HEADLINES

DaRon Gilbert

Lions Shift Alim McNeill, Malcolm Rodriguez To Reserve/PUP List; Team Sets Initial Roster

August 26th, 2025 at 4:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

In stashing two injured starters on the reserve/PUP list, the Lions also made a host of cuts to move down to 53. Here are the moves the two-time reigning NFC North champions made at today’s cutdown deadline:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on IR:

Waived (injury settlement):

Placed on reserve/PUP list:

Placed on reserve/NFI list:

McNeill is believed to be ahead of schedule, but the standout interior D-lineman will still be stashed on the PUP list — requiring a four-game absence. The Lions lost McNeill to an ACL tear — in their bloodbath of a season on defense — to a Week 15 ACL tear. This came weeks after the Lions and the four-year veteran hammered out an extension. McNeill, who has been pegged as most likely to return around midseason, is signed through 2028.

Rodriguez went down with an ACL tear during the Lions’ Thanksgiving win over the Bears. It was reported previously the young linebacker would be expected to miss regular-season time, and that will come to pass.

The Lions became the extraordinarily rare team to drop down to 50 players on roster-cutdown day, as opposed to the required 53. That will keep options open. The team can bring vested veterans back without the waiver process being involved, and teams occasionally wait until after the vested-veteran guarantee deadline passes in early September to re-sign vested performers to avoid fully guaranteeing salaries.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/20/25

January 20th, 2025 at 10:13pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the latest reserve/futures deals from around the league:

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Rams

Pittsburgh Steelers

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/26/24

December 26th, 2024 at 6:16pm CST by Adam La Rose

Thursday’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Signed: OL Matthew Jones

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed: QB Emory Jones

Detroit Lions

  • Signed: LB DaRon Gilbert

Indianapolis Colts

  • Signed: LB Michael Tutsie

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/20/24

August 20th, 2024 at 6:47pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

  • Reverted to IR: LB Zeke Vandenburgh

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Free Agent

Strong was a surprising release by the Cardinals during the regular season last year. At the time, Strong was coming off of his strongest NFL campaign, but head coach Jonathan Gannon claimed that the release was what was “best for the team.” While we still don’t know the nature of the suspension, or whether or not it’s even related to his January release, we are aware that he will miss three games.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/14/24

August 14th, 2024 at 9:20pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

  • Signed: C Cohl Cabral
  • Waived (with injury designation): DE Shaka Toney

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Cabral joins the Cowboys after UFL stints in Birmingham and Michigan. He adds more depth to the team’s offensive line after the team lost Chuma Edoga in their first preseason game and saw Earl Bostick helped off the field today. Toney suffered a groin injury, leading to this injury waiver, but could return to the team should he clear waivers.

Powers-Johnson was on some concerning ground with how much time he had missed with a concussion, but the Raiders saw him return to practice today.

The 49ers are adding some significant depth on the defensive line in Williams, who has vast starting experience in the NFL. Cutting Turner could mean that the return of Dre Greenlaw may on a better timeline than expected.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/13/24

August 13th, 2024 at 7:42pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

  • Waived-injured: WR Bryan Thompson

Carolina Panthers

  • Released from IR (with injury settlements): OT J.D. DiRenzo, TE Curtis Hodges

Denver Broncos

  • Re-signed: LB Alec Mock

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: LB Chris Russell
  • Released from IR (with injury settlement): CB Don Callis

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

  • Signed: CB Kaleb Ford-Dement
  • Waived: RB Zander Horvath
  • Released from IR (with injury settlement): WR Jermaine Jackson

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Released from IR (with injury settlement): NT Matthew Gotel

Lions Sign 15 UDFAs

May 10th, 2024 at 8:54am CST by Adam La Rose

The Lions came away with five rookies over the course of the draft. The 2024 event’s hosts have added to that group with 15 undrafted players. Here are Detroit’s rookie free agent signings:

  • Jalon Calhoun, WR (Duke)
  • Steele Chambers, LB (Ohio State)
  • Duke Clemens, OL (UCLA)
  • Kingsley Eguakun, OL (Florida)
  • Chelen Garnes, S (Wake Forest)
  • DaRon Gilbert, LB (Northern Illinois)
  • Hogan Hatten, LS (Idaho)
  • Bryan Hudson, OL (Louisville)
  • Nate Lynn, DL (William & Mary)
  • Morice Norris Jr., CB (Fresno State)
  • Isaac Rex, TE (BYU)
  • Loren Strickland, S (Ball State)
  • James Turner, K (Michigan)
  • Isaac Ukwu, DL (Ole Miss)
  • Isaiah Williams, WR (Illinois)

Williams secured one of the largest guarantees in the league amongst undrafted rookies. The 5-9 speedster received $225K of locked in base salary in addition to a $15K signing bonus, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. Williams began his college career as a quarterback, but over the past three seasons he served as a key member of the Fighting Illini’s passing attack. The 180-pounder recorded 82 catches in 2022 and ’23, totaling a career-high 1,055 yards and five touchdowns last year.

The Lions finished the 2023 campaign with Michael Badgley as their kicker, and he was re-signed earlier this offseason. The 28-year-old entered Friday as the only kicker on Detroit’s roster, but Turner will provide offseason competition. The latter spent his first four seasons at Louisville, converting 79.7% of his field goal attempts. That figure rose to 85.7% with the Wolverines in 2023, and Turner connected on all but one of his extra point kicks

Like Williams, Chambers switched positions midway through his college tenure. He started his time with the Buckeyes as a running back, though he only received 28 carries across the 2018 and ’19 seasons. The move to linebacker prompted a spike in playing time, and Chambers increased his tackle total with each passing season over the last three years. In all, the 6-1, 220-pounder racked up 208 stops, three sacks and four interceptions; he will aim to translate that production into at least a special teams opportunity in Detroit.