Kyle Peko

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/11/24

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Detroit Lions

Tennessee Titans

A former third-round pick by the Lions, Julian Okwara ultimately spent four seasons in Detroit. The linebacker saw time in 38 games (four starts) during his Lions tenure, compiling 54 tackles and nine sacks. This included a five-sack performance in 2021, although he struggled to match those counting stats over the past two years. The 26-year-old spent the preseason with the Eagles before joining Arizona’s practice squad prior to the regular season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/7/24

Here are all the NFL’s minor transactions for Saturday, including the gameday callups leading into the first Sunday of the 2024 season:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

With regular kicker Matt Gay listed as questionable for the season opener after hernia surgery, the Colts will call up Shrader from the practice squad as an emergency option. The 25-year-old has not made a regular season appearance in his career, but that could very well change tomorrow.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC North

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These BearsLionsPackers and Vikings moves are noted below.

Chicago Bears

Signed:

Claimed:

Placed on IR:

Signed to practice squad:

Detroit Lions

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Green Bay Packers

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Minnesota Vikings

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Lions Get Down To 53 Players

The Lions used a couple of different methods to get their active roster to 53 players:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Placed on IR (designated for return):

Placed on reserve/PUP list:

The Lions released a lot more vested veterans than we typically see at this time in the year, perhaps a sign of the young talent on the roster. Peko seemed like a sure thing to make the roster after starting 10 games for the Titans in 2023.

Detroit will dismiss a couple of young rushers in Jefferson and Knight after the two failed to develop a significant role on the roster. Fromm was easily outshined in the preseason by an electric Hendon Hooker, who will take the backup job behind Jared Goff. Fromm continues to search for his place in the NFL after nearly winning it all at the collegiate level.

Martin, like Mahogany, will be able to return after four weeks, thanks to a new NFL rule that allows each team to place two players on IR before or at the roster cut deadline and designate them to return. Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley has the other designation.

Mahogany is the only drafted rookie not to make the initial 53, but he’ll stick around in Detroit. On the other side of things, the Lions kept three undrafted rookie signees on their active roster to start the season. Most notably Hogan Hatten will come in and operate as the team’s new long snapper. Safety Loren Strickland from Ball State and wide receiver Isaiah Williams from Illinois are the other two undrafted rookies to make the initial roster.

Lions Sign DT Kyle Peko

Kyle Peko has made his way around this site’s transaction posts over the years, bouncing to a few teams and on and off practice squads. But the veteran defensive tackle has continued to generate interest despite working mostly as a backup.

A stint with the Titans last year brought new territory — regular starter run — for the eight-year veteran, and it looks like that stretch will lead to another gig. The Lions signed Peko on Tuesday, bringing him in and greenlighting a reunion with C.J. Moore.

Detroit will be Peko’s sixth stop since coming into the NFL as a UDFA in 2016. The ex-Broncos signee had made a combined three starts from 2016-22. Last season, the Titans used him as a 10-game starter. Peko, whose other three career starts came for the 2021 Titans, rejoined the Tennessee D-line last year. He made 22 tackles (two for loss) and batted down a pass.

Pro Football Focus did not view Peko, 30, as a productive defender; the advanced metrics site graded the journeyman as a bottom-10 performer among D-tackle regulars. But the Lions hired former Mike Vrabel assistant Terrell Williams as their D-line coach/defensive run-game coordinator. That familiarity will certainly help produce another opportunity for Peko, who played for Williams — previously the Titans’ D-line coach — during both his Tennessee stints.

A cousin of longtime NFL DT Domata Peko, Kyle has played for the Broncos, Bills, Colts, Raiders and Titans. Last season also marked the Oregon State alum’s career-high mark for games played (13). He joins a Lions interior D-line corps featuring Alim McNeill, John Cominsky, free agent signing D.J. Reader, 14-year veteran Tyson Alualu, former Day 2 picks Levi Onwuzurike and Brodric Martin, along with sixth-round rookie Mekhi Wingo.

Titans Poach Two From Practice Squads, Place Two On IR

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.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/19/23

Today’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

Tennessee Titans

Michael Dogbe, a former seventh-round pick, got into 40 games for the Cardinals through the first four seasons of his career. This included 2021 and 2022 campaigns where he appeared in 29 games, collecting 55 tackles and one sack. He caught on with the Texans last week and proceeded to appear in about 25 percent of the team’s defensive snaps this past weekend.

Kyle Peko will bring 31 games of experience to the Titans defensive line. The veteran has already been promoted by the Titans twice this season and started both of his appearances, collecting four tackles. He’ll be taking the spot of Jayden Peevy, who got into two games across two seasons with the organization.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/16/23

Today’s callups and adjustments heading into Week 2:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/9/23

We have our first flood of pregame transactions of the season today as teams across the league with games tomorrow utilize their two permitted practice squad elevations:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Promoted from practice squad: LB Brevin Allen

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

  • Promoted from practice squad: RB Myles Gaskin, OLB Benton Whitley

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC South

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These ColtsJaguarsTexans and Titans moves are noted below.

Houston Texans

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Indianapolis Colts

Placed on IR:

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad: 

Jacksonville Jaguars

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Tennessee Titans

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Released:

Released from IR via injury settlement: