforcement at the position. ESPN’s Courtney Cronin reports (via Twitter) that the Bears have signed quarterback Tim Boyle off the Lions’ practice squad.

Starting quarterback Justin Fields is currently dealing with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder that forced him to miss Sunday’s game against the Jets. Trevor Siemian gutted through an oblique injury to play in that loss to New York, and it’s uncertain if he’ll be able to suit up this weekend. That would leave Nathan Peterman as the only healthy quarterback on the roster, so the team ended up snagging Boyle off Detroit’s taxi squad.

Boyle served as a backup to Aaron Rodgers to begin his career before catching on with the Lions in 2021. He ended up getting three starts for Detroit last year, completing 61 of his 94 pass attempts for 526 yards, three touchdowns, and six interceptions. The 28-year-old re-signed with the Lions this past offseason, and after getting cut at the end of the preseason, he caught on with the organization’s practice squad.

He’ll likely be a temporary piece in Chicago once the team’s QB corps is completely healthy. However, Boyle wasn’t just a random fill-in. Cronin notes that the Bears signed him because of his familiarity with offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who was the Packers’ QBs coach when the two were in Green Bay.

The Bears made two more moves today, placing defensive back Dane Cruikshank on injured reserve and signing defensive lineman Andrew Brown off the Cardinals practice squad. Cruikshank has gotten into eight games for Chicago this season, but a hamstring injury will sideline him for at least the next four games. Brown has 23 games of NFL experience, with the former fifth-round pick having collected 18 tackles and one sack in time with the Bengals, Texans, and Chargers.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/29/22

November 29th, 2022 at 7:40pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

  • Signed: DB Lamar Jackson
  • Released: WR Kaden Davis, RB Tyreik McAllister

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: TE Nick Guggemos

New Orleans Saints

  • Signed: LB Kenny Young
  • Placed on IR: OL Drew Desjarlais

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Lions Place Charles Harris On IR, Sign James Houston From Practice Squad

November 28th, 2022 at 9:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

After re-emerging for two games earlier this month, Charles Harris will see his injury-marred season will be paused again. The Lions placed the former first-round pick on IR on Monday.

A groin injury has kept Harris on the shelf for the past two games. He will be shut down until at least Week 17. Given the timetable here, it is certainly possible the Lions — who have five injury activations left — just keep the veteran defensive end on IR the rest of the way. To take Harris’ roster spot, Detroit signed defensive end James Houston — he of two Thanksgiving Day sacks in his NFL debut — off the practice squad.

The Lions entered the year with reasonable plans for Harris, who re-signed with the team on a two-year, $14MM accord. Harris led the 2021 Lions with 7.5 sacks, helping a team that had lost Romeo Okwara to a severe injury. The Dolphins cut Harris earlier in 2021, leading him to the Lions on a low-cost deal.

Harris, who suffered the groin injury initially in Week 4, opened the season as a starter. After his first hiatus, however, he returned as a backup. The former Mizzou standout played only 24 defensive snaps in Detroit’s past two games. He has one sack and four quarterback hits this season.

A sixth-round rookie, Houston has spent the season on Detroit’s practice squad. Despite playing only five defensive snaps in his debut, Houston dropped Josh Allen twice. He figures to see more opportunities going forward. The Lions have Aidan Hutchinson positioned as their edge anchor but have dealt with considerable injury issues outside of the No. 2 overall pick. Most notably, Okwara remains on the team’s PUP list. But the Lions designated him for return earlier this month, opening the door to a late-season stretch of game action for the veteran pass rusher.

Lions OC Ben Johnson Generating Head Coaching Interest?

November 26th, 2022 at 8:53pm CST by Adam La Rose

Not long before the 2022 season started, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was not assured of acting as the team’s play-caller. He has operated within that role this season, and the unit’s performance has reportedly caused many around the league to take notice in him.

In a breakdown of emerging head coaching candidates, Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post names Johnson as a staffer generating considerable buzz around the league. Johnson’s Lions have been surprisingly efficient on offense, ranking in the top eight in the league in both total and scoring offense (averaging 374 yards and 25 points per game). Their pass game has been far more effective than many expected, especially with first-round rookie wideout Jameson Williams still yet to make his debut.

On the ground, Detroit has put up just shy of 130 rushing yards per game on average; that figure comes as somewhat striking given the limited usage top running back D’Andre Swift has seen as he continues to battle nagging injuries. It represents a reflection, in the eyes of many executives and evaluators, of Johnson’s creativity from a schematic standpoint – something which “quite possibly” could put him in the conversation for a HC gig as early as this coming cycle.

The 36-year-old was promoted from tight ends coach to OC this offseason as the Lions’ replacement for Anthony Lynn. It remained unclear for months after that expected decision, however, if he or head coach Dan Campbell would handle play-calling duties. The decision to give that responsibility to Johnson has paid clear dividends for Detroit, which sits at 4-7 despite fielding the league’s lowest-ranked defense. Especially when Williams is able to suit up, the degree to whish Johnson will be able to maintain the offense’s effectiveness will be worth watching as the season winds down.

A number of assistants have had their names floated around for the upcoming cycle, one in which Carolina and Indianapolis will be conducting full searches for permanent bench bosses. Other teams will likely be on the lookout for new hires as well; despite his lack of experience compared to top candidate Sean Payton, Johnson could very well be on the radar to land with one such squad this winter.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/23/22

November 23rd, 2022 at 8:53pm CST by Adam La Rose

Today’s minor moves around the league:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

Thanksgiving will mark McKinley’s Cowboys debut after he signed to Dallas’ practice squad last week. The veteran will seek to be more productive in his reunion with Dan Quinn than his previous stops following the end of his Falcons tenure, while providing depth to a Cowboys edge group which has produced a league-leading 42 sacks this season.

Hobbs returning to the fold in the near future will be a welcomed sight for the Raiders’ secondary. The 2021 fifth-rounder was a full-time starter through the first five weeks of the season before landing on IR with a broken hand. Vegas has struggled against the pass, allowing more than 247 yards per game through the air in 2022. The team has three weeks to activate him before he becomes ineligible to play again this season.

Lions CB Jeff Okudah Likely Out For Week 12

November 22nd, 2022 at 8:56am CST by Adam La Rose

The Lions will in all likelihood be without their top cornerback when they take on the Bills on Thanksgiving. Jeff Okudah is dealing with a concussion, and will have little (if any) chance of being cleared in time for Thursday’s game.

Okudah exited Detroit’s win over the Giants on Sunday after a collision with teammate Will Harris and did not return. Given the short turnaround – not to mention the parameters of the league’s new concussion protocols – it would be nearly impossible for the Ohio State product to suit up in two days’ time.

Head coach Dan Campbell confirmed as much when speaking to the media about Okudah’s availability. “He’ll be out I’m pretty sure,” he said, via the team’s website. “We just talked about it; I don’t think there is any way possible he can play.”

Injuries are nothing new for the 23-year-old. He missed seven games during his rookie campaign, and essentially all of last season due to an Achilles tear. That led to serious questions about his ability to recover in full and live up to his draft stock as a former No. 3 pick. He impressed the team during the summer, though, and was assured of a starting spot on the boundary during the lead-in to the season.

Okudah had played nearly every snap this season before suffering the injury on Sunday, something which was a welcomed sight for the Lions given his importance to the team’s league-worst defense. He has racked up 53 tackles, five pass breakups and one interception (returned for a touchdown). Detroit will be hard-pressed to replace that production in his absence.

The team will turn to Jerry Jacobs, Mike Hughes and Amani Oruwariye at corner. The latter had a breakout campaign last season, but has taken a major step back in 2022, to the point of being benched for one game and finding himself on the trade market earlier this year. What would already have been a difficult task in slowing the Bills’ high-octane offense will thus be made even more challenging as the Lions look for a fourth straight win on Thursday.

Lions Designate WR Jameson Williams For Return

November 21st, 2022 at 1:24pm CST by Adam La Rose

Fresh off a victory which extended their winning streak to three games, the Lions could have a significant addition coming soon. The team announced on Monday that they have opened rookie wideout Jameson Williams‘ practice window.

That gives him three weeks to be activated from the NFI list. If he does not return within that timeframe, he will be ineligible to play in 2022. Today’s news represents an encouraging step towards a debut in the near future, though. It also falls in line with what the team had indicated last week.

“I would say probably after Thanksgiving sometime… I think that’s tentatively what we’re looking at,” head coach Dan Campbell had said at that time on the question of bringing Williams into the fold. ” We’ll see where it goes. He’s progressing, there’s no setbacks.”

Detroit traded up in the first round to select the Alabama product with the No. 12 pick, despite knowing that his ACL tear would leave him unavailable for most of the season. The team had initially aimed for a return to the field around the midway mark of the campaign, but that proved too optimistic. Any game action from Williams would likely do wonders for the team’s offense, given the production he put up in his final college season.

The 6-2, 190-pound speedster racked up 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns while helping lead the Crimson Tide to the national title game. It was there that he suffered the injury, though it did little to hurt his draft stock. A healthy Williams would provide the Lions with their top trio at the position for the first time, joining Amon-Ra St. Brown and DJ Chark (who himself was just activated from IR).

That could help provide some stability in the passing game for the 4-6 Lions. The team ranks mid-pack with an average of 245 yards per game through the air for the season, but has fallen short of 200 yards three times in the past five games. In the near future, though, the Lions’ full array of wideouts should be available.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/19/22

November 19th, 2022 at 8:05pm CST by Ely Allen

The league’s minor moves leading up to gameday:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

  • Signed to active roster: TE Nick Muse
  • Promoted from practice squad: CB Tay Gowan
  • Waived: OLB Benton Whitley

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Washington Commanders

Panthers QB Notes: Darnold, Mayfield, Rhule, Herbert, Stafford, Tepper, Watson

November 19th, 2022 at 6:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Panthers are starting Baker Mayfield in Week 11, they want to see Sam Darnold in action this season. Steve Wilks said he would like to give Darnold some work, though the interim HC did not indicate that would be certain to happen this week against the Ravens. “I’m interested in winning the game. This is not pay $250 to get to play,” Wilks said, via The Athletic’s Joe Person (on Twitter).

Carolina used one of its injury activations to move Darnold onto its 53-man roster last week, but the former No. 3 overall pick did not see any action against the Falcons. P.J. Walker is out of the picture for the time being, after becoming the third Carolina QB this season to suffer a high ankle sprain. Mayfield will make his first start since sustaining his ankle injury in Week 9. Here is the latest from what has become one of the more complex QB situations in recent NFL history:

  • After playing hurt last season, Mayfield has not turned it around. On the radar for a potential franchise-QB deal in 2021, Mayfield is on track for free agency for the first time. The market for the former No. 1 overall pick may check in at $5-$7MM on a prove-it deal, David Newton of ESPN.com notes. Mayfield’s 17.7 QBR ranks last in the NFL.
  • This situation has been in flux since Cam Newton‘s 2019 foot injury. Prior to the team making the Newton-for-Teddy Bridgewater change, GM Marty Hurney and most of the Panthers’ scouts were high on Justin Herbert. But Matt Rhule did not view 2020 as the window to draft a quarterback, with Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com indicating in an expansive piece the team saw a jump from No. 7 overall to No. 4 — ahead of the QB-seeking Dolphins and Chargers — as too costly. While then-Giants GM Dave Gettleman was not keen on trading down, going most of his GM career without ever doing so, the Panthers not making a push for Herbert has led to QB chaos.
  • After the Panthers determined Bridgewater — a preference of former OC Joe Brady — would be a one-and-done in Charlotte, they made a big offer for Matthew Stafford. Negotiations between new Panthers GM Scott Fitterer and Lions rookie GM Brad Holmes at the 2021 Senior Bowl led to Panthers brass leaving Mobile believing they were set to acquire Stafford, Fowler notes. It is interesting to learn how far the GMs progressed in talks, because Stafford made it known soon after he did not want to play for the Panthers. The Rams then came in late with their two-first-rounder offer, forcing the Panthers and others to look elsewhere.
  • Rhule then pushed hard for Darnold, Fowler adds, after Panthers staffers went through film sessions evaluating he, Carson Wentz and Drew Lock. The Panthers sent the Jets second-, fourth- and sixth-round picks for the former No. 3 overall pick and picked up his guaranteed $18.9MM fifth-year option. Owner David Tepper begrudgingly picked up the option but became irked by the 2023 cost hanging over the franchise, per Fowler. Tepper is believed to have held up this year’s Mayfield trade talks in order to move the Browns to pick up more money on his option salary. The delay was connected to the Panthers already having Darnold’s fifth-year option to pay.
  • Tepper’s main prize during this multiyear QB odyssey, Deshaun Watson, was leery of the Panthers’ staff uncertainty, Fowler adds. All things being equal between the four finalists — Atlanta, Carolina, Cleveland, New Orleans — the Panthers were not believed to be Watson’s first choice. The Falcons were viewed as the team that would have landed Watson if the Browns did not make that unprecedented $230MM guarantee offer.
  • Fitterer offered support for a Mitch Trubisky signing this offseason, according to Fowler, who adds the team never engaged in extended talks with Jimmy Garoppolo‘s camp. While Garoppolo said the Panthers were in the mix, the team was believed to be leery of his injury history. Trubisky is in Year 1 of a two-year, $14.3MM deal. While Trubisky may well be available again in 2023, the Panthers — having added six draft picks from the Christian McCaffrey and Robbie Anderson trades — will be connected to this year’s crop of QB prospects.
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