Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
How many of the 19 ex-Lions do you remember?
The new season the XFL kicks off this weekend. Fans tuning into the spring football league will recognize many of the names, including several former Lions.
There are ex-Lions dotting the rosters of the eight XFL teams. Many were only in Detroit for a quick stop, be it a training camp or draft pick or practice squad stint. But they still earned recognition as Detroit Lions at some point.
Here are the players in the XFL with Lions ties.
The XFL held its draft this week and some former Lions were among the players selected
The XFL is back for another go-around. The league is slated to play its second season in 2023 after the first season of the XFL reboot was crushed early by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The upstart league held its player draft this week. The XFL does things a little differently, with the quarterbacks all going first, followed by the rest of the offensive skill positions, then the defensive backs and pass rushers, followed by the linemen. It’s an eight-team league that uses a snake draft format like your typical fantasy football league.
There were quite a few players with ties to the Detroit Lions selected in the XFL draft. Most of them were from Lions training camp or preseason rosters.
These XFL players all have some Lions experience.
Arlington Renegades
QB Kyle Sloter
LB Jesse Lemonier
DT Bruce Hector
Their offensive coordinator is former Lions QB Chuck Long
D.C. Defenders
CB Parnell Motley
The Defenders head coach is one-time Lions coach Reggie Barlow
Houston Roughnecks
LB Tavante Beckett
Orlando Guardians
CB Dee Virgin
San Antonio Brahmas
TE Alize Mack
St. Louis Battlehawks
None
Seattle Sea Dragons
QB Steven Montez
Vegas Vipers
The Bears are adding CB Dee Virgin to their practice squad after K Brian Johnson was signed by Washington.
The Chicago Bears are pretty thin at cornerback right now, and aside from Jaylon Johnson, there’s been nothing to write home about.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bears are signing cornerback Dee Virgin to the practice squad. The transaction comes after Washington signed kicker Brian Johnson off Chicago’s practice squad.
Bears are signing DB Dee Virgin to their practice squad.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 1, 2021
Virgin has appeared in 21 games — all with the Detroit Lions — from 2018 to 2020, where he had 12 tackles and 1 forced fumbles. He’s also spent time with the Houston Texans (2017-18), Los Angeles Rams (2020) and New England Patriots (2021). Virgin ha splayed primarily on special teams.
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The Browns have the first workout scheduled for DB Dee Virgin after his Niners release. Can he break through to make the roster and help on special teams?
The Cleveland Browns continue to churn the bottom of their roster and practice squad. In the last few days, they have added DE Ifeadi Odenigbo to their active roster and signed WR Davion Davis to the practice squad. They also added two others to the practice squad earlier in the week.
With Super Bowl aspirations and depth concerns due to injury, expect general manager Andrew Berry to constantly be tinkering with the roster. During over just a year running the team, Berry has proven he will be active and aggressive in player acquisition.
According to a report by Adam Schefter, the Browns will take a look at another possible addition soon:
DB Dee Virgin, who was released yesterday from the 49ers’ practice squad, is scheduled to work out this week for the Browns.
Other teams also are expressing interest in Dee Virgin.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 22, 2021
Virgin is not new to the NFL. The former Detroit Lion has played in 21 games including 15 during the 2019 season with almost all of his snaps coming on special teams.
After letting Tavierre Thomas and Tae Davis leave in free agency and waiving KhaDarel Hodge during final cuts, Cleveland may be in the market for a player primarily on special teams. So far in 2021, the unit has played well at times but, with Jeremiah Owusu-Koramaoh expected to get more time on defense, could need more players on their coverage units.
As Schefter noted, other teams have interest in Virgin but it seems that the Browns will get the first visit.
The #49ers officially have a new running back and released a cornerback from their practice squad.
The San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday officially announced the signing of running back Jacques Patrick off the Bengals’ practice squad. The move was first reported Tuesday morning by NFL media’s Tom Pelissero. Cornerback Dee Virgin was also released from the practice squad.
There was no corresponding move necessary to add Patrick since linebacker Dre Greenlaw was placed on Injured Reserve before Sunday’s game and the 49ers didn’t add anyone right away.
With injuries to JaMycal Hasty, Elijah Mitchell and Trey Sermon in Week 2, Patrick gives them depth from a player who played in the preseason this year and has been practicing with an NFL team. That wasn’t the case for Kerryon Johnson who signed to the 49ers’ practice squad last week, or any of the trio of veterans they worked out Monday.
Patrick led the Bengals in rushing this preseason and spent all of last year on their practice squad after a five-game stint in the now-defunct XFL. He rushed for 254 yards and two touchdowns on 60 carries for the Tampa Bay Vipers. He also notched five receptions for 49 yards.
Virgin was let go from the practice squad which leaves a vacancy on the 16-man practice roster. Cornerback depth is less of a concern for San Francisco with cornerback Emmanuel Moseley expected back for Week 3. They may also want to open a practice squad spot for an additional running back or linebacker depending on their health at that position.
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The Detroit Lions announced that they have signed veteran corner Tramaine Brock to the practice squad and released corner Dee Virgin in a corresponding move.
The Detroit Lions announced that they have signed 11-year veteran corner Tramaine Brock to the practice squad and released corner Dee Virgin in a corresponding move.
Brock (6-0, 188) spent the first seven years of his NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers who signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2010. Since then, he has spent time with the Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans, and most recently the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Brock never made it on the field in Jacksonville — he was injured in camp, placed on injured reserve, and eventually released — but he is now healthy and could be a contributor in Detroit as early as this weekend, due to the injuries at the position.
Over Brock’s 117 career games played, he has started 56, including 11 during the 2019 season. Despite him joining the team late in the week, he could be a fourth/emergency option due to his wealth of experience.
Virgin has been with the Lions the past three seasons, mostly being utilized as a dynamic special teamer. Unfortunately, the Lions exhausted his ability to be elevated to the active roster this season — calling him up in Week 2 and 12 — and he became expendable. Expect him to catch on somewhere else in the NFL quickly based on his special team promise.
The Detroit Lions signed defensive tackle Kevin Strong to the practice squad and have protected him, slog with Frank Herron, Albert Huggins, and Bobby Price in Week 13.
The Detroit Lions fired general manager Bob Quinn on Saturday, but unlike the coaching situation where Darrell Bevell is replacing Matt Patricia, Quinn is being replaced by a collection of front office individuals.
Quinn’s right-hand man, Kyle O’Brien (Vice President of Player Personnel), along with Lance Newmark (Director of Player Personnel), Rob Lohman (Director of Pro Scouting), and salary cap guru Mike Disner (Vice President of Football Administration) will all contribute to keeping the Lions front office active.
Their first move since Quinn’s firing was to sign defensive tackle Kevin Strong to the practice squad. A corresponding move was not needed in this situation, as a practice squad position was available after the Lions signed wide receiver Mohamad Sanu to the active roster last Wednesday.
The Lions have been dealing with several injuries along their defensive line over the last month. Defensive lineman Trey Flowers is on injured reserve — but is cleared to begin practicing once healthy –, defensive tackle Nick Williams has missed two games this year including one just three weeks ago, while Da’Shawn Hand is currently injured and has missed the last two weeks.
Strong — who has a year and a half worth of experience in the Lions scheme — will give them immediate depth.
With Hand’s availability still in question, the Lions recognize they may need to make another move this week and they are giving themselves options to do so.
Defensive tackles Frank Herron, Albert Huggins, and Strong are all protected practice squad players this week, essentially setting up a competition on the defensive tackle depth chart.
To combat the injuries along the line, the Lions have elevated defensive linemen from the practice each of the last three weeks. Herron was elevated twice and has, in turn, exhausted his ability to be promoted again — he would need to be signed to the active roster in order to play again in 2020.
Last week, the Lions elevated Huggins, but he played on just 14 snaps and was one of Pro Football Focus’ lowest graded Lions in Week 12. Huggins still has one elevation option remaining, as does Strong who was elevated in Week 2 to replace Willilams, leaving them as easily promotable options.
The fourth player protected this week is a bit of a surprise as it deviated from what has happened all year.
For the first time this season, cornerback/gunner Dee Virgin was not protected — with the fact that he has used up both his elevations this season likely played a factor.
Instead, the Lions’ Collective Front Office opted to protect undrafted free agent safety Bobby Price. Coming out of Norfolk State, Price has flown a bit under the radar — no preseason will do that — but he is an impressively athletic ball of clay. In training camp, he didn’t appear near ready to play on defense, but with Virgin being eliminated from elevations, Price could very well be the best special teams player the Lions have on the practice squad.
The Detroit Lions announced that they have elevated cornerback/gunner Dee Virgin and defensive tackle Albert Huggins to the active roster for Week 12.
The Detroit Lions announced that they have elevated cornerback/gunner Dee Virgin and defensive tackle Albert Huggins to the active roster for their Week 12 game against the Houston Texans on Thanksgiving Day.
Last night, the Lions protected three players on the practice squad. Today, all three are in line to play for the Lions in Week 12. In addition to Virgin and Huggins elevations, Detroit also signed Mohamad Sanu to the active roster after Hal Vaitai was placed on injured reserve.
With Tony McRae on long-term injured reserve and Mike Ford likely to miss this week with a concussion, the Lions are missing two of their best special teams gunners. Jamal Agnew, Tracy Walker, Jayron Kearse, and Justin Coleman have all seen time at gunner this season, but Virgin is the most talented gunner of the group.
This is Virgin’s second elevation to the active roster — he was also elevated in Week 2 — which is the maximum allowed during a season. If the Lions want to have Virgin available for any games moving forward, they will have to sign him to the active roster — similarly to what they did with tight end Isaac Nauta earlier in the season.
Defensive lineman Frank Herron has also exhausted his elevations, but with Da’Shawn Hand is still dealing with an injury, the team is leaning on Huggins to round out the defensive tackle group. This is Huggins’ first elevation of the season.
The Detroit Lions have protected three practice squad players in Week 12: cornerback/gunner Dee Virgin, wide receiver Mohamad Sanu, and defensive lineman Albert Huggins.
The Detroit Lions have protected three practice squad players in Week 12: cornerback/gunner Dee Virgin, wide receiver Mohamad Sanu, and defensive lineman Albert Huggins.
Virgin has been protected every available week this season and has been elevated to the active roster just once, in Week 2. With Mike Ford — one of the Lions’ starting gunners — likely to be ruled out this week with a concussion, the Lions may be tempted to elevate Virgin once again.
Sanu signed with the Lions three weeks ago and has been protected in each of those weeks. Last week, with Kenny Golladay and Danny Amendola out, Sanu was elevated to the roster and played 15 snaps with zero stats accumulated. Amendola’s health is improving, but if he is not ready to return to action, Sanu would be available.
Two weeks ago, Nick Williams missed a game and Frank Herron was called up to replace him on the game-day roster. Last week Williams returned but Da’Shawn Hand missed the game and Herron was elevated once again. This week, Hand has still yet to practice, and with Herron’s elevations exhausted, the Lions protected Huggins as insurance for the defensive line.
Sanu signed with the Lions late last week
Mohamed Sanu was on the street for anyone to sign for several weeks before the Detroit Lions signed the veteran wide receiver to the practice squad. Apparently the Lions like what they’ve seen from Sanu.
They made the wideout one of the four players protected on the practice squad for Week 10. Joining Sanu on the protected list are three familiar members: DT Frank Herron, CB Dee Virgin and OL Marcus Martin.
Martin was elevated for the Week 9 loss to the Minnesota Vikings and reverted to the practice squad on Monday. Virgin has been a fixture on the Lions’ protected practice squad all season.
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