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Jerry Jacobs

Lions Place WR DJ Chark On IR

October 22nd, 2022 at 6:07pm CST by Adam La Rose

DJ Chark has not seen the field since Week 3, and is not close to a return. The Lions announced on Saturday that the veteran wideout has been placed on IR.

The move guarantees that Chark will not be able to return for another month, and adds to the disappointment of his debut season in Detroit. The 26-year-old signed a one-year deal in March, as the team made a number of moves aimed at upgrading its aerial attack. Even with first-round rookie Jameson Williams yet to be activated, that improvement has taken place so far, as the Lions rank eighth in the NFL in passing yards per game (272).

Chark, however, has played a small role in that early success. The former Pro Bowler scored a touchdown in Week 1, but was held without a catch the following week. Overall, he has totaled 98 yards on seven receptions in 2022, a year in which he looked to put availability troubles behind him after an ankle injury limited him to four contests last season.

“I’m not really too comfortable speaking too deep into the detail of [the injury], just because I’m trying to figure out everything myself,” Chark said when speaking to the media, during which time he was seen in a walking boot. “But I definitely will be back this year for sure.”

Without their top free agent signing, the Lions will move forward with Josh Reynolds and Amon-Ra St. Brown as their top wideouts, along with tight end T.J. Hockenson as a focal point of their pass-catching corps. Chark is joined by cornerback Bobby Price on IR.

In more positive news, the team also confirmed that rookie defensive Josh Paschal and second-round corner Jerry Jacobs have been activated from the PUP list. Coming off of their bye week, the Lions will look to earn their second win of the year on Sunday against the Cowboys.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/5/22

October 5th, 2022 at 6:27pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

A number of players who were placed on IR after the preseason and prior to the regular season returned to practice today. These players will have a three-week practice window until they have to be activated to the active roster. Otherwise, they’ll be ineligible to return this season.

One of the most surprising returns is Cardinals cornerback Antonio Hamilton. The former undrafted free agent rode a strong preseason to a potential starting gig, but he was sidelined with second-degree burns after spilling hot oil on his legs and feet. Kliff Kingsbury previously said an early-October return may be a “little aggressive” (per ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss on Twitter), but the cornerback ended up working his way back to practice.

Lions Finalize Initial 53-Man Roster

August 30th, 2022 at 7:57pm CST by Ely Allen

Detroit got an early start on reducing its roster size Monday, but the team made the final moves toward 53 players Tuesday. Here are the moves from today that got the Lions there:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Placed on reserve/physically unable to perform:

Houston was the only member of the Lions’ 2022 rookie class that failed to make the initial 53-man roster. The young linebacker should have a good chance to land on the team’s 16-man practice squad Wednesday, if he can clear waivers. On the other hand, undrafted defensive lineman Demetrius Taylor found his way onto the roster after a disruptive preseason. Another undrafted rookie, running back Greg Bell, didn’t make the roster, but will remain with the team on Detroit’s injured reserve.

There were a number of surprising, but necessary, cuts today. Igwebuike had a decent chance to make the roster due to his experience and ability returning kicks. Kennedy led the team in catches, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns during the preseason. His lack of effective use on special teams likely lost him his spot on the final roster. Parker started much of last year at nickel for the Lions. Unfortunately he was expendable after the offseason additions of veteran JuJu Hughes and rookie Chase Lucas.

The winner of the kicking battle has been crowned as Austin Seibert made the final roster over Patterson. Patterson showed plenty of ability during the last couple of weeks and it would be no surprise if he was to be claimed by another team off waivers by tomorrow.

Finally, it appears the backup quarterback battle was won by David Blough, who outperformed Boyle in preseason. Still, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Detroit peruse the mass of recently waived players for a new quarterback. They have the second-highest priority on the waiver wire and should have their pick of the litter if they think they can improve on Blough.

Lions Place Three Players On PUP, Two On NFI List

July 24th, 2022 at 3:46pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Lions are the latest team to announce the list of players who will be sidelined for the start of training camp this week. An announcement on their website confirms three additions to the active/PUP list, and a pair of players who are now on the non-football injury list. 

Included among the former group is edge rusher Romeo Okwara. The 27-year-old was limited to just four games played in 2021, as he suffered a torn Achilles in October. That marked a disappointing start to the three-year extension he signed the previous offseason, and left his training camp availability very much in doubt. When he returns, he will look to return to his 2020 form, in which he totalled a career-high 10 sacks.

Another key defender on the shelf is cornerback Jerry Jacobs. In his rookie season last year, the Arkansas alum started nine of 13 games as Jeff Okudah‘s campaign was limited to a single contest. Jacobs registered a 61% snap share before himself suffering a torn ACL in December. He should be in line for a significant role once again this season.

Second-round rookie Josh Paschal is the final inclusion on the PUP list. He was sidelined during spring workouts, though it is unclear if today’s move is the result of complications recovering from that injury, or of a new one. Head coach Dan Campbell said, “We’re trying to be smart with him,” adding that Paschal has “got a lower extremity injury.” The Kentucky product will feature in the team’s new-look defensive front when he is back on the field, which should be the case soon.

The situation is different, of course, for rookie wideout Jameson Williams. The No. 12 overall pick suffered an ACL tear in the national title game (which is why he is being placed on the NFI list, rather than PUP). General manager Brad Holmes recently spoke about his and the team’s optimism that a full recovery will be made. That likely won’t happen in time for the start of the regular season, but when he does make his debut, the Alabama product will add a dynamic speed element to Detroit’s passing attack.

The other NFI inclusion is linebacker Natrez Patrick, who signed as a free agent after spending the past two seasons with the Rams. He, like any of the other four players, can be activated at any time before the regular season kicks off.

Lions’ Jerry Jacobs Done For Year

December 14th, 2021 at 9:11am CST by Zachary Links

It’s officially official. Lions rookie cornerback Jerry Jacobs has been formally diagnosed with a torn ACL, ending his season after 13 games. The Lions will place Jacobs on the injured reserve list this week as he gets set for knee surgery. 

“You feel awful,” head coach Dan Campbell said (via James Hawkins of The Detroit News). “He’s improved so much, particularly from spring just to where he’s been playing lately. Before he got hurt, he had already been doing some good things.”

“You don’t want any of your guys to get hurt, particularly one of these long-term injuries. The other thing is I hate that it happened now in December. That’s probably a nine-month injury, somewhere in there. The good news is it’s reparable. He’ll work at it, he’ll come back, and he’ll be better than he was. But you hate it for him and for our team.”

Jacobs, an undrafted free agent, managed to start in nine games this season, a touching story in an otherwise trying season for the Lions. He began his unusual path to the pros at Hutchinson Community College before transferring to Arkansas State. Unfortunately, a torn ACL wiped out his 2019 season. He then switched to Arkansas, but mental health issues prompted him to opt out after four games.

This marks yet another challenge for Jacobs, but he has a track record of overcoming whatever life throws at him. For now, he’ll be watching the Lions from home, starting with Sunday’s game against the Cardinals.

Lions’ Jerry Jacobs Suffers ACL Injury

December 13th, 2021 at 12:46pm CST by Adam La Rose

After suffering their 11th loss of the season on Sunday, the Lions have more bad news to deal with. Rookie cornerback Jerry Jacobs announced on Twitter that he has an ACL injury. This appears to be a torn ACL, which would rule Jacobs out for the rest of the year.

Undrafted out of Arkansas, Jacobs was in the midst of an encouraging rookie campaign. In 13 games this year, including nine starts, he had 34 tackles along with seven passes defensed and a forced fumble. In coverage, he had surrendered only one touchdown and a completion percentage of 59% to go along with a passer rating of 90.5.

In his message to the Lions’ fanbase, the 24-year-old said, “Thank you for always showing me love and support even during the hard times. Your spirt and encouragement is what motivated me to go 110% every play… This [injury] is a minor setback to a major comeback. I can’t wait to get back on the field and play for the best fans in the NFL”.

The Lions, who rank 26th in the league against the pass, allowing just under 222 yards per game, will need to rely even more heavily on third-year veteran Amani Oruwariye and use a rotation of other mostly inexperienced defensive backs in their secondary. Detroit hosts Arizona in Week 15.

Lions Sign 13 UDFAs

May 3rd, 2021 at 6:03pm CST by Ben Levine

Brad Holmes just completed his first draft as Lions GM, and the executive has now completed his first crop of undrafted free agent signings. The Lions agreed to terms with 13 UDFAs today, per the team website:

McKinley received a lucrative payday to join the Lions, receiving $100K in guaranteed money, including an $85K guaranteed base salary (per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle on Twitter). After dealing with injuries through his first three years of college, McKinley had a breakout campaign in 2020, hauling in 42 receptions for 717 yards and three touchdowns. He’ll be joined in Detroit by two of his college teammates, offensive lineman Tommy Kraemer and tight end Brock Wright.

Jacobs is one of the more intriguing signings. The cornerback put himself on the NFL radar following a 2018 campaign where he compiled 31 tackles, 12 passes defended, and four interceptions. However, he missed the majority of the 2019 season with a torn ACL, and he ultimately sat out the entire 2020 campaign.

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