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Nate Sudfeld Nate Sudfeld Taking part in training camp
Thu, Jul 25, 2024, 5:23 PM
Sudfeld (knee) participated in Wednesday's training camp session, Paul Sancya of The Herald Journal reports.
Analysis: Sudfeld was photographed on the practice field Wednesday, and it looks like he's been medically cleared after having missed the entire 2023 season due to a torn ACL. He figures to spend training camp competing with second-year quarterback Hendon Hooker for the top backup gig behind Jared Goff. |
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Zonovan Knight Zonovan Knight Healthy to start camp
Thu, Jul 25, 2024, 4:43 PM
Knight (shoulder) has been cleared to practice at the start of training camp, Nolan Bianchi of the Detroit News reports.
Analysis: Knight suffered a torn labrum last season and spent the final three months on injured reserve. He's competing for a roster spot behind David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs and Craig Reynolds this summer. |
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Jahmyr Gibbs Jahmyr Gibbs Working at multiple positions
Thu, Jul 25, 2024, 4:15 PM
Gibbs (undisclosed) is practicing at training camp and took part in wide receiver position drills Thursday, Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News reports.
Analysis: Gibbs missed some time during spring practices due to a soft tissue injury, but he isn't showing any signs of being hampered at training camp. Route running appears to be a priority area of improvement for Gibbs this offseason, as after taking part in receiver drills he stayed on the field for extra work alongside All-Pro teammate Amon-Ra St. Brown. Gibbs said he and St. Brown worked on releases Thursday, and that they plan to spend time Friday going over different route techniques. General manager Brad Holmes talked up Gibbs as a multi-position playmaker after drafting him 12th overall in 2023, so it's encouraging to see the Lions now invest time into improving his ability to work as a pass-catcher in the intermediate area of the field. That type of utilization could allow Gibbs to materialize as a true Year 2 breakout, even with positional mate David Montgomery still projected to handle notable volume out of the backfield. |
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Jameson Williams Jameson Williams Standing out early in camp
Wed, Jul 24, 2024, 5:53 PM
Williams has been an early standout at Lions training camp practices, Jeff Seidel of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Analysis: Teammates Amon-Ra St. Brown and David Montgomery both praised Williams after the first day of camp. Heading into his third NFL season, Williams looked to be locked in as the Lions' No. 2 receiver after Josh Reynolds left for Denver in free agency. The sky is the limit for the 2022 first-round wideout, playing in an offense that likes to throw the ball and has plenty of targets to go around. Williams is a popular 2024 breakout candidate in fantasy circles. |
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Tre'Quan Smith Tre'Quan Smith Moves off NFI list
Wed, Jul 24, 2024, 5:02 PM
The Lions removed Smith (undisclosed) off the active/non-football injury list Wednesday.
Analysis: Just hours after being placed on Detroit's active/non-football injury list, Smith has been removed. He's now eligible to return to practice and participate in the Lions' training camp. |
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Donovan Peoples-Jones Donovan Peoples-Jones Gets activated Wednesday
Wed, Jul 24, 2024, 4:04 PM
The Lions activated Peoples-Jones (undisclosed) off the active/non-football injury list Wednesday.
Analysis: Peoples-Jones didn't miss much of training camp before getting healthy, and he's now been cleared to join his teammates on the practice field. The 2020 sixth-round pick is coming off the worst season of his NFL career, having played just 72 offensive snaps in 2023 across eight appearances. He appears set to battle for a roster spot during training camp and the preseason. |
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Tre'Quan Smith Tre'Quan Smith Shifts to NFI list
Wed, Jul 24, 2024, 1:36 PM
The Lions placed Smith (undisclosed) on the active/non-football injury list Wednesday.
Analysis: There has been no report on the nature of Smith's injury or illness. The 28-year-old wideout appeared in just one game in 2023, playing 10 offensive snaps and failing to record a single stat. Once Smith returns to full health, he'll likely be competing for a depth role in Detroit's wide receiver room ahead of the team's 2024 campaign. |
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Donovan Peoples-Jones Donovan Peoples-Jones Starts camp on NFI list
Wed, Jul 24, 2024, 11:57 AM
The Lions placed Peoples-Jones on the active/non-football injury list for the start of training camp Wednesday due to an unspecified injury or illness.
Analysis: Despite playing just 72 snaps on offense in his eight regular-season appearances with Detroit after he was traded from Cleveland at the end of October, Peoples-Jones re-signed with the Lions this offseason. Once healthy, Peoples-Jones presumably will need to fight for a roster spot. |
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Zonovan Knight Zonovan Knight Recovery going well
Thu, Jun 6, 2024, 3:38 PM
Knight (shoulder) has been a limited participant in Lions' OTAs, Dave Birkett of The Detroit Free Press reports.
Analysis: Knight sustained a torn labrum and missed the Lions' final 12 games in 2023, but he's been cleared for seven-on-seven and light team work as of last week. The 23-year-old running back has also been ramping up his workload in hopes of returning for Detroit's mandatory minicamp. Once Knight is back at full health, he's expected to compete for a depth spot in the Lions' backfield ahead of the 2024 season. |
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Jahmyr Gibbs Jahmyr Gibbs Sidelined by minor injury
Thu, Jun 6, 2024, 8:36 AM
Gibbs has missed spring practices due to a soft tissue injury, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Analysis: The Lions expect Gibbs to be ready for the start of training camp in late July, though coach Dan Campbell noted that the running back's absence this spring is a missed opportunity for growth. Gibbs nonetheless figures to be a huge part of Detroit's offense this season, with the big question being whether he'll take away some of the work that went to backfield mate David Montgomery last year. |
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Jameson Williams Jameson Williams Making improvements
Thu, May 23, 2024, 11:34 AM
Coach Dan Campbell said Thursday that Williams is "a man on a mission" and has made notable improvements this offseason, Eric Woodyard of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: Williams hasn't yet lived up to his 12th overall draft capital from back in 2022, but he's also faced unique hurdles to begin his NFL career. His big-play ability is undeniable, as is the opportunity for a third playmaker to emerge in Detroit's passing game behind standouts Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta, though plenty of targets should be distributed to running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. Potential for a year-three breakout is still there, but it depends on Williams truly logging an impressive offseason and earning consistent targets in a crowded offense. |
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Kalif Raymond Kalif Raymond Taking part in OTAs
Wed, May 22, 2024, 6:58 PM
Raymond (knee) participated in OTAs Wednesday.
Analysis: Raymond was pictured making a catch during Wednesday's session. He missed the entirety of the Lions' playoff run last season after being injured in the regular-season finale. Raymond is currently penciled in as the Lions' third receiver behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams after Josh Reynolds left as a free agent. Detroit didn't draft a single wideout last month. Raymond's competition will be in the form of Donovan Peoples-Jones and 2023 seventh-rounder Antoine Green. |
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Sean McKeon Sean McKeon Inks in Detroit
Thu, May 16, 2024, 4:08 PM
The Lions signed McKeon to a contract Thursday.
Analysis: McKeon suffered an ankle injury last December and was placed on IR after suiting up for nine games with the Cowboys, in which span he failed to secure either of his two targets. He can contribute both on special teams and as a blocker on offense, and McKeon, who's presumably past his ankle issue, now gets a chance to compete for a depth role with Detroit. |
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Jermar Jefferson Jermar Jefferson Back in action Tuesday
Wed, May 15, 2024, 9:15 PM
Jefferson (undisclosed) was a participant during the beginning of Detroit's offseason program Tuesday.
Analysis: Jefferson finished the 2023 campaing on Lions' practice squad injured list after popping up with an undisclosed injury in late January. The nature of the 24-year-old's issue was never revealed, though he appears to have moved past the injury over the past months. Jefferson has not played since his 2021 rookie season, spending each of the past two campaigns on Detroit's practice squad. |
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James Mitchell James Mitchell Participates in offseason program
Wed, May 15, 2024, 9:07 PM
Mitchell (hand) was seen catching passes last week during the beginning of Detroit's offseason program.
Analysis: Mitchell played 15 games during the 2023 regular season while primarily slotting in as a blocking tight end and contributor on special teams, as he caught just two passes. The 24-year-old then missed the Lions' postseason run with a hand injury. Mitchell's return to action during the offseason program likely means he's moved past the injury or the time being, so he'll likely slot back in behind Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright on the depth chart at tight end to begin the 2024 season. |
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Jahmyr Gibbs Jahmyr Gibbs To see more touches in 2024
Tue, May 14, 2024, 3:33 PM
Appearing on The Rich Eisen Show on Monday, Lions GM Brad Holmes said he "definitely would expect" Gibbs to "see more of the load" out of the backfield in 2024.
Analysis: Holmes added that he thinks Gibbs will also be even more involved in the passing game in his second season. Only seven running backs saw more targets than Gibbs' 71 in 2023, and his 52 catches were tied for the ninth-most at the position. Backfield mate David Montgomery out-carried Gibbs 219 to 182, but Gibbs had a commanding edge in the pass game with 47 more targets than the veteran. There's reason to believe Gibbs' touches will rise in 2024, but Montgomery isn't going away. This backfield will remain a one-two punch, and Montgomery is the favorite for carries when the Lions are trying to kill the clock when they have a lead. Gibbs' fantasy ceiling remains extremely high due to the overall explosive nature of Detroit's offense. |
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Jared Goff Jared Goff Lands four-year, $212M extension
Mon, May 13, 2024, 3:51 PM
The Lions signed Goff to a four-year, $212 million contract extension Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Analysis: The deal contains $170 million guaranteed, and Goff is now the highest-paid player in Lions franchise history. The 2016 No. 1 overall pick of the Rams, Goff was acquired from Los Angeles in the Matthew Stafford haul from the 2021 offseason and has resurrected his career under Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. In three seasons with Detroit, Goff has completed 66.5 percent of his passes, up from 63.4 percent with Los Angeles, and has thrown for 12,258 yards with a splendid 78:27 TD:INT. He's lowered his turnover rate with Detroit and just helped lead the team to the NFC Championship Game last season. Goff is still just 29 years old and is locked in with the Lions for at least the next few seasons. |
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Parker Hesse Parker Hesse Joins Detroit
Mon, May 13, 2024, 1:03 PM
The Lions signed Hesse on Monday.
Analysis: Hesse appeared in three games with Atlanta last season, but across 48 offensive snaps he wasn't targeted. He also played 28 snaps on special teams. Now, Hesse will get a chance to compete for a depth role in Detroit's crowded tight end room. |
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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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