Tag: Chris Board

Lions injury report: 3 players out, 5 more limited as team prepares for first game

Lions injury report: 3 players out, 5 more limited in practice as Detroit prepares for Week 1

The Detroit Lions have released their first injury report of the 2022 season while just days away from their first regular season matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Did not practice: DL John Cominsky (illness), OL Tommy Kraemer (back), DL Levi Onwuzurike (back)

While three players sat out of Wednesday’s practice, only one is of real concern at the moment.

Reserve offensive lineman Tommy Kraemer is currently held out of practice due to a back injury. This injury comes as starting right guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai was recently placed on injured reserve.

Kraemer is one of a few players who could fill in at right guard, especially since he did so several times last season as an undrafted rookie. He played well enough to stick around again this season and the coaches seem to have faith in the young versatile lineman. If this back injury is serious enough to hold him out, the team may have to rely on Logan Stenberg in his place.

Onwuzurike’s injury is old news and even coach Dan Campbell knows that it will take some time for him to be healthy. That said, it does bring up some concerns about the former second-round pick and his availability on game days.

Cominsky missed practice due to an illness and should be ready to go for Sunday, where he will surely be in the interior defensive line rotation.

Limited practice: LB Chris Board (knee), DB Ifeatu Melifonwu (hamstring), EDGE Julian Okwara (hamstring), OL Frank Ragnow (groin), K Austin Seibert (right groin)

While there’s no need to sound the alarms just yet, it is concerning that several of Detroit’s starters are already being limited in practice due to injuries.

To add on to the aforementioned injury to Vaitai, starting center Frank Ragnow is dealing with a groin injury at the moment. The former Pro Bowler missed a majority of games last season due to a toe injury and is now being held back by a groin issue. He isn’t ruled out for Sunday’s game, but the Lions can rest easy knowing they have reliable backup Evan Brown ready to go if needed.

Seibert’s groin injury comes after he too missed a large chunk of the 2021 season. While it hasn’t been reported on before, his injury may explain why the Lions re-signed Aldrick Rosas to the practice squad last week.

Linebacker Chris Board is dealing with a recent knee injury, but his limited status provides some hope that it isn’t too serious. Board should be in line for some reps at inside linebacker while playing predominantly on special teams.

Melifonwu and Okwara’s names appearing on this list inspire more optimism than concern as the two have missed many practices throughout camp and the preseason. This was Melifonwu’s first practice back in weeks and he may be sidelined for the game against Philadelphia. Okwara has been back at practice for a week now and is looking more and more likely to see the field in a limited capacity this Sunday.

Lions training camp position preview: Linebacker

Linebacker might be the most unsettled position on the Detroit Lions depth chart from top to bottom

Linebacker might be the most unsettled position on the Detroit Lions depth chart from top to bottom. Entering training camp, the Lions have a group of LBs hoping to stand out from the competition with their own individual skills.

It’s a crowded field for a position that won’t have as much emphasis in the new base defense. Detroit has morphed to a 4-2-5 scheme under coordinator Aaron Glenn. Based on OTAs and minicamp, the Lions will almost never have more than two off-ball LBs on the field and will frequently have just one. That (presumably) means less roster space devoted to the position where fan angst still runs quite high.

Lions training camp position preview: Quarterback

Lions training camp position preview: Offensive line

Lions training camp position preview: Tight end

Lions training camp position preview: Wide receivers

Lions training camp position preview: Running back

Note that the players here do not primarily rush the passer. Charles Harris, Julian Okwara and rookie James Houston are not what is considered a linebacker in Detroit’s defense anymore. Both Okwara and (more so) Houston could get occasional looks as a third LB, but they are pass rushers first and foremost, not off-ball LBs.

How many LBs the Lions keep is subject to debate. Most expect five, but special teams could shoehorn a sixth into the mix.

Breaking down the Lions free agent contracts with LBs Chris Board and Jarrad Davis

How much are Board and Davis getting and what does it say about the team’s expectations for each?

It’s been an offseason of selective signings by the Detroit Lions. To this point, Lions GM Brad Holmes and his staff have brought in just five outside free agents.

Two of those players, Chris Board and Jarrad Davis, play the same position: off-ball linebacker. The contract details of the two new LBs highlight the expectation level the team has for Board and Davis.

Board, formerly of the Ravens, signed a one-year deal for $1.99 million. His base salary is $1.5 million, of which $600,000 is fully guaranteed. There is also a $400,000 bonus and a per-game roster bonus that amortizes to the very odd total cap amount of $1,994,118. It would cost $1 million in dead cap room to cut Board.

Davis returns to Detroit after one year away with the New York Jets. He signed for one year as well at a rate of $1.035 million. None of that salary is guaranteed. Davis does have a roster bonus of $152,500 which raises the total salary cap hit to $1.047 million.

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Davis’ deal is essentially the league minimum for a player with five years of experience. There’s zero guaranteed money, which means zero dead cap room if the Lions dump him. It’s a bet-on-yourself tryout for Davis, the league’s lowest-graded linebacker by Pro Football Focus in 2021 (min. 200 snaps).

Board’s deal reflects much more of a commitment from Detroit. His salary is right in line with what the team paid another LB, Alex Anzalone, to return. Board and Anzalone play the same off-ball spot in the Lions’ base defense, the weakside “cover” or “chase” backer. Davis is more of the heavier or strongside backer, a starting position that (for now) belongs to second-year Derrick Barnes.

Based on the contracts, Board will be on the final roster. As of now, he and Anzalone project to compete (with Shaun Dion Hamilton and Josh Woods, both re-signed this offseason) for one starting spot. Board was a special teams standout for the Ravens and figures to be heavily deployed in coverage and return units, too. Keep in mind the base defense will only have two LBs on the field.

When the Lions use three LBs, both Board and Anzalone can play together with Barnes. Davis will need to earn reps backing up Barnes or in specific sub-packages that take advantage of his blitzing ability. He and Anzalone played together at Florida and do have some cross-trained skill-sets.

All contract information is from Over The Cap. 

Lions officially sign LB Chris Board

The Detroit Lions have officially signed free agent LB Chris Board

The Detroit Lions have officially added free agent linebacker Chris Board to the active roster. Board signed his one-year deal with the Lions on Wednesday, days after initial reports linked the special teams ace to Detroit.

Terms are not immediately available. Board earned $1.68 million on a one-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens in 2021.

The former undrafted free agent from North Dakota State spent the last four seasons with the Ravens. In 63 games, he accrued 94 total tackles. Board spent his first two years almost exclusively on special teams before working his way into a more regular role on defense in 2020 and 2021, where he played 33 percent of the defensive snaps.

Board thanked the Ravens and Baltimore fans in a heartfelt Instagram post.

Former Ravens ILB Chris Board posts farewell message to Baltimore on Instagram

Former Ravens inside linebacker Chris Board posted a farewell message to the team and the city on Instagram

The Baltimore Ravens have seen a few of their own 2022 free agents depart during the offseason. Players such as center Bradley Bozeman, inside linebacker Anthony Averett and others have found new homes, leaving the Ravens with roster spots to fill all throughout their roster.

Another key contributor who left the team for another opportunity was inside linebacker Chris Board, who signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Lions. After the news was announced, Board took to Instagram and posted a heartfelt message to the Baltimore organization, his teammates, and Ravens fans as well as the city of Baltimore.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbajMFvlQOx/

Board was a key special teams player for his four-year tenure with the Ravens ever since signing with the team as an undrafted free agent out of North Dakota State University. He accumulated 94 total tackles and 2.5 sacks during his time in Baltimore, and now goes to Detroit where he’ll presumably have a bigger role than he did with the Ravens.

Former Ravens ILB Chris Board agrees to terms with new team

Former Ravens inside linebacker Chris Board agreed to terms with a new NFL team

The Baltimore Ravens have seen a few of their own 2022 free agents depart for other opportunities during the first week of free agency. Now-former Ravens such as tight end Eric Tomlinson, cornerback Anthony Averett and center Bradley Bozeman have moved on, whether it be for bigger roles, more money or just a fresh start.

On Monday night, it was reported by Mike Garafolo of NFL Network that another one of Baltimore’s free agents was leaving the team, as inside linebacker Chris Board has reportedly agreed to terms with the Detroit Lions. Garafolo mentions that the Ravens had interest in retaining the inside linebacker.

Lions sign free agent LB Chris Board

Board comes to the Lions from the Baltimore Ravens

After a slow first few days of free agency, things are perking up in Allen Park. According to reports, including one from Mike Garafolo, the Detroit Lions have reached an agreement to sign free agent linebacker Chris Board.

Board has spent all four years of his NFL career with the Baltimore Ravens. The 26-year-old was originally an undrafted free agent from North Dakota State.

Board spent most of his first two seasons playing special teams. His defensive reps increased over 2020 and 2021, where he was on the field for 33 percent of the Ravens’ snaps. He notched a career-high 41 tackles in 16 games for Baltimore last year.

https://twitter.com/MikeGarafolo/status/1506074947734720513?t=PBSZ85UGHvMg8-eNl9_qAQ&s=19

Should the Ravens re-sign ILB Chris Board?

We analyze if the Ravens should re-sign inside linebacker Chris Board

The Baltimore Ravens have had one of the best special teams units in the NFL for many years now. A lot of that has to do with kicker Justin Tucker and punter Sam Koch, but it’s not just those two areas that make special teams thrive in Baltimore.

The team has had many ace special teams players, including more recent examples such as Brendon Ayanbadejo, Albert McClellan, Anthony Levine Sr., and others. Another one on that list is inside linebacker Chris Board, who has turned into one of the better special teams players in all of football.

Board has totaled 94 tackles and 2.5 sacks over the first four years of his NFL career, primarily playing on the special teams side of things. However, he has seen snaps at inside linebacker, providing some solid play there at times.

The linebacker signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2018 out of North Dakota State. He was a safety in high school and played there a bit in college, but ultimately found a home as a linebacker.

When looking at if Baltimore should re-sign Board, there are a few factors. For one, he is a very versatile piece that not only has value on special teams, but also on defense. There are multiple Ravens inside linebacker scheduled to hit free agency other than Board, so his ability to do multiple things could bode well for his chances of returning to the organization.

The linebacker also seemingly wouldn’t break the bank to re-sign. However, there are sure to be other teams that see value in him, so if some form of a bidding war breaks out Baltimore might have to pivot elsewhere.

Board might be one of those players that means more to the Ravens than any other team. That’s not a bad thing, as every organization has players that are almost “glue guys”, and for Baltimore it seems like Board is that for them on special teams. It wouldn’t be shocking to see the now fifth-year player back in a Baltimore uniform once the 2022 season begins.

Ravens activate seven players from Reserve/COVID-19 list

The Ravens activated seven players from the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Wednesday

The Baltimore Ravens have seen COVID-19 make its way through their locker room over the last few weeks. The team has had to place many players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, causing them to miss one or multiple games.

Despite losing so many pieces for varying amounts of time, Baltimore announced some good news on Wednesday, as they activated seven total players from the Resrve/COVID-19 list in outside linebackers Justin Houston and Tyus Bowser, inside linebackers Chris Board and Kristian Welch, safety Geno Stone, practice squad quarterback Chris Streveler and practice squad offensive tackle David Sharpe.

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The Ravens getting back so many players is a big deal. Houston and Bowser are two of the team’s best pass rushing options, while stone provides depth in the secondary. Board and Welch are key on special teams, while Streveler and Sharpe are important depth pieces. As the week goes on, hopefully Baltimore can get the rest of the players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list back as well.

Ravens running out of players, place five on Reserve/COVID-19 list

The Ravens continue to be hit hard by COVID, as they placed five more players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Wednesday

The Baltimore Ravens continue to be hit hard by COVID-19 as they head into a pivotal Week 16 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. It is now a concern as to if Baltimore will even have enough players to play on Sunday with all of the contributors they’ve lost due to injuries and the players who have been placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

On Wednesday, the Ravens placed five new players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list in defensive lineman Justin Madubuike, inside linebackers Chris Board and Kristian Welch, safety Geno Stone and practice squad offensive tackle David Sharpe.

The five players add to a lengthy COVID-19 list for Baltimore ready as it now grows to 15. Based on the NFL’s protocols they have to opportunity to test off of the list, but it remains to be seen how many Ravens players will be able to return on time for Sunday’s massive divisional matchup.