Tag: Bruce Hector

Lions top performers from PFF vs Colts and preseason recap

With PFF’s grades released, here are the top performers for the Detroit Lions against the Colts as well as the preseasons top players

The Detroit Lions finished their preseason winless after dropping to the Indianapolis Colts 27-17. However, in a game where coach Dan Campbell decided to rest a fair amount of starters, it gave players fighting for a roster spot one last chance to make an impression.

Pro Football Focus has released grades for the top offensive and defensive performers for the Lions against the Colts. PFF gives you a general feel on how well some of the fringe roster players performed.

Offense:

  1. TE Darren Fells: 92.8
  2. OT Dan Skipper: 76.1
  3. WR Geronimo Allison: 74.4
  4. RB Dedrick Mills: 72.0
  5. OG Logan Stenberg: 69.2

It is nice to see a rebound from Fells after the debacle against the Steelers, considering how thin the Lions are at tight end with disappointing performances from Alize Mack and Brock Wright. It was unfortunate to see Skipper (wish him well) carted off because he had a solid game especially run blocking. It might be too late for Allison, but you can’t say he is not putting up a fight. Stenberg should slot in as a reserve guard, but his status is up in the air without knowing the severity of his injury.

Defense:

  1. CB Corn Elder: 95.3
  2. DT Bruce Hector: 90.3
  3. EDGE Austin Bryant: 90.1
  4. OLB Rashod Berry: 81.5
  5. S Dean Marlowe: 80.1

Elder saw his roster chances diminish after getting pushed down the depth chart. Still, he made the most of his last opportunity to make an impression by securing the only Lions interception this preseason. Hector was thought of as nothing more than a camp body, but he has made a chances count and put his name into considering as a depth defensive tackle. Bryant has been a force on the edge, and if he can stay healthy, he will give the Lions good depth on the outside. Berry provided good pressure against the Colts, but it is hard to see him slotting out a role as a late addition. With the safety group questionable, it is good to see Marlowe performing well in hopes of providing a solid presence down the field.

Noteworthy players:

Penei Sewell is not having a preseason as he hoped for, finishing as the lowest graded offensive player vs. the Colts and near the bottom for the entire preseason. With the transition to right tackle and not having seen a lick of football in nearly two years, he is obviously still getting his feet under him.

Thankfully the Lions got ahold of Derrick Barnes or talked about how bad the inside linebacker corps is. Once again, Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Jahlani Tavai finish as the two worst defensive players against the Colts. It’s hard to see Tavai making the team, and if it weren’t for Reeves-Maybin’s special team’s abilities, it could see that fate as well.

Also, for your viewing pleasure, here are the top performers over the entire preseason.

Offense:

  1. RB Craig Reynolds: 86.0
  2. RB Dedrick Mills: 81.7
  3. QB Jared Goff: 80.1
  4. TE Darren Fells: 79.5
  5. WR Javon McKinley: 79.2

In one of the most heated battles this preseason, Reynold and Mills finish as the top two offensive performers. They have given the coaching staff plenty to think about in the roster construction. Goff finishing this high should tell you how well the Lions backup quarterback position has gone this preseason.

Fells did have a hiccup against the Steelers, but other than that, he has been solid as the second tight end behind T.J. Hockenson. McKinley has had a rollercoaster of a preseason, and he may fall short for a roster spot, but he should be destined for the practice squad.

Defense:

  1. CB Corn Elder: 95.3
  2. S Dean Marlowe: 84.7
  3. DL Levi Onwuzurike: 84.5
  4. LB Derrick Barnes: 83.8
  5. DL Miles Brown: 82.4

Elder only played one game this preseason, but he did make it count and could provide a veteran presence behind A.J. Parker. Marlowe has been the lone bright spot in the safety group and should look on as a steady contributor meaning the deep part of the field.

Onwuzurike proved to be as advertised after returning from his injury as a powerful force on the defensive line and gave the offense a nice punch in the mouth. Barnes has been the single biggest breath of fresh air with the linebacker corps and should look to contribute immediately behind Jamie Collins and Alex Anzalone. With the hype surrounding Bruce Hector and Kevin Strong, Brown has flown under the radar providing a stable body up the middle. With the number of injuries surrounding a few players on the defensive line, he could be a sneaky addition.

Dan Campbell wants to ‘reward’ players who both do it the right way and produce

Campbell offered a nice glimpse at what the team values when making roster decisions

Anytime there is a new coaching regime, it’s always nice when the new staff gives some clues about what they really want and value in players. Lions head coach Dan Campbell offered a very telling glimpse into what his Detroit team will favor during the upcoming roster cutdowns, and what kind of players the team covets.

Speaking before the final practice session of training camp, Campbell was asked about defensive lineman Bruce Hector. He turned the response into a more general statement about weighing production versus effort and the impact of physical limitations.

“I think to reward a guy who does it the right way, and oh by the way, produces, there’s production in the game,” Campbell said, just getting going. “Where it’s hard is, it’s easy to say, ‘This guy does it right every day. He does exactly what you’re asked to do, but yet physically, he’s just not good enough.’ You hate it for those guys because ultimately, there’s not enough in their body to do it. That’s not their fault. But if you have a team full of those guys, it’s hard to win. I hate to say it but that’s the reality.”

Without mentioning any specific players, it’s pretty easy to ascertain a couple of Lions players who fit that billing. Campbell then finished the thought,

“But guys that give you everything that they have and do it the right way and maximize their ability and can produce and you can see it in the game? It’s hard not to reward those guys and want them on your team because you see it. There’s evidence.”

That Campbell elaborated so strongly when asked about Hector is telling. Hector was claimed off waivers with little fanfare just before training camp started, but he’s consistently been one of the team’s most impressive players in practices and has also played well in both preseason games.

In reference to his point about players who go about things the right way but just can’t overcome their physical limitations to truly help the team, it’s something Lions fans should rejoice in hearing. Campbell is flat-out telling everyone that he’s not going to play favorites just because a player is hard-working and fundamentally sound. If a player cannot produce in a game because he’s not fast/big/strong enough, Campbell understands the ramifications of keeping him.

It’s something to keep in mind as the roster cutdowns approach. Unlike the Matt Patricia regime, expect the Lions to lean on the side of the superior athlete with higher upside and not the scheme-fit players who might not be as athletic or productive. That’s good news for productive, impressive athletes like Hector and RB Craig Reynolds, who has also thrived in preseason action. It’s a bad sign for bubble players who are limited athletically and haven’t posted production, a list that is headed by linebacker Jahlani Tavai.

Lions training camp awards for 2021

Handing out awards from the Detroit Lions training camp in 2021

The 2021 edition of the Detroit Lions training camp concludes with the final practice session on Wednesday, August 25th. The Lions are off on Thursday before wrapping the preseason on Friday night at home against the Indianapolis Colts.

It was great being back at Allen Park for training camp after a year where neither the public nor the media had access. I was in the media throng for 10 of the practice sessions and paid rapt attention to trusted sources for the days I was not. The honors here lean heavily on the days I was in attendance but do expand out to cover the entire three weeks of action.

It’s time to unseal the envelopes for the 2021 Detroit Lions training camp awards!

Detroit Lions top offensive and defensive PFF performers vs Bills

The Detroit Lions had strong showings from the running backs and the defensive line against the Buffalo Bills according to PFF

In a tight matchup, the Detroit Lions lost to the Buffalo Bills 16-15 in their first preseason game of the 2021 season. Even though the play calling was vanilla at best, it gave us a first look at the players and coaches in action. Most of the starters only saw a handful of snaps, where some of them got a good workload in for the coaches to get a long look at. To get a feel on how some of the players performed, PFF released the top five performers on offense and defense.

Offense:

  1. RB Craig Reynolds: 90.7
  2. WR Javon McKinley: 83.3
  3. RB Dedrick Mills: 82.0
  4. G Logan Stenberg: 80.8
  5. QB Jared Goff: 80.1

Fresh off the streets, Craig Reynolds made a strong impression in his debut in Honolulu Blue with 49 yards on six carries scoring the only touchdown for the Lions. Another player competing for the third running back spot, Dedrick Mills, made a case with five carries for 32 yards and a bull-rush of a run where he could covert the fourth down attempt. What is even more impressive is that Reynolds and Mills finished first and eighth, respectively, amongst running backs through the first preseason games.

The Lions top receivers are cemented with Tyrell Williams, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Kalif Raymond, but a couple of spots are still open, and UDFA Javon McKinley hopes to snag one. He caught both his targets for a strong 40 yards, second-best for the Lions. He still might have a long road ahead of him, and with another strong performance, he may end up in the mix for a receiver slot.

The Lions offensive line depth did not give anyone warm cuddles, but Logan Stenberg provided a performance he absolutely needed. Even though Stenberg would’ve probably made the team either way due to lack of strong depth amongst the guards, he showed he could the way and open up lanes for the running game. Now the pass protection still needs refinement, but it’s a good step in the right direction.

Everything didn’t go exactly right for the first-team offense on their only two drives, but it has to feel good seeing Jared Goff in this list. Goff did almost through an interception right off the bat, but he cleaned up and was able to sustain the drive for 18 plays, but in the end, it only resulted in a field goal. It is a good start for the new Lions play-caller, but still plenty to improve on heading into the regular season.

Defense:

  1. DL Bruce Hector: 81.6
  2. EDGE Austin Bryant: 80.5
  3. DL Kevin Strong: 78.5
  4. S Dean Marlowe: 77.8
  5. EDGE Trey Flowers: 76.1

One important note is that Derrick Barnes ended the day with a 93.1 PFF grade but did not meet the minimum 10 snap requirement to be recognized as the top contributor. However, it was easy to see why the Lions fell in love with him between his instincts to read the play and agility to make the play. It was a breath of fresh air from what we were used to in the linebacking corps.

With the number of starters missing the game (Michael Brockers, Nick Williams, Levi Onwuzurike, John Penisini, and Da’Shawn Hand), it gave a lot of opportunities to the lower-depth players, and it was Bruce Hector and Kevin Strong to grab hold and try to make an impression. Hector was able to notch a sack in his belt, and Strong generated a forced fumble. The defensive line is one of the deepest areas roster wise and with plenty of players ahead of Hector and Strong, it’ll be tough to justify a spot for them, but they are making a case.

On the other side of the interior group, Trey Flowers and Austin Bryant provided a nice showing from the edge group. With Flowers transitioning to a different position than what he played last year, it is good to see he is performing well through the change, but it shouldn’t be a shock, all things considering. Bryant, on the other hand, was a pleasant surprise. He showed up in run defense and pass-rushing, recording two tackles, one pressure, and only allowed seven yards total (two rushing, five passing). Considering where he started this season, this was a performance he needed to get him on the roster.

The safety group is arguably one of the weakest parts, the defense and overall on the Lions. We haven’t heard much from Marlowe from camp, but he only allowed one catch for two yards on 30 snaps, which by anyone standard is top-notch. Now it won’t alleviate the safety group’s worries, but hopefully, he can keep up those showings and provide an adequate secondary presence.

Lions claim DT Bruce Hector off waivers from the Titans

Bruce Hector joins the Lions a day after being waived by the Titans

The roster vacancy created when defensive tackle Brian Price retired instead of reporting to Detroit Lions training camp did not stay open for long. The Lions used the open roster spot to claim defensive tackle Bruce Hector off waivers from the Tennessee Titans, per his agent, Christina Phillips.

Hector was waived by the Titans on Monday when Tennessee signed DT Kyle Peko. The 26-year-old tackle spent the 2020 season on the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad. Hector played in the 2018 and 2019 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, with a brief stint in Arizona mixed in as well. He has a half-sack and two total tackles in eight career games. The 296-pounder played collegiately at South Florida.

As was the case with the now-retired Price, Hector faces an uphill battle to make the Lions at the team’s deepest position group.

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Tennessee Titans set to sign defensive lineman Bruce Hector

The Titans made a pair of additions to their defense on Thursday.

Just days after losing defensive lineman DaQuan Jones in free agency to the Carolina Panthers, the Tennessee Titans have made a minor addition to their defensive line group.

According to his agent and via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Titans are signing former Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman and South Florida product, Bruce Hector.

Hector, 26, was a former undrafted free agent of the Eagles and played in two seasons for the team in 2018 and 2019, serving as a backup and making just one start. He didn’t see a snap during the 2020 campaign, though.

The 6-foot-2, 296-pound lineman isn’t a solution to losing Jones but figures to have a chance to compete for a backup spot in training camp behind Jeffery Simmons, Denico Autry, and whoever else starts upfront.

He joins a defensive line room that includes Simmons, Autry, Teair Tart, Larrell Murchison, Jullian Taylor, Nate Orchard and Daylon Mack.

Prior to adding Hector, the Titans were reportedly set to add inside linebacker B.J. Bello in what amounts to another depth move.

Hector and Bello have something in common, as both worked with Titans senior defensive assistant Jim Schwartz when he was the defensive coordinator with the Eagles.

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Tennessee Titans set to sign defensive lineman Bruce Hector

The Titans made a pair of additions to their defense on Thursday.

Just days after losing defensive lineman DaQuan Jones in free agency to the Carolina Panthers, the Tennessee Titans have made a minor addition to their defensive line group.

According to his agent and via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Titans are signing former Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman and South Florida product, Bruce Hector.

Hector, 26, was a former undrafted free agent of the Eagles and played in two seasons for the team in 2018 and 2019, serving as a backup and making just one start. He didn’t see a snap during the 2020 campaign, though.

The 6-foot-2, 296-pound lineman isn’t a solution to losing Jones but figures to have a chance to compete for a backup spot in training camp behind Jeffery Simmons, Denico Autry, and whoever else starts upfront.

He joins a defensive line room that includes Simmons, Autry, Teair Tart, Larrell Murchison, Jullian Taylor, Nate Orchard and Daylon Mack.

Prior to adding Hector, the Titans were reportedly set to add inside linebacker B.J. Bello in what amounts to another depth move.

Hector and Bello have something in common, as both worked with Titans senior defensive assistant Jim Schwartz when he was the defensive coordinator with the Eagles.

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Panthers re-sign WR Shelton Gibson to practice squad, place DT on COVID-19 list

The Carolina Panthers just announced a couple of practice squad moves.

The Carolina Panthers just announced a couple of practice squad moves.

First up, defensive tackle Bruce Hector has been placed on the practice squad COVID-19/reserve list. Hector has appeared in 11 games in his NFL career, all with the Eagles from 2018-2019. He hasn’t gotten on the field yet this year. However, he’s frequently been one of the four players that the Panthers have protected from being signed by other teams.

Carolina signed wide receiver Shelton Gibson to take Hector’s place. Gibson was on the squad a few weeks earlier in the season. He’s put in 20 games so far, also all with Philadelphia.

In related news, the team released emergency kicker Taylor Bertolet a couple of days ago. Yesterday, they brought in three free agent kickers who could take his place, including Chandler Catanzaro.

The Panthers are currently on their bye. They will host the Broncos when they return to action Week 14.

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Panthers activate 2 from practice squad, re-sign 2 others

To fill those two spots vacated by Hector and Michel, the Panthers brought back two familiar faces.

The Carolina Panthers made several moves this morning, including activating both running back Christian McCaffrey and defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos from the injured reserve list. The team also made some changes to their practice squad.

Specifically, two former Philadelphia Eagles have been activated from the practice squad to the active roster: wide receiver Marken Michel and defensive tackle Bruce Hector. Michel and Hector were two of the team’s protected players from being signed by other teams this week. The others were tight end Giovanni Ricci and offensive tackle Matt Kaskey.

Michel was active last Thursday night against the Falcons but only played seven snaps, all on special teams – which was the first live game action of his career. As for Hector, if he’s in the lineup against the Chiefs on Sunday it will be his 12th game in the NFL. So far he’s totaled half a sack and one quarterback hit in limited action. If starting defensive tackle Zach Kerr is ruled out, there’s a chance Hector will backup rookie Bravvion Roy.

To fill those two spots vacated by Hector and Michel, the Panthers brought back two familiar faces. Kicker Taylor Bertolet and offensive lineman Sam Tecklenburg have been re-signed to the squad.

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Carolina Panthers 2020 practice squad tracker

Here is where we will be tracking all of the additions to the Carolina Panthers’ squad, which can hold up to 16 players this year.

NFL teams can begin signing players to their practice squad beginning at 1:00 p.m. eastern time today.

On this page, we will be tracking all of the additions to the Carolina Panthers’ squad, which can hold up to 16 players this year. Here is a look at who has joined the squad so far.

WR Ishmael Hyman

The first reported practice squad signing is Hyman, who impressed observers at training camp despite competing in a loaded receiver corps. It’s the deepest position group on the team, so we might see a couple more join the squad.

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