Tag: Dan Skipper

Lions waive OT Dan Skipper from injured reserve

Lions waive OT Dan Skipper from injured reserve with an injury settlement

The Detroit Lions made a minor roster move on Monday. The team waived injured offensive tackle Dan Skipper from the injured reserve list. Skipper took an injury settlement in lieu of staying on Detroit’s I.R. list for the year.

Skipper injured his knee in the final preseason game and was waived with injury designation. When no other team claimed the 6-foot-10 reserve tackle, he reverted to the Lions’ I.R., the same status as fellow reserve OT Tyrell Crosby. It ended his season with the Lions.

Because Skipper took an injury settlement, he is now free to sign with another team and will be eligible to play in 2021 once he is healthy enough to pass a physical. Skipper played well enough in training camp and the preseason to merit legit consideration to making Detroit’s final 53-man roster and could garner some interest elsewhere if he can recover from the knee injury.

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Broncos claim ex-Lions CB Mike Ford off waivers

Broncos claim ex-Lions CB Mike Ford off waivers, while two offensive tackles revert to the Lions’ I.R.

Of all the players the Detroit Lions waived this week, only one was claimed by another NFL team off the waiver wire. Cornerback Mike Ford is now a member of the Denver Broncos, who posted the successful waiver claim on Wednesday.

Ford joins the Broncos, who can use his speed on special teams and his ability to play both outside and slot CB. He spent the last three seasons in Detroit but did not play convincingly enough this summer to make the roster again.

Among the players the Lions waived but did not bring back to the practice squad, both Tyrell Crosby and Dan Skipper went unclaimed and reverted to Detroit’s injured reserve. They are eligible to accept an injury settlement and become eligible for signing with another team.

Lions waive-injured OT Tyrell Crosby among series of roster cuts

Offensive tackles Tyrell Crosby and Dan Skipper were each waived with injury status, ending their 2021 seasons in Detroit

The Detroit Lions got a sweeping start off on their roster cutdowns. The team made several moves on Monday in advance of the 4 p.m. Tuesday deadline to trim the active roster to 53.

After earlier releasing WR Breshad Perriman and CB Mike Ford, the Lions announced more cuts from head coach Dan Campbell prior to taking the practice field on Monday. The most notable is offensive tackle Tyrell Crosby, who was waived with injury designation.

Crosby was the team’s starting right tackle in 2020 and was projected to be the top reserve offensive lineman in 2021, but he’s battled an injury throughout training camp. He played poorly in the third preseason game, allowing an easy sack in the loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

Campbell did not mince words in talking about the decision to waive Crosby.

We didn’t feel like he was one of the best guys,” Campbell said.

The same fate befell offensive tackle Dan Skipper, who would have been the proverbial “next man up” behind Crosby. Skipper suffered a bad leg injury in Friday night’s preseason finale against Buffalo.

Both Crosby and Skipper will revert to the Lions’ injured reserve if they are not claimed by another team. They will not be eligible to return for Detroit in 2021.

The other players released on Monday:

  • WR Victor Bolden
  • DT Miles Brown
  • OL Evan Heim
  • WR Damion Ratley
  • S Alijah Holder

None of the players released are expected to be candidates for the Lions’ practice squad.

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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.

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.

Lions place DL Da’Shawn Hand on I.R., activate OL Hal Vaitai from I.R., sign OT Dan Skipper

The Detroit Lions have placed DL Da’Shawn Hand on injured reserve, activated OL Hal Vaitai from I.R., and signed OT Dan Skipper.

The Detroit Lions have placed defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand on injured reserve, activated offensive lineman Hal Vaitai from injured reserve, and signed offensive tackle Dan Skipper off of the practice squad. With only three games remaining, Hand’s season is over.

For the third December in a row, Hand has finished the Lions season on injured reserve.  In 2018 Hand’s knee cost him the final few games, last year it was a lingering ankle injury, and this year his ankle came back to bite him again.

Over the last two years, Hand has had to fight through a plethora of injuries, from the elbow and ankle injuries costing him 13 games last season to the chest, groin, and yet another ankle injury this season costing him another six games.

Hand was able to play through his chest injury this year, but it did limit his play on the field. He would finish the season with 19 tackles, just one tackle for loss, a forced fumble, along with zero sacks and zero quarterback hits. Hand’s last sack came during Week 9 of his rookie season.

Vaitai is returning from his stint on injured reserve at just the right time.

While he was replaced by Oday Aboushi at right guard in Week 12, he likely won’t return to guard this week. Instead, with right tackle Tyrell Crosby (ankle) being ruled out, Vaitai will likely take over there, pushing Matt Nelson back to the bench.

Skipper, having exhausted his practice squad elevations, has been signed off the practice squad for offensive line depth and so the Lions can take advantage of a new 2020 game-day roster rule. He will take the roster spot opened up after Jeff Okudah was placed on injured reserve earlier this week.

His signing gives the Lions 10 offensive linemen on their active roster, but with Crosby ruled out, and Frank Ragnow downgraded to out, the Lions only have eight healthy offensive linemen — which is the exact minimum amount of offensive linemen they need to have active in order to expand their game-day roster from 46- to 48-players.

Lions protect same 4 players, release RB Dalyn Dawkins from practice squad

The Detroit Lions made a series of practice squad moves on Tuesday, protecting the same four players as last week and releasing running back Dalyn Dawkins.

The Detroit Lions made a series of practice squad moves on Tuesday, protecting the same four players as last week — OT Dan Skipper, EDGE Kareem Martin, DT Albert Huggins, and S Bobby Price — and releasing running back Dalyn Dawkins.

Last week, after protection, Skipper, Martin, and Price were all elevated to the game-day roster and all four protected players have been elevated at least once this season.

Skipper has been elevated twice — Week’s 10 and 14 — and has exhausted his elevation eligibility. If the Lions want him to play again this season, they will need to sign him to the active roster. That could be a possibility this week, with Tyrell Crosby’s health uncertain, and Hal Vaitai still on injured reserve — though he is eligible to be removed this week, if healthy.

Price has also been elevated twice this season — Week’s 13 and 14 — but unlike Skipper, he still has one eligibility elevation remaining. Last week, Price was elevated as a COVID-19 replacement for Everson Griffen, which does not count towards the standard elevation count. Price is a candidate for elevation this week, as C.J. Moore is still dealing with an ankle injury and his status is up in the air. Price has seen 35 special teams snaps over the last two weeks, including getting some run as a starting gunner.

With Griffen out, Martin saw 11 snaps on the edge last week. And with Griffen — who announced via Instagram that he had contracted the COVID-19 virus — likely to miss this week’s game, Martin could be elevated once again. Working against him is the fact that EDGE Julian Okwara (still on IR) has been practicing for two weeks and is a candidate to return to action soon, and EDGE Trey Flowers (also still on IR) has been moving towards a potential return as well.

The Lions are getting healthier at defensive tackle — though Da’Shawn Hand still looked limited last week — but with John Penisini the only rostered nose tackle, protecting Huggins looks like an insurance move.

After three different stints on the practice squad, the Lions quietly moved on from Dawkins last night. This gives the Lions an open spot on the practice squad — which could go to RB Kerrith Whyte, who has been on the practice squad IR since the fourth week of the season.

Another potential option is quarterback Jordan Ta’amu, who had a try out with the Lions yesterday — his second try out with Detroit this season:

Detroit Lions elevate 3 practice squad players for their Week 14 game against the Packers

The Detroit Lions have elevated three members of their practice squad for their Week 14 matchup with the Green Bay Packers: Offensive tackle Dan Skipper, defensive end Kareem Martin, and safety/gunner Bobby Price.

The Detroit Lions have elevated three members of their practice squad for their Week 14 matchup with the Green Bay Packers: Offensive tackle Dan Skipper, defensive end Kareem Martin, and safety/gunner Bobby Price.

Typically, the Lions would only be able to elevate two players under the standard elevation addendum, but with Everson Griffen being placed on the COVID-19 list, the Lions are able to elevate a third player as a replacement.

With Tyrell Crosby being ruled out and Hal Vaitai on injured reserve, the Lions have turned to Matt Nelson at right tackle. With Joe Dahl as the only remaining player with tackle experience on the active roster, Skipper is being elevated as insurance against any further injuries at the position.

With a plethora of injuries amongst the Lions EDGE rushers, Martin is being called up for depth. While Romeo Okwara is healthy, the Lions are down Trey Flowers (IR), Griffen (COVID-19), and Julian Okwara (IR).

When the Lions deploy four down defensive lineman, they will most likely hope to turn to Da’Shawn Hand and/or Austin Bryant opposite Okwara, with Martin potentially being the fourth option. But both Hand and Bryant are listed as questionable this week and neither has played in three games, meaning Martin could find himself on the field fairly quickly.

Because of this uncertainty, the Lions may rely on their linebackers to fill an EDGE role and that would mean leaning on Jahlani Tavai, Christian Jones, and Reggie Ragland at the JACK linebacker role more.

Price was elevated last week and played on 19 special teams snaps, including as a starting gunner. With C.J. Moore questionable after injuring his ankle last week, Price should help soften Moore’s workload.

Detroit Lions elevate OL Dan Skipper and DL Frank Herron for Week 10

With injuries on the offensive and defensive lines, the Detroit Lions have elevated OL Dan Skipper and DL Frank Herron for their Week 10 matchup with the Washington Football Team.

With injuries on the offensive and defensive lines, the Detroit Lions have elevated OL Dan Skipper and DL Frank Herron for their Week 10 matchup with the Washington Football Team.

On the offensive side of the ball, both RT/RG Hal Vaitai and IOL Joe Dahl are listed as questionable, and the Lions are leaning on Skipper to provide depth. With Skipper primarily being an offensive tackle, it could mean the Lions are a bit more worried about Vaitai’s availability, and observations from this week’s pool reporters from the Lions beat suggest those concerns may be warranted, as he has not done much in practice.

With Logan Stenberg also being a regular healthy scratch, the Lions could use an extra available offensive lineman so they can take advantage of the game-day roster expansion rule.

On the defensive side of the ball, DT Nick Williams missed practice on Wednesday, was limited on Thursday, then missed again on Friday, and is listed as questionable. Late week downgrades are typically bad news for Sunday, so Herron has a real shot at not only being active on Sunday but carving out a handful of snaps in the defensive line rotation.

Joe Dahl downgraded to OUT for Lions Week 9 vs Vikings

The Detroit Lions have downgraded interior offensive lineman Joe Dahl to OUT for their Week 9 game vs the Minnesota Vikings.

The Detroit Lions have downgraded interior offensive lineman Joe Dahl to OUT for their Week 9 game vs the Minnesota Vikings.

Dahl got in a limited practice on Wednesday but was unable to practice on Thursday or Friday and was given a questionable injury designation for Sunday.

With the team traveling to Minnesota on Saturday, the Lions will typically examine their injured players in the morning to see if their health is trending in the right direction. If they are not improving, they will be downgraded, will not travel with the team, and will be left behind in Allen Park in order to speed up their rehabilitation process.

Dahl did not improve enough to make the trip, but Hal Vaitai did, so it’s presumed that the Lions will revert back to the offensive line combination they used the three weeks prior to last week’s game:

Left tackle Left guard Center Right guard Right tackle
Taylor Decker Jonah Jackson Frank Ragnow Hal Vaitai Tyrell Crosby

With Dahl out, the Lions currently have eight active offensive linemen, meaning they can still take advantage of the league’s new rule of expanding their game-day roster from 46- to 48-players. But, with Vaitai still maintaining a questionable label, and Decker missing practice on Wednesday, the team could elevate one of their practice squad offensive linemen — Marcus Martin, Beau Benzschawel, or Dan Skipper —  for insurance.