Tag: Brodric Martin

Lions inactives for Week 16 vs. Vikings: Rookies and injuries abound

The Detroit Lions inactive players list for Week 16 vs. Vikings is loaded with injured players and rookies

The Lions have released the inactive players list for the Week 16 visit to the Minnesota Vikings. It’s a fairly predictable list given the injuries and current construction of the 53-man roster.

With CB Jerry Jacobs and TE Brock Wright previously ruled out due to injury and LB Derrick Barnes listed as doubtful with a shoulder injury, half the list was predetermined.

Quarterback Hendon Hooker will be inactive for his first game on the active roster. Hooker is listed as the No. 3 and emergency QB. Rookies Antoine Green, Brodric Martin and Steven Gilmore round out the inactive players.

Snap count notes from the Lions Week 14 loss to the Bears

Lions snap count notes on the RB mix, DL rotation, Hutchinson never leaving the field, rookies and more from the loss in Chicago

It’s always interesting what stories the snap counts from a game tell about a team. For the Detroit Lions in the Week 14 loss to the Chicago Bears, it shows a team that made some questionable personnel choices.

Take the running back splits. David Montgomery played just 23 of the Lions’ 65 offensive snaps. Jahmyr Gibbs has taken over the lead-back role lately and that was reinforced in Chicago, with the rookie playing 41 snaps. Both Gibbs and Montgomery rushed for 66 yards in the game. Third RB Craig Reynolds played one. Montgomery played just one of Detroit’s 11 snaps in the third quarter.

Blocking was stable in this one. Kayode Awosika got the starting nod at right guard with Graham Glasgow playing center for the injured Frank Ragnow. The entire starting line played all 65 reps. Extra tackle Dan Skipper was on the field for five. Blocking tight end, James Mitchell played 11 snaps and still hasn’t seen one passing game target for the entire season.

Jameson Williams continues to grow into the No. 2 receiver role, trailing only Amon-Ra St. Brown (57) in snaps with his 38. That’s two more than Josh Reynolds, who led the Lions in receiving in Week 14 with three catches for 44 yards and a touchdown. Williams got one target and one handoff in his time on the field.

Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson continues to play almost every snap. In this game, Hutchinson played 64 of the 71 defensive reps, a 90 percent rate. Hutchinson played very well and is in tremendous physical shape, but leaning on a pass rusher to go for 90 percent of the snaps is asking a lot. It’s a reflection that the team doesn’t trust the defensive front without its top player.

The EDGE snap count breakdown:

Hutchinson: 64

John Cominsky: 50

Julian Okwara: 17

Romeo Okwara: 8

Isaiah Buggs got the majority of the Alim McNeill replacement reps at DT, playing 43 of the 71 available snaps. Rookie Brodric Martin didn’t record a stat, but he was on the field for six snaps in his first action since Week 8. Levi Onwuzurike also failed to record a stat in 14 reps.

Kindle Vildor made his Lions debut in the secondary with 17 reps. Some of those came at the expense of Jerry Jacobs, who played 53 snaps, or 75 percent. Veteran safety Tracy Walker did not play on defense, only appearing on special teams.

Two defenders only played one snap: LB Malcolm Rodriguez and DB Will Harris. Rodriguez did not appear at fullback in this game.

Lions rookie report: How they fared vs. the Bears in Week 14

Breaking down how the Detroit Lions rookies fared vs. the Bears in Week 14

The Lions as a whole right now are struggling with a lot, the rookie class is part of that. While some have had flashes of excellence, the bunch collectively is finally playing like rookies. Which is okay, apart from it coming down the stretch of the season when the team should be out of this phase.

Jahmyr Gibbs has been Mr. Reliable since coming out of Alabama and being drafted 12th overall in April. Sam LaPorta has been on a feverish pace set to break some records as well but there are weeks he has disappeared.

On defense, Jack Campbel has been consistent but some glaring mishaps have let some big plays happen, especially against mobile quarterbacks. Brian Branch has been dealing with injuries but when he he has been on the field he has also fashed brilliance.

The class in general will be fine but they have hit some roadblocks in recent weeks. Sunday’s game against the Bears was arguably the worst of the lot of them.

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Lions have all DTs active against the Bears with Alim McNeill out

Detroit inactives for Week 14: Lions have all DTs active against the Bears with Alim McNeill out

Most weeks, the Detroit Lions inactive player list includes multiple defensive tackles. Not this week, not against the Chicago Bears.

With top DT Alim McNeill on injured reserve, the Lions have all DT hands-on deck at the ready in Week 14. Isaiah Buggs, Levi Onwuzurike and rookie Brodric Martin, all of whom have been healthy scratches in recent weeks, are active.

The ripple effect leaves rookie WR Antoine Green and two special teams specialists, CB Chase Lucas and LB Trevor Nowaske, as inactives for the Bears game.

Aaron Glenn explains why rookie DT Brodric Martin hasn’t been playing

Aaron Glenn explains why rookie DT Brodric Martin hasn’t been playing

When the Detroit Lions traded up in the third roundtraded up in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft to select Brodric Martin, it was done with the knowledge that he was a project. The big defensive tackle from Western Kentucky needed a lot of technical refinement to flesh out his considerable physical potential.

Thus far, the developmental curve has been longer than many hoped for. Martin has played in just one game, spending nearly the entire season as a healthy scratch. That’s despite the Lions defensive line not producing much in the way of pressure or run defense tackles.

Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn shed some light on Martin’s progress prior to Thursday’s practice session. Glenn noted that Martin still has a way to go before he’s ready to contribute, even with standout DT Alim McNeill now on injured reserve.Alim McNeill now on injured reserve.

“Man, just coming from where he did in college and understand exactly how he has to play in this league (NFL),” Glenn stated. ‘The one thing I think that he had an issue with early is just being able to use his hands and understand how to use his hands. And man, I tell him in practice, he’s doing a really good job of that. I mean before practice, after practice, those are the things that Brodric is doing a really good job of to get himself on the field.”

Glenn continued,

“And then other than that, man, I’m a big believer in D-linemen being able to have lateral agility and he’s working his butt off trying to work on those things too.”

Sunday’s game in Chicago will be a good barometer of how Glenn perceives Martin’s progress. If the rookie is still inactive, it’s probably time to write off his first year as a complete developmental season.

How do the Lions replace Alim McNeill?

How do the Lions replace injured defensive tackle Alim McNeill? They have options, but none are very appealing

Alim McNeill has been the Lions’ best defensive tackle all season. The third-year DT was second on the team in sacks (5), tackles-for-loss (6), QB hits (9) and PFF defensive grade (88.1), trailing only Aidan Hutchinson.

Now, the Lions defense is faced with the reality of playing without McNeill for at least the next four weeks. Detroit placed No. 54 on injured reserve on Tuesday after he suffered a knee injury in the Week 13 win in New Orleans.

How can the Lions replace McNeill?

The short answer is, unfortunately, not very well. McNeill has been the only real interior defensive line threat to do anything in the opposing backfield all season. Guys who weigh over 300 pounds and can move like McNeill does with graceful power aren’t easy to find.

That person isn’t on the roster now. Benito Jones, Isaiah Buggs, Levi Onwuzurike and rookie Brodric Martin constitute the current defensive tackle room. Combine them all in 2023 and the DT room as it exists entering Week 14 against Chicago, and the production is dismal:

29 tackles, one sack, three TFLs

Digging deeper into the practice squad, the Lions have elevated Quinton Bohanna for the last three games. The behemoth Bohanna has six tackles and two TFLs. However, he’s out of elevations; the Lions will need to add him to the active 53-man roster in order for Bohanna to play again. That the team signed CB Kindle Vildor from the practice squad instead of Bohanna throws some cold water on that idea.

Detroit added veteran Tyson Alualu in the immediate aftermath of the McNeill injury. Alualu, 36, notched 18 tackles and a half-sack in his last 19 games for the Pittsburgh Steelers over the 2021-2022 seasons. In other words, “desperation, thy name is Alulalu”…

Then there are two players who are primarily defensive ends but do occasionally kick inside in packages: John Cominsky and Josh Paschal. Cominsky is listed at 285 pounds, Paschal at 274. Cominsky has played just 12 percent of his nearly 400 snaps inside the 5T alignment, with Paschal — who is closer to 265 than 274 at this point — at seven percent. They’re not full-time DTs, plain and simple.

What is the goal?

Using the pieces on the roster, the Lions will need to commit to a more concrete goal from the interior defensive line. Do they want to emphasize gap control and run defense, or will Aaron Glenn and his scheme instead want the focus to be on pressure generation? Because without McNeill’s impressive talents, they can’t reasonably be expected to do both even if that’s what Dan Campbell stated on Wednesday,

“I don’t think as a whole we’ll need to change what we do. We’ll still be able to function and live in the world we lived in,” Campbell said while acknowledging different situations might force some deviation.

There might be a clue in the right direction from the PFF season grades. Of Detroit’s defenders with at least 10 snaps in run defense, Jones, Onwuzurike and Bohanna are the bottom three. Jones, at a grade of 40.1, is one of the worst run defenders in the NFL amongst DTs. Using bulk on the inside isn’t really helping, especially when none of the big guys generate any semblance of a pass rush. Alualu could make a better impact in run defense, but he’s proven over a 13-year NFL career he’s not a pass-rush asset.

It would make more sense to try and be more of a gap-attack up front. Trying Cominsky more often in a 4i (inside shoulder of the OT) role to get increased disruption is worth a try.

Playing Martin and dealing with the third-round rookie’s growing pains could also help in this area. Martin has been a healthy scratch for all but one game as the Lions work on his self-admitted pad-level issues. He’s almost certainly going to lose some reps, but having the potential disruption he showed in preseason and training camp could prove beneficial in the long term. At worst, the Lions will know if Martin can be expected to handle a bigger role in 2024 — an important revelation for a player drafted as a developmental project.

Then there’s Buggs. The veteran has not worked his way out of the coaching doghouse, where he landed after not impressing Campbell, Glenn, et al with his offseason work. Buggs is in a weird limbo status. He’s deemed too valuable to cut, but not trustworthy enough to play even in desperate times. Martin’s injury could be the catalyst to force the Lions’ hand in making a more definitive decision with Buggs, who did not play very well when given the opportunity this year, either. Perhaps being reunited with ex-Steelers linemate Alualu will help?

There’s a lot of talk about Ndamukong Suh. Until he actually signs in Detroit, consider him a theory and not at all a likely reality.

Lions inactives for Week 12 vs. Packers: Healthy scratches provide roster clues

With Jonah Jackson the only player out, the Lions made several healthy scratches

The Thanksgiving game in Ford Field features a Lions team that enters the Week 12 contest with just one player ruled out for an injury. In fact, left guard Jonah Jackson (wrist) was the only Detroit player with any injury designation at all.

That means the weekly inactive list is full of healthy scratches. And healthy scratches mean we get a glimpse of the pecking order of the bottom of the Lions roster.

We got an early idea when the Lions elevated DT Quinton Bohanna and OL Michael Schofield from the practice squad. After adding them into the mix, the Lions made the following players inactive:

LG Jonah Jackson (injured)
OLB Julian Okwara
DT Isaiah Buggs
DT Brodric Martin
WR Antoine Green
CB Steven Gilmore
LB Trevor Nowaske

The notable players here are the veterans, Buggs and Okwara. Being inactive while healthy is an indication that they are at the bottom of the depth chart at their positions. With both of them pending free agents, it could very well be seen as a sign that neither is long for Detroit.

Lions inactives: Defensive line healthy scratches raise an eyebrow

Lions inactives: Defensive line healthy scratches raise an eyebrow with Levi Onwuzurike and Brodric Martin sitting and Isaiah Buggs ruled out

The Detroit Lions inactive player list for the Week 11 matchup with the Chicago Bears raises an eyebrow along the defensive line.

Two recent Day 2 draft picks, Levi Onwuzurike and Brodric Martin, are inactive for the game as healthy scratches. With Isaiah Buggs ruled out with an illness, it figured to be a good opportunity for one of them. They are sitting out while the Lions will play practice squad promotion Quinton Bohanna at defensive tackle instead. It will be Bohanna’s debut in a Lions uniform.

The other Lions inactives:

CB Steven Gilmore

WR Antoine Green

LG Jonah Jackson (injury)

LB Trevor Nowaske

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Lions inactive players vs. Chargers: DPJ and Brodric Martin will not play

Donovan Peoples-Jones and Brodric Martin are among the Lions who will not play against the Chargers.

Lions fans hoping to catch new wideout Donovan Peoples-Jones in a Detroit uniform will have to wait a little longer. Peoples-Jones is one of the inactive players for the Lions in the Week 10 matchup in Los Angeles against the Chargers.

“DPJ” was acquired via trade from the Cleveland Browns at the trade deadline, but he’s dealing with a rib injury that will keep him on the sideline for at least another week.

He’s joined on the inactive list by guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai and DL Levi Onwuzurike as players who appeared on the final injury report as questionable or worse.

There are three healthy scratches, all rookies. Third-round DT Brodric Martin is back to inactive after getting his first action in the Week 8 win over the Raiders. Undrafted rookies Steven Gilmore and Trevor Nowaske are also inactive.

 

 

 

 

Lions DC Aaron Glenn happy with rookie Brodric Martin’s progress

Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is happy with rookie Brodric Martin’s progress after his Week 8 debut

Brodric Martin made his long-awaited NFL debut in the Detroit Lions’ win over the Las Vegas Raiders. The third-round rookie had been a healthy scratch for Detroit’s first seven games, but he got his chance in the Lions’ last game before the Week 9 bye.

Martin didn’t do a lot in his debut. The giant defensive tackle from Western Kentucky notched one tackle in 11 snaps. It’s still a start, and one that encouraged Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.

During his media session this week, Glenn was asked about his impression of Martin.

“I thought it was good to get him out there and get him in live action,” Glenn said of the big rookie. “We’re going to continue to work this player in. We said this from the beginning, it’s going to be a work in progress with this player, but he has all the skills that we look for in a D-lineman. It’s just a fact of him coming from where he came from now into the NFL, but he has continued to see these different plays that are coming at him, obviously in how he’s going to play these blocks and understand exactly what we’re trying to do as far as a D-line to continue to improve.

So, happy (with) where he’s at, going to continue to work with this player and it’s going to be good things with this player as the season progresses.”

Martin himself has acknowledged that pad level is an issue, one that Glenn still sees as an area where he can keep getting better.

“Hey, when you’re 6’6, it’s always going to be an issue, so. It has, it really has (improved),” Glenn said of Martin’s pad level. “His understanding – because he’s a smart player. His understanding of playing blocks, that’s the thing that’s different from this player because he didn’t see them in college, and now he’s seeing them from the different run schemes that you get, he’s able to play those now. So, I’m happy with where he’s at.”