Tag: Anthony Pittman

Lions place DT Levi Onwuzurike on IR among roster moves for Week 1

The Detroit Lions place DT Levi Onwuzurike on IR and promote 2 players from the practice squad for Week 1

The Detroit Lions made a few roster moves the day before the Week 1 opener at Ford Field against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Most notable is moving defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike to the injured reserve list. Onwuzurike has not practiced in over a month with a back and hip injury, one that head coach Dan Campbell labeled a “snail’s pace” of a recovery. He had been ruled out for Sunday’s game on the final injury report for the week.

In addition to shelving Onwuzurike through at least the next four weeks, the Lions also promoted two players from the practice squad to the active roster for the game versus the Eagles. Running back Justin Jackson and linebacker Anthony Pittman earned the call-up.

Each player can be elevated for a game from the practice squad up to three times before the team is required to sign them to the active roster.

Jackson could very well serve as the kick returner for the game. Pittman has been a special teams fixture in his prior Lions seasons and that could carry into Sunday if he’s not placed on the inactive list.

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Presenting the Detroit Lions initial 2022 practice squad

The following players have been confirmed to sign on as the initial members of the Detroit Lions’ practice squad for the 2022 season.

The following players have been confirmed to sign on as the initial members of the Detroit Lions’ practice squad for the 2022 season.

Like all NFL teams, the Lions can carry up to 16 players on the practice squad. Up to four can be protected each week from signing to the active roster of another, though that protection does not go into effect until Tuesdays. Detroit signed 13 players who were with the team in the offseason to the initial practice squad.

A player can be promoted from the practice squad to the active roster on game days up to three times per season. After that, they must be signed to the active roster.

Lions to cut LB Anthony Pittman

The Detroit Lions are cutting LB and special teams ace Anthony Pittman

We have our first real surprise of the Detroit Lions roster cutdown reports. Per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, the Lions are waiving linebacker and special teams ace Anthony Pittman.

Pittman has been with the Lions since the start of the 2019 season, bouncing between the active roster and practice squad a few times. He played in all 17 games in 2021, almost exclusively on special teams outside of injury-necessitated spot duty at linebacker in December. He recorded 18 total tackles and broke up one pass.

Pittman was one of the more prominent players sitting on the Lions’ roster bubble. His departure, paired with the news of Jarrad Davis’ release from Monday, leaves the Lions with five LBs: Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez, Chris Board and Josh Woods.

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6 Lions players on the roster bubble on cutdown day

Here are a few Lions players sitting on the roster bubble as we enter the final hours before the deadline

While they aren’t official until 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, the Detroit Lions have already informed several players they will not make the initial 53-man roster. Among those no longer with the team: LB Jarrad Davis, TE Devin Funchess and WR Tom Kennedy.

The bubble burst on those three roster aspirants, who all had at least outside chances to make the Lions regular-season roster. There are still quite a few players anxiously perched on that roster bubble as the cutdown deadline rapidly approaches.

Here are a few Lions players sitting on the roster bubble as we enter the final hours before the deadline.

Lions make contract tender offers to 13 exclusive rights free agents

The Detroit Lions make contract tender offers to 13 exclusive rights free agents, including all 3 starting specialists

In a move that is best described as a contractual formality, the Detroit Lions made the required contract tender offers to 13 pending exclusive rights free agents on Wednesday.

Exclusive rights free agents, more commonly known as ERFAs, are players who were on the active roster for just one or two seasons and have an expiring contract. Practice squad players do not count. The players are offered the league-minimum salary for the upcoming season.

The 13 players feature the three starting specialists and several young players who have played quite a bit on special teams:

  • LS Scott Daly
  • P Jack Fox
  • CB Mark Gilbert
  • S JuJu Hughes
  • RB Godwin Igwebuike
  • WR Tom Kennedy
  • G Tommy Kraemer
  • OLB Jessie Lemonier
  • T Matt Nelson
  • K Riley Patterson
  • LB Anthony Pittman
  • CB Bobby Price
  • TE Brock Wright

Not all of the ERFA players were brought back. Detroit did not make offers to three: OLB Rashod Berry, S Jalen Elliott and OL Ryan McCollum. They are now street free agents free to sign with any other NFL team.

Lions roster bubble watch: 6 players who improved their roster odds

The Detroit Lions suffered another defeat at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steeler, but these 6 players improved their roster odds this week

The Detroit Lions suffered another preseason defeat, this time at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers, losing 26-20. Even though the score may seem close, it was nowhere near the performance the Lions were hoping for, especially in the first half.

Between poor defensive performances and questionable quarterback play, the Lions found it difficult to get anything going to muster up any fight against the Steelers. However, the second half was a different story. The Lions seemed to find their roar after halftime. Even coach Dan Campbell was questioning some players that have been viewed as roster locks and praising some underdogs.

It may not seem like all sunshine and rainbows, but a few players performed quite well, making some decisions harder than some may have thought initially.

Here are six players who raised their odds on finding a way on the 53-man roster.

Linebacker Anthony Pittman continues to earn praise from Lions coaches in training camp

Pittman keeps progressing from local longshot to Lions linebacker ready to take on a bigger role

Detroit Lions linebacker Anthony Pittman has been the subject of praise from coaches and teammates alike over the last week.

Pittman specifically credited his improvement over the years to him being able to go up against players such as Taylor Decker, Tyrell Crosby, and Frank Ragnow. He also mentioned how watching and defending against future Hall-of-Famer Adrian Peterson helped him improve as a linebacker last season.

Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn had some praise to give about Pittman on Tuesday morning.

“One guy that really stands out is Pittman. He’s making plays on the ball. He’s running to the ball. You see the physical nature of him. There’s a lot of things about that player that I like,” Glenn said after practice.

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The next day, head coach Dan Campbell decided to join in on hyping up the young linebacker.

“He shows up everyday, and every day he does something. He can run, he’s physical, he’s young. He’s one of those guys you get really fired up about, as a young guy, developing and growing… The potential is there and he’s working really hard at it,” Campbell added.

In his press conference, Campbell spoke about not knowing much about Pittman when he first arrived but hearing good things from coaches who had worked with him over the years. After speaking with the young linebacker about his role, both came to the conclusion that he should move back to his natural position on the inside.

Pittman played middle linebacker since his days at Wylie E. Groves High School in the Detroit suburb of Beverly Hills and continued to excel in that role at Wayne State. Once he arrived in Detroit, the coaching staff asked him to put on some weight and play the outside linebacker/pass rush position.

While he did not seem to struggle in a new position, Pittman, Campbell, and the new coaching staff all knew that he’d be a better player at middle linebacker, and that seemed to pay off.

The third-year player and Detroit-area native started the week strong with an interception on a pass from David Blough to Tom Kennedy. Throughout the week, he managed to almost snag two more. His hard work and determination has shown as the praise from his coaches continues to roll in.

Coming out of Wayne State as an undrafted free agent in 2019, it was an uphill battle for Pittman to even stick around the league. With an impressive preseason that year that had him see the field for a vast majority of defensive snaps, he earned a place on the practice squad.

Matt Patricia and his defensive staff raved about the young linebacker and their faith in him showed when he earned a call-up to the active roster for the Week 17 matchup against the Green Bay Packers. In that game, Pittman only took 17 defensive snaps but made the most of them by getting a hit on Aaron Rodgers and recording one tackle.

In his second season, he remained on the practice squad for the entirety of the year. Now year three, he’s reunited with one of his former high school coaches, DeOn’tae Pannell, and is back to playing his natural position at inside linebacker.

He is in competition with players such as Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Shaun Dion Hamilton, Jahlani Tavai, and Tavante Beckett for a reserve linebacker role this season. The practice squad could still be a potential landing spot for Pittman, but as the constant flow of praise keeps coming in from this coaching staff, it’s too early to count him out from making the 53-man roster this fall.

Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn: ‘I’m excited about the guys we have’ at off-ball LB

Glenn singled out Anthony Pittman and Shaun Dion Hamilton in his post-practice press conference

New Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn has a lot of work to do in reforming one of the NFL’s worst defenses from a year ago. Glenn is working with a lot of players who just didn’t click in 2020 under Matt Patricia in his passive read-and-react scheme. Many Lions fans took great umbrage with the linebacking play, and it was largely deserved. But Glenn sees a lot of potential at the off-ball backer role through the first week of training camp.

When asked about the inside linebackers, Glenn did not hold back.

“I’ll tell you this, I’m excited about the guys we have,” Glenn said. He then talked up Anthony Pittman, who has consistently shown ability and speed in coverage throughout the summer.

“One guy that really stands out is Pittman. He’s making plays on the ball. He’s running to the ball. You see the physical nature of him. There’s a lot of things about that player that I like,” Glenn said.

Glenn then discussed the crowded field at off-ball linebacker, also mentioning Shaun Dion Hamilton for his strong play since joining the Lions this offseason.

“There’s a lot of competition at that spot,” Glenn continued. “A lot of times you find players, especially at that spot — (they) might not be household names, but you give those guys a shot, let them compete and we’ll see what shakes out.”

Pittman and Hamilton have been performing well in reps, but they’re both chasing after veteran Jamie Collins. Now wearing No. 8, Collins has been quite impressive in camp, too. Newcomer Alex Anzalone gets more of the first-team reps with Collins than anyone else. Holdover Jahlani Tavai is also in the mix and has remade his body in hopes of revitalizing his career, but he appears behind both Hamilton and Pittman based on both performance in camp and from Glenn’s words on Tuesday.

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Derrick Barnes injury allowing other Lions LBs to shine in his absence

With rookie Derrick Barnes sidelined with a hamstring injury, other Detroit Lion LBs are taking advantage of the extra playing time

With padded practices beginning, this will be the first look we get of full-speed contact from the new-look Detroit Lions. It will give us a sense of where some of these players are since the likes of two-hand touch football aren’t hindering them. There are quite a few areas people usually gravitate towards, either be the running game or the first taste of football for the rookies.

Unfortunately, we will have to wait and see how one of the rookies is progressing. Derrick Barnes has been dealing with a lingering hamstring issue that has caused him to be out from training camp so far. However, Coach Dan Campbell has assured everyone it’s not a major issue and precautious with the young rookie.

When the Lions traded up to draft Barnes in the fourth round in this year’s draft, they obviously saw something from the linebacker who could be a key defender for the defense. He is a versatile defender that could fit nicely as an off-ball linebacker and also offers an edge-rushing prowess.

With Barnes losing out on meaningful reps during practice, it may slow down his progress in getting used to the NFL speed. In turn, that may cause him to drop down the totem pole and lose on some meaningful playing time, especially if others step up during Barnes’ absence.

With Barnes out and Jalen Reeves-Maybin on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Shaun Dion Hamilton, Anthony Pittman and Tavante Beckett have been taking advantage of those extra practice reps. They might not have seen those reps if it weren’t for some injuries above them.

Hamilton was claimed off of waivers earlier in the year and has made noise in training camp so far with his play speed and coverage ability. If Hamilton continues on the trend he is currently on and shows off his strong coverage skills, he could find a way on the roster.

Pittman is walking into his third season with the team but has seen action in just one game. From the reports, he looks much quicker and plays in his more natural position at inside linebacker versus outside linebacker last year. In addition, he has shown improvement in his coverage abilities and looks to be playing much quicker. Tavante Beckett may be a long shot as an undrafted free agent this year, but he is getting a much more extended look that surely most people would’ve thought and could earn a practice squad spot because of it.

The Lions are top-heavy, with the linebacker depth chart with Jamie Collins and Alex Anzalone working the inside and Romeo Okwara and Trey Flowers manning the outside. Barnes may have ended up competing with Alex Anzalone for the inside spot if he had a strong camp, but now that might be looking like a pipe dream with how many valuable reps he has missed to get acclimated to the NFL and the defensive play-calling.

With Barnes viewed as one of the future building blocks for the defense, it would be unreasonable to rush him back on the field when he is not 100 percent. It will hinder him from coming into the season, losing out on those much-needed reps, and may see less playing time because of it heading into the season, but the Lions have a strong core on top to let Barnes heal up and adjust.

With the extended look from Hamilton, Pittman, and Beckett, they are taking advantage and showing the Lions what they have where they might not have been able to if not for Barnes being out. It is something to keep your eye on throughout training camp and see if they can find a role, especially if Barnes’ injury lingers.

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Detroit Lions sign 5 players to futures contracts

The Detroit Lions announced that they have signed five players from their 2020 practice squad to futures contracts.

The Detroit Lions announced that they have signed five players from their 2020 practice squad to 2021 futures contracts including wide receiver Tom Kennedy, wide receiver Victor Bolden, interior offensive lineman Evan Brown, linebacker Anthony Pittman, and safety Jalen Elliott.

Futures contracts are typically for the league minimum with no guarantees and they allow younger players to be offered an early spot on a team’s 90-man roster. As an incentive for teams to sign these players, the NFL does not count their salary towards the team’s salary cap until the league’s new year begins — in March when the unrestricted free agency period opens.

While the Lions have signed five players to futures deals, they are not necessarily finished adding players in this manner. The Lions can add as many futures contracts as they desire — as long as they don’t exceed the 90-man roster limit — and they have several players who were with the team in 2020 who qualify.

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With slot receivers Danny Amendola and Jamal Agnew’s contracts expired, the Lions didn’t have any slot receivers on their current roster. Kennedy, who has been with the Lions for the last two seasons, and Bolden give the Lions inexpensive depth options with upside at the position.

Brown was promoted from the Lions practice squad each of the last two weeks and found his way on the field due to injuries in both games. He has played in 11 games over his career and is a depth option that can play all three interior spots.

Pittman is a hybrid linebacker who has been with the organization the last two seasons. He is built like an off-the-ball linebacker but was used as a JACK linebacker when he saw the field in 2019. His athleticism and versatility should help him adapt to the new defensive scheme.

Elliott was an undrafted free agent last season and has some positional range at safety. He is not at the athletic level of the Lions’ other safeties, but he is intelligent and has a nose for the ball.