Tag: Dan Skipper

Colts make final roster cuts, release Skipper

Former Razorback Dan Skipper was cut by the Colts on Tuesday.

Former Arkansas offensive lineman Dan Skipper made a strong push to make the Indianapolis Colts final 53-man roster, but the six-year veteran was released by the team Tuesday.

Since being signed as a free agent by Dallas in 2017, the 6-foot-10, 326-pound Skipper has spent time with seven different franchises, playing in 28 games, with five starts.

The Arvada, Colo., native was a four-year starter for the Hogs from 2013-16, starting the final 47 games of his career, the second-longest streak in program history. Skipper is one of just six offensive linemen in program history to earn All-SEC honors twice in a career. He also used his height and strength to block seven field goal attempts on special teams,

Colts’ snap count analysis from preseason win over Bears

Taking a look at the snap counts from the Colts’ preseason win over the Bears.

The Indianapolis Colts defeated the Chicago Bears, 24-17, on Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium for their first preseason win.

The majority of starters were rested after some physical joint training camp practices with the Bears earlier in the week so we got a good look at the depth in all three phases of the game.

Here’s a look at the snap counts on offense, defense and special teams:

Total plays

Offense: 67
Defense: 66
Special Teams: 23

Offensive tackle Dan Skipper was the only player to see 100% of the snaps on either side of the ball while fellow offensive lineman Carter O’Donnell was right behind him at 96%. In the backfield, Deon Jackson got the start, and Evan Hull worked in as well.

Rookie tight end Will Mallory made his preseason debut, playing just one fewer snap than the leader among tight ends, Nick Eubanks. Meanwhile, guard Emil Ekiyor didn’t see a single snap on offense.

Safety Nick Cross got the start and played well into the third quarter on defense. We still haven’t seen Julian Blackmon make his preseason debut.

Despite joining the team the day prior, wide receiver James Washington played 20 snaps on offense. His lone 43-yard reception led the entire team in receiving yards.

Colts sign OT Dan Skipper, waive two players

The Colts signed OL Dan Skipper and waived OT Jordan Murray and TE Kaden Smith.

The Indianapolis Colts signed free-agent offensive tackle Dan Skipper and waived offensive tackle Jordan Murray and tight end Kaden Smith, the team announced Tuesday.

Skipper, 28, entered the league as an undrafted free-agent rookie out of Arkansas in 2017. He initially signed with the Dallas Cowboys (2017) and has had three separate stints with the Detroit Lions (2017-2018, 2019-2020, 2021-2022) with other stops between those stints.

Skipper has appeared in 29 career games and has made five starts, all five of which came in 2022 with the Lions at right and left guard.

Murray signed with the Colts in 2022 and spent the season on the practice squad. He received a futures contract in the offseason. Smith was signed in free agency this offseason following the 2023 NFL draft.

Ex-Lions OL Dan Skipper signs with the Colts

Skipper started 5 games for Detroit in 2022

For the last handful of offseasons, the Detroit Lions have featured the NFL’s tallest player. Offensive lineman Dan Skipper, all 6-foot-10 of him, has been with the Lions for at least some point of the season or offseason every year since 2018.

The Lions elected not to bring Skipper back as an unrestricted free agent in 2023, however. It took a little time, but Skipper has now found a new home.

The Indianapolis Colts announced they’ve signed Skipper, who saw his most extensive regular-season action in 2022. The big Arkansas product started five games for Detroit as an injury fill-in. He played in every game but the opener, including special teams.

Detroit replaced Skipper’s height with 6-foot-9 undrafted rookie Ryan Swoboda this offseason.

NFL free agency: Rumors and reports on the remaining Lions on the market

NFL free agency: Rumors and reports concerning the Lions from 2022 who remain available in free agency

The Detroit Lions currently have 13 unrestricted free agents that are free to sign with other teams.

As news floods in about all of the trades, signings, and visits around the league, it’s hard to keep track of where these former Lions are headed next.

EDGE Austin Bryant‘s name has not appeared in any headlines as of yet. The 2019 fourth-round pick was benched last season in favor of Julian Okwara and rookie James Houston.

Wide receiver DJ Chark has drawn interest from several teams, including the Cleveland Browns, New York Giants and Carolina Panthers. While he is still expected to test the market, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reported that there is a chance that Chark returns as a Lion in 2023.

Cornerback Mike Hughes is reported to have a visit scheduled with the Atlanta Falcons. The versatile cornerback had six starts for the Lions at both the outside and nickel positions.

Running back Justin Jackson has not garnered any interest so far in free agency. He did well as Detroit’s third running back last season.

Offensive lineman Tommy Kraemer is another exclusive-rights free agent who the Lions opted not to bring back. He was sidelined with a back injury for the entirety of the 2022 season, so his health may be a factor into why he has not re-signed. As an undrafted rookie in 2021, he provided reliable depth for the interior offensive line.

Safety C.J. Moore excitedly rejoined the Lions mid-season after spending some time with the Houston Texans. He was the heart and soul of Detroit’s special teams unit and will likely be looking for that role elsewhere. He recently met with the New England Patriots, who recent signed fellow former Lions special teamer Chris Board.

Cornerback Amani Oruwariye was once thought to be a sure starter for the Lions. Instead, he rode the bench for most of 2022 and entered free agency without any suitors. He has not been linked to any teams yet in free agency.

Cornerback Bobby Price was not tendered as a restricted free agent and is now free to sign with any team. He suffered a knee injury in 2022 and will likely need to wait until he’s cleared before signing with a team. Birkett also reported that Price will be in the Detroit area for a checkup on his knee.

Quarterback Nate Sudfeld was the lone backup for Jared Goff last season and now will test the free agent market. He also has no noteworthy news so far in free agency.

Offensive lineman Dan Skipper was a feel-good story for the Lions as he performed well as a starter in place of the injured Jonah Jackson. He is yet another free agent in Detroit who has not met with any teams in the past few days.

Linebacker Josh Woods was a team captain and special teams ace last season. He has no ties to any other teams at this time.

 

 

Lions film spotlight: Breaking down the replacement guards, Dan Skipper and Kayode Awosika, in Week 12

Lions film spotlight: Breaking down the replacement guards, Dan Skipper and Kayode Awosika, in Week 12 against the Bills

The Detroit Lions played the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving without both regular starting offensive guards. Pro Bowl left guard Jonah Jackson was sidelined with a concussion, while right guard Evan Brown sat with an ankle injury.

Those unfortunate injuries thrust two relative unknowns into the starting lineup. Veteran Dan Skipper took over on the left side for Jackson and Kayode Awosika filled in on the right side. Skipper had experience playing at RG before but the left side was a new experience. Awosika had played all of eight NFL snaps in two seasons prior to this game.

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This week’s film spotlight is on the replacement guards. The criteria are simple: I watch every snap and give a plus for a positive play or a minus for a negative play. Not every play earns a mark. Prior week spotlights started with Jeff Okudah in Week 1 and carried through Alex Anzalone in Week 10.

Jeff Okudah: Breaking down the Lions CB's Week 1 performance vs. the Eagles

Film review: Breaking down Lions LB Alex Anzalone in the Week 10 win over the Bears

The Lions didn’t hesitate to test the replacement guards. On the very first play from scrimmage, it was an outside run to the right with both Skipper and Awosika pulling in front and leading the blocking. Skipper moved very well and held his point of attack to the point where RB D’Andre Swift had to choose his option. Awosika got outside capably but struggled after initial contact with the Bills defender who eventually made the tackle on Swift. Skipper didn’t hold the backside of that well either.

The first couple of drives were clearly a feeling-out period for the Bills defense, especially with Awosika on the right side. Buffalo DTs Tim Settle and Jordan Phillips played it pretty straightforward with their rushes. I had Skipper for two minuses in pass protection on those drives–both losses to his outside shoulder where the DT beat him with quickness. He earned one plus as a run blocker, on Jamaal Williams’ TD run to cap the second drive.

Awosika had one minus in pass pro, a designed bootleg where he was too quick to turn his blocking mark loose. He had one plus and one minus in the run game.

The next drive, Bills DT DaQuon Jones beat Awosika with a pretty basic outside swim-over move for an easy sack on Jared Goff. One play later, the final snap of the first quarter, might have been Skipper’s best of the day; the LG didn’t bite on a stunt and stonewalled Settle with excellent balance on a pass pro rep.

The first half ended with this tally:

Awosika – 3 plusses, 7 minuses

Skipper – 3 plusses, 6 minuses

Two plays, one run and one pass, saw both guards earn minuses at the same time. That’s (obviously) very bad.

The second half saw the Bills try a few more gimmicks — overloaded lines, twists, LB gap blitzes. They got Skipper cleanly twice for quick pressures off those. Awosika handled his business in the run game better, though his range just isn’t there. The Bills defense figured out to attack the gap between Skipper and LT Taylor Decker with Decker’s attention held outside by a wide rush. Skipper just didn’t show the quickness to handle rushers with a two-way go option.

It wasn’t all bad. Skipper was at his best run blocking in short-yardage and red zone reps, and he was legitimately good there. But the safety was on Skipper’s ledger, though Goff deserves some blame too; Skipper held on long enough to give Goff an escape route but the QB didn’t take it.

Awosika got away with some serious holding, an unexpected positive for a greenhorn. His biggest area for improvement is in “look for work” situations, where he doesn’t have anyone immediately to block on a play. The Bills got savvy to this and let him uncovered in run situations quite a bit, and it worked for Buffalo. Awosika’s inexperience showed in being unable to find targets in those reps.

The final tally, with both players on the field for all 71 offensive snaps:

Skipper – 7 plusses, 13 minuses. The run/pass splits: 5/3 in the run, 2/10 in pass protection

Awosika – 6 plusses, 15 minuses. The run/pass split was 2/7 in the run and 4/8 in pass pro

All things considered, it could have been a lot worse. But Jackson and Brown both need to return quickly for the Lions offense to perform better.

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4 Lions who must have great games vs. the Bills

If the Detroit Lions are to pull off the upset over the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving, these four Lions need to have great games

The Detroit Lions are gunning for their fourth win in a row when they host the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving.

It’s not going to be easy. The 7-3 Bills are one of the top teams in the AFC with an MVP candidate in Josh Allen at quarterback and the NFL’s top point differential (plus-104) after Week 11. Buffalo is favored by 9.5 points as of Tuesday evening.

For the Lions to pull off the upset, it will take some good fortune and great play from some key sources. Here are four Lions who need to have great Thanksgiving games for Detroit to win.

Halapoulivaati Vaitai won’t be back in 2022, but what about 2023?

Dan Campbell ruled out Big V for the rest of 2022, but does the starting RG have a future in Detroit in 2023?

Lions head coach Dan Campbell delivered some sobering news on Friday. Campbell essentially ruled out any return from starting right guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai in 2022.

“Big V” has not played since injuring his back late in the preseason. He was placed on injured reserve prior to Week 1. It was a tough blow for the offensive line, the unquestioned projected strength of the team. Vaitai was coming off an impressive 2021 season after sliding inside from right tackle, where he struggled in his first season in Detroit after signing as a free agent from the Eagles prior to the 2020 season.

“He’s doing well. I would say that would be very slim to none as of right now, but the surgery went well and he’s doing great,” Campbell said of Vaitai. “It’s just – that’s one of those long-term (recoveries). It’ll be probably – if you’re asking me right now, I’d say it would be hard to get him back.”

Campbell was referring to getting his giant right guard back in 2022, but it’s fair to speculate on if Vaitai will be back in Detroit in 2023.

There are a number of factors at play, and some of those are unknown — most prominently Vaitai’s physical condition. Back surgery is no insignificant procedure. But there are a few factors we can evaluate and help ascertain if Vaitai will be given the chance to come back with the Lions in 2023.

The Lions have used a rotating cast of replacements for Vaitai. Some (Evan Brown, Dan Skipper) have been better than others (Logan Stenberg). The long and the short of it is, the line has not collapsed in Vaitai’s absence. The run blocking isn’t as consistent or powerful, but it’s at an acceptable level.

Given the revolving door and lack of continuity, getting capable play from both Brown and Skipper shows that the line can survive without Vaitai. Interestingly, the projected replacement at the beginning of the season hasn’t played yet either. Tommy Kraemer also went on IR just before the season with a back injury of his own.

Kraemer didn’t have surgery, however. In the very next breaths after ruling Vaitai out, Campbell shone an optimistic light on the chance for Kraemer to come back later this season.

“I do. I think – he’s another one that we’re just gauging his progress right now. I could see him being back at some point here over the next few weeks possibly,” Campbell said.

Kraemer showed real promise as an undrafted rookie out of Notre Dame in 2021 and had earned first-team reps in the preseason and training camp when Vaitai or Pro Bowl LG Jonah Jackson were not playing. Kraemer’s playing style is more akin to what Vaitai offers at right guard — a physical, aggressive, power-oriented blocker with more limited range and pass protection polish than Brown or Skipper offer.

The Lions already have viable replacement options in-house. None are quite what a healthy Vaitai offers, but 2022 has proven that it’s not a big step down. Offensive line coach Hank Fraley is one of the best in the business at developing talent and building a line, meaning it’s fair to believe Fraley can coax a higher level out of a healthy Kraemer. Or the continued growth of Skipper, who played well in emergency duty despite being a career tackle-only at 6-foot-10.

Then there are the finances. Vaitai isn’t cheap. Big V has big salaries in the two remaining seasons on his five-year, $45 million contract signed in 2020. After a recent restructuring, Vaitai’s deal will cost the Lions a salary of $9.4 million and a total cap hit of $12.448 million in both 2023 and 2024.

Detroit is on the hook for just under $5.9 million no matter if Vaitai plays for the Lions or not in 2023, the result of the restructures to free up cap room more immediately. Releasing Vaitai would add that $5.9 million figure to dead salary cap in 2023, but it would also free up $6.5 million to spend elsewhere. In 2024 the dead cap figure drops to $2.95 million and the total cap saving shoots up to $9.5 million.

Kraemer will be an exclusive rights free agent in 2023. The Lions can bring him back for the league minimum salary. Evan Brown will be a free agent and he earned $1.2 million in salary 2022. Skipper is earning the league minimum as a vet. Considering Fraley dramatically aided their careers, it’s fair to say at least one would willingly return for 2023 for significantly less than the $6.5 million it would cost to keep Vaitai.

With all that in mind, it seems like long odds for Vaitai to be back in a Lions uniform in 2023.

Lions use an extra offensive lineman often, but how effective is it?

The Lions use an extra OL often but how effective is it for Detroit’s offense through the first five games?

The Detroit Lions have one of the NFL’s best starting offensive tackle tandems in LT Taylor Decker and RT Penei Sewell. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and head coach Dan Campbell like to augment the strong tackles by often adding a third tackle to the mix.

Matt Nelson plays an unusual amount for a reserve tackle that isn’t pressed into injury-relief duty. The Lions have used an extra tackle on 38 plays through the first five games. Only the Cleveland Browns, another run-heavy offense, have deployed a sixth OL more often (54) than the Lions in total plays. The Las Vegas Raiders creep just ahead of the Lions in the percentage of plays using six linemen, where Detroit ranks third at 11.4 percent.

The heavy volume of the heavier offensive package seems smart on the surface for a team that lacks a true blocking tight end. T.J. Hockenson and Brock Wright are receiving-oriented TEs, so bringing in the bruising Nelson to block instead of Hockenson or Wright appears to make sense. But is the extra tackle gambit paying off for Detroit?

Week 1

Using the sixth lineman sure worked well in Week 1. Nelson was the extra blocker for five plays. Four of the five were short-yardage or goal-line scenarios. On those plays, the Lions scored three touchdowns and the one that failed was immediately turned into a success with a TD on the following play.

The one standard down (1st-and-10) where Nelson was the sixth lineman against the Eagles resulted in a four-yard run by Jamaal Williams, a run to the other side of the formation from where Nelson was blocking.

Running success

The Lions only used an extra lineman once in the Week 5 shutout loss to the Patriots, and it was Dan Skipper instead of Nelson. On a 4th-and-1, Jamaal Williams got stuffed on an interior run. It was an unusual failure for a short-yardage run play with an extra lineman for Detroit’s offense.

The Lions have run the ball eight times this season with an extra lineman in short-yardage (4 yards or less to gain). Five of those have produced the desired result, either a first down or a touchdown. One of the fails was in Week 1 and the Lions scored on the next play, so the failure didn’t hurt.

Passing fancy

Detroit has thrown the ball 10 times with the heavy package on the field. It’s been a mixed bag of results, one where the catastrophic negatives ultimately outweigh the positives.

There have been some successes. In Week 2 against Washington, Jared Goff hit Hockenson off play-action for a nice 18-yard gain on 2nd-and-2 with Nelson in the game helping Sewell deal with the pass rush on the right side. Another play-action pass on 1st-and-10 created a seven-yard gain on a swing pass to Williams behind Nelson’s blocking.

Alas, there have been some notable fails when Detroit passes with a sixth lineman in the game. Nelson himself was guilty of a holding penalty that ruined a promising drive against Seattle, a game where every possession proved important. Goff threw his pick-six against the Seahawks with an extra blocker, too. All three 4th-down or goal-to-go passes where Nelson has played have fallen incomplete.

1st-and-10

The Lions have used the extra blocker on 14 occasions with 1st-and-10 through the first five weeks. On the nine run plays with the sixth lineman in the game, the Lions gained 41 yards. Eight of those nine plays were handoffs to Jamaal Williams, with Craig Reynolds getting the other tote. The average of 5.1 yards per carry comes in below the team’s 5.4 YPC average on the season, and it’s propped up heavily by a 13-yard TD run by Williams. The Lions average 5.6 YPC on 1st-and-10 for the season, a figure that includes the nine with an extra blocker.

Personnel tip-off?

Of the 38 plays with an extra lineman, 34 have featured Williams as the RB. D’Andre Swift was in for two, Reynolds and Justin Jackson one each. It makes sense to use the more power-oriented Williams (or Reynolds) with the extra blocker in the game. However, Swift did score a touchdown on his one carry with six linemen in front of him. It might behoove the Lions to try more of that, though Swift’s opportunities have been limited with missed games and snaps due to shoulder and ankle injuries.

 

 

Lions vs Vikings: Best and Worst PFF grades from Week 3

Here are the Detroit Lions best and worst PFF performers for this Week 3 game against the Minnesota Vikings.

It is never easy losing against your division opponent, but what happened for the Detroit Lions at the end makes it hurt that much more, losing their second game against the Minnesota Vikings, 28-24.

The Lions looked to be in control, but after some heavily questionable playcalling, ill-timed injuries, and miscommunication, they felt that win slip through their fingers. It has been documented enough that Coach Dan Campbell wishes he would’ve made a different call at the end, so we don’t need to beat a dead horse while it’s down. The Lions will look to redeem themselves next week against the Seattle Seahawks in hopes they can rebound from this devastation.

Most of this week’s PFF grades fall right in line with the eye test, good and bad. So we will go ahead and highlight the best and the worst PFF performers for the Lions for Week 3 against the Vikings.