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Jameson Williams Jameson Williams Gets subtle vote of confidence
Mon, Apr 29, 2024, 2:30 PM
Williams is part of a WR room that didn't add any new bodies during the 2024 NFL Draft.
Analysis: It's a subtle vote of confidence in the 12th overall pick from the 2022 NFL Draft, as Detroit's roster otherwise has a slew of fourth-receiver types behind Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown, namely Kalif Raymond, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Antoine Green and Tre'Quan Smith. The No. 2 receiver spot may not be a high-volume task in an offense with ARSB, TE Sam LaPorta and an excellent RB duo, but it's nonetheless a positive sign for Williams that the Lions didn't prioritize adding competition for him this offseason. While he made a bunch of big plays down the stretch last season, Williams has played only 522 regular-season snaps on offense to this point in his career and has never caught more than five passes in a game. |
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Amon-Ra St. Brown Amon-Ra St. Brown Gets four-year extension
Wed, Apr 24, 2024, 10:59 AM
St. Brown and the Lions reached agreement Tuesday on a four-year extension, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: Rapoport relays that St. Brown's deal is worth more than $120 million, including $77 million guaranteed. If those numbers hold up when more details come out, St. Brown will tie Tyreek Hill's for average annual value ($30 million) for a receiver and have the stand-alone record for money guaranteed. Of course, he probably won't hold those records for long, as the list of star wideouts nearing the end of their rookie contracts includes Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb and Ja'Marr Chase. In any case, St. Brown has improved his receiving volume and fantasy production with each passing season in the NFL, and he should have another big year in 2024 while catching passes from quarterback Jared Goff in an offense that will be coordinated by Ben Johnson for at least one more season. |
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Craig Reynolds Craig Reynolds Back to Detroit
Mon, Apr 15, 2024, 12:05 PM
The Lions re-signed Reynolds as an exclusive rights free agent Monday.
Analysis: Reynolds appeared in 16 regular-season games last year, rushing 41 times for 179 yards and one touchdown. He also secured all five of his targets for 47 yards. Now having re-upped with Detroit, he figures to reprise a depth role behind Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. |
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Brock Wright Brock Wright Retained by Detroit
Wed, Apr 3, 2024, 12:36 PM
The Lions matched the three-year, $12 million offer sheet extended to Wright by the 49ers on Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Analysis: Wright signed an offer sheet that reportedly included $6 million guaranteed, but since he was a restricted free agent, Detroit had the ability to retain the tight end, who plays a key role as a blocker in the run game. The 49ers will now have to look elsewhere for an additional depth behind George Kittle, while Wright gets an improved contract and the opportunity to remain in a scheme in which he's already thrived. Across 14 regular-season appearances in 2023, Wright totaled 13 receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown. |
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Brock Wright Brock Wright Could back up Kittle
Fri, Mar 29, 2024, 6:16 PM
The offer sheet Wright signed with the 49ers as a restricted free agent Friday is reportedly for three years and $12 million, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
Analysis: Per Birkett, the Lions have five days to match the offer and since Wright was an undrafted free agent, they wouldn't receive draft pick compensation if he departs. If the 25-year-old ends up with the 49ers, he'd be in line to help fill the blocking tight end void behind starter George Kittle created by the free-agent departure of Charlie Woerner. |
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Brock Wright Brock Wright Signs offer sheet with San Fran
Fri, Mar 29, 2024, 1:35 PM
Wright (forearm) signed an offer sheet with the 49ers on Friday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: The Lions extended a one-year, $2.98 million contract tender to Wright ahead of free agency and now have five days to match the 49ers' offer. If not, Wright's deal with San Francisco becomes official. Wright broke his left forearm during Detroit's postseason win over Tampa Bay and finished the 2023 regular season with 13 receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown across 14 appearances. |
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Nate Sudfeld Nate Sudfeld Remains in Detroit
Wed, Mar 27, 2024, 4:59 PM
Sudfeld (knee) re-signed with the Lions on Wednesday.
Analysis: Sudfeld missed all of last year after suffering a torn ACL in a preseason game against the Panthers. The 30-year-old operated as the team's backup quarterback to Jared Goff in 2022, and was competing with Teddy Bridgewater for that role last season before his injury. If he can make the Lions roster in 2024, he'll likely be the No. 3 option with Hendon Hooker behind Goff. |
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Jared Goff Jared Goff Discussing new deal
Tue, Mar 26, 2024, 2:58 PM
Goff and the Lions have begun negotiations on a contract extension, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com reports.
Analysis: The same is true for star wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown, one of the team's nine regular starters on offense currently under contract with the Lions for 2024. The two exceptions are wide receiver Josh Reynolds, who averaged 3.8 targets per game last year, and right guard Jonah Jackson, who has already been replaced by 2023 Pro Bowler Kevin Zeitler. Even offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is back for another year, after many assumed he'd leave for a head coaching job. Goff has just one season and $27.3 million remaining on a four-year extension he originally signed with the Rams. What was once viewed as an overpay has now become one of the best values among veteran QB contracts, with the 29-year-old coming off consecutive seasons with more than 4,400 passing yards and at least 29 TDs. Goff hasn't quite been as effective for fantasy managers, as he offers next to nothing on the ground and plays in an offense that got 47 rushing TDs from its running backs over the past two seasons. |
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Amon-Ra St. Brown Amon-Ra St. Brown Talking extension
Tue, Mar 26, 2024, 2:47 PM
St. Brown is discussing an extension with the Lions, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com reports.
Analysis: The 2021 fourth-round pick is entering the final season of his rookie contract, after catching 315 passes for 3,588 yards and 21 touchdowns through his first three years. It's likely only a matter of time before St. Brown becomes one of the highest-paid non-QBs in the league, though he may be hesitant to sign before seeing what other top WRs about to hit the open market end up getting, such as Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb and Ja'Marr Chase. In any case, St. Brown will be back as the lead target for quarterback Jared Goff in a talented Detroit offense that looks set to return either nine or 10 starters from last season plus a handful of key backups. |
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Brock Wright Brock Wright In line for contract tender
Thu, Mar 7, 2024, 1:58 PM
The Lions are slated to extend a contract tender to Wright (forearm) ahead of NFL free agency, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Analysis: The report notes that by offering Wright (as a restricted free agent) a right of first refusal tender of $2.985 million, the Lions will retain the right to match any contract the tight end signs. Wright, who is bouncing back from a broken left forearm that he sustained in the postseason, is coming off a 2023 season in which he caught 13 passes for 91 yards and a TD in 14 regular-season games while working behind outstanding rookie Sam LaPorta. |
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Shane Zylstra Shane Zylstra Stays in Detroit
Mon, Mar 4, 2024, 3:46 PM
Zylstra (knee) re-signed with the Lions on Monday.
Analysis: Zylstra spent the entirety of the 2023 campaign on IR with a knee injury suffered during training camp, but he should be considered healthy with his return to the team. The 27-year-old last suited up in 2022, when he made 11 receptions (on 15 targets) for 60 yards and four touchdowns across 13 contests. He'll likely be competing for a depth role in the Lions' tight end corps in 2024. |
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Jameson Williams Jameson Williams Pushing to be 'full-time starter'
Tue, Feb 27, 2024, 5:23 PM
Head coach Dan Campbell indicated that Williams is set for an increased role in 2024, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports. "[Williams] is going to push to be a full-time starter and that's what we're looking for. Everybody grows at a different rate. Maybe it's taken him a little bit longer, but he is developing and growing. The kid has come on. We got high hopes for him and see him continuing to grow," Campbell said Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Analysis: Williams technically became a starter in Week 7 of last season, but he never topped 70 percent of the offensive snaps in a single game until Detroit's season-ending loss to the 49ers in the playoffs. The 2022 first-round pick also saw just 3.5 targets per game after joining the starting unit. Given that the likes of Josh Reynolds and DJ Chark have regularly topped 80 percent of the offensive snaps while serving as the No. 2 wideout behind Amon-Ra St. Brown in recent years, Williams at least has considerable room to grow from a playing-time standpoint, especially with Reynolds set to become an unrestricted free agent. However, neither Reynolds or Chark saw more than 4.7 targets per game in a season with Detroit, and none of the top-36 wide receivers in per-game half-PPR scoring saw less than 5.6 targets per game in 2023. With St. Brown and Sam LaPorta presumably the centerpieces for the passing game of a run-first Lions offense, Williams may need to rely upon touchdowns and explosive plays to pay off as a difference-making fantasy asset in 2024. |
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Hendon Hooker Hendon Hooker No game reps as rookie
Sun, Feb 11, 2024, 9:21 PM
Hooker did not appear in a game during the 2023 season.
Analysis: Drafted in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Hooker had a slow start to his professional career while rebounding from a torn ACL from November of 2022, when he was a Heisman Trophy candidate at Tennessee. While he did not appear in a game as a rookie, Hooker did serve as the emergency No. 3 quarterback for the final three regular-season games and each of Detroit's playoff contests. With Teddy Bridgewater set to retire this offseason, the path is wide open for Hooker to open the 2024 campaign as Detroit's backup quarterback behind Jared Goff. |
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Craig Reynolds Craig Reynolds Totals 226 yards in 2023
Sun, Feb 11, 2024, 9:08 PM
Reynolds rushed 41 times for 179 yards and one touchdown while catching five passes on five targets for 47 yards over 17 games in 2023.
Analysis: Reynolds had a couple of productive games during the first half of the season while filling in for David Montgomery, who missed multiple games due to injuries. However, both Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs managed to stay healthy over the second half of the year, leaving little work for Reynolds outside of returning kickoffs on special teams. Now set to become an unrestricted free agent, Reynolds is a candidate to return to Detroit but will need to land a new contract this offseason. |
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Donovan Peoples-Jones Donovan Peoples-Jones Big step back in fourth season
Sun, Feb 11, 2024, 8:59 PM
Peoples-Jones caught 13 passes on 25 targets for 155 yards over 15 games in 2023.
Analysis: Peoples-Jones began the year as a near-every-down player in Cleveland, where he produced 97 yards in seven games. Upon being dealt to Detroit, the Michigan product only topped 20 percent of the offensive snaps in one game when Jameson Williams and Kalif Raymond (knee) got banged up. He then was barely used in the playoffs, not seeing a single target or more than six offensive snaps in any of three games. Now set to become an unrestricted free agent, Peoples-Jones may need to find a new team to help him rediscover his 2022 form when he totaled 839 yards and three touchdowns in 17 games. |
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Kalif Raymond Kalif Raymond Totals 564 yards in 2023
Sun, Feb 11, 2024, 8:50 PM
Raymond (knee) caught 35 passes on 44 targets for 489 yards with one touchdown while rushing seven times for 75 yards over 17 games in 2023.
Analysis: While he didn't reach the four touchdowns he scored in 2021 or the 652 yards he totaled in 2022, Raymond put together yet another respectable season as a tertiary option in Detroit's high-flying offense while pitching in at punt returner as well. He rarely needed much playing time to do it, either, given that Raymond topped 30 percent of the offensive snaps in just six games and only topped four targets twice. With offensive coordinator Ben Johnson surprisingly coming back as Detroit's offensive coordinator, Raymond -- who remains under contract through 2025 -- should be back in 2024 as an interesting gadget player on offense and a key player on special teams. |
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Josh Reynolds Josh Reynolds Solid 2023 campaign
Sun, Feb 11, 2024, 8:33 PM
Reynolds caught 40 of 64 targets for 608 yards and five touchdowns over 17 games in 2023.
Analysis: After averaging 56.8 yards with three touchdowns over the first six games of the year, Reynolds only collected 26.4 yards per game since that point. Part of his dip in production was tied to the return and then slight ascension of Jameson Williams, who missed the first four games of the year due to a gambling-related suspension but saw increased playing time as the year went on. While Reynolds is now set to become an unrestricted free agent, he will likely remain a fantasy afterthought wherever he lands. |
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Jameson Williams Jameson Williams Totals 383 total yards in 2023
Sun, Feb 11, 2024, 8:21 PM
Williams caught 24 passes on 42 targets for 354 yards and two touchdowns while rushing three times for 29 yards and one touchdown over 12 games in 2023.
Analysis: While Williams -- who missed the first four games of the year due to a gambling-related suspension -- has not truly lived up to his first-round pedigree through two seasons, he seems to be making strides in the right direction. After starting the season consistently logging less than half of the offensive snaps, the Alabama product finished the year seeing at least two-thirds of them while serving as the No. 2 wide receiver behind Amon-Ra St. Brown. Williams then made a number of catches over three playoff games, ultimately putting together a two-touchdown performance in a loss to the 49ers in the NFC championship game. Unless Detroit brings in significant competition at wide receiver, Williams could be in store for a breakout 2024 campaign as an ascending talent within a high-scoring offense. |
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Tre'Quan Smith Tre'Quan Smith Signing with Detroit
Wed, Feb 7, 2024, 4:11 PM
The Lions signed Smith to a reserve/future contract Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Analysis: Smith will head to Detroit after spending time with both the Saints and Broncos last season. The 28-year-old will now compete for a roster spot after failing to record any stats in his one game played during the 2023 campaign. |
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Tom Kennedy Tom Kennedy Gets new contract
Wed, Jan 31, 2024, 12:36 PM
Kennedy signed a reserve/future contract with the Lions on Tuesday, Justin Rogers of The Detroit News reports.
Analysis: Kennedy was injured during training camp with Detroit, but after being waived with an injury settlement, he found his way back to the organization in November as a member of the practice squad. The 27-year-old has played in 20 career games -- all with the Lions -- and has recorded 14 catches for 195 yards on 25 targets. |
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