Detroit Lions roster moves – Syndication Server

Lions swap practice squad safeties, add Detroit-area native

Lions swap practice squad safeties, add Detroit-area native Kaevon Merriweather and release Erick Hallett

In a minor move at the bottom of the roster, the Detroit Lions made a swap of safeties on the team’s practice squad.

On the incoming side, Detroit added Kaevon Merriweather to the practice squad. Erick Hallett has now been released from Detroit.

Merriweather has extensive NFL experience on special teams in his two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He led the Buccaneers in special teams tackles as an undrafted rookie in 2023. The Detroit-area native (graduated from Belleville HS) was a college teammate of Lions tight end Sam LaPorta at Iowa. With Ifeatu Melifonwu spending at least four more weeks on injured reserve, the Lions still have a pressing need for safety depth.

Lions activate Brodric Martin from injured reserve

Lions activate DT Brodric Martin from injured reserve ahead of Week 12

Brodric Martin is back on the Detroit Lions active roster. The Lions activated the second-year defensive tackle from injured reserve at the end of his return window.

Martin has missed the entire season to this point after suffering a knee injury in Detroit’s preseason finale. He was designated to return on October 31st, meaning the Lions had to activate Martin this week or else lose him for the rest of the year.

Martin figures to bolster the defensive interior rotation, helping limit the heavy snap count for starters DJ Reader and Alim McNeill. The 2023 third-round pick from Western Kentucky showed growth to his game and better conditioning over the summer before suffering the injury.

No additional roster move was needed to activate Martin after the team handled injured safety Ifeatu Melifonwu’s activation and subsequent return to I.R. with a different malady.

Lions add defensive help to the active roster, place Anzalone on I.R.

The Lions added a veteran LB and activated (with an asterisk) Ifeatu Melifonwu, while placing Anzalone on I.R.

The Detroit Lions made some injury-forced roster moves on Monday. The most notable is placing linebacker Alex Anzalone on the injured reserve list a day after the defensive captain broke his forearm in the team’s blowout win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Replacing Anzalone on the active roster will be safety Ifeatu Melifonwu, who was activated off injured reserve. That activation probably deserves an asterisk, as Melifonwu is poised to be sidelined again with a new finger injury suffered last week in practice.

“Well, look, because this is going to come up anyway, he had something come up and he’s not going to be – he won’t be ready for a while,” Campbell said of Melifonwu. “He’s not going to be ready for a while.”

The Lions also added veteran linebacker David Long to the practice squad. Long was recently released by the Miami Dolphins after losing his role in their defense.

Lions sign LB Ezekiel Turner among final Week 11 roster moves

The Detroit Lions tweaked the 53-man roster ahead of the Week 11 matchup with the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars. On Saturday, the Lions signed one player from the team’s practice squad and elevated another for Sunday’s game.

The Lions signed linebacker Ezekiel Turner from the practice squad. Detroit had a roster opening after placing LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin on I.R. ahead of Week 10. Like Reeves-Maybin, Turner is a special teams backer.

With starting TE Sam LaPorta out for Week 11, the Lions also elevated veteran James Mitchell from the practice squad to help flesh out the tight end depth chart. Mitchell has been on the practice squad all season.

Lions make transactions involving 7 players ahead of Week 10

Lions make transactions involving 7 players ahead of Week 10, including placing Jalen Reeves-Maybin on IR and signing 3 from practice squad

It was a very busy Saturday for the Lions ahead of their trip to Houston to play the Texans in Week 10. Detroit made roster moves involving seven players.

The Lions waived EDGE Isaiah Thomas at the first possible opportunity. Thomas was signed off the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad after Week 6, meaning the Lions had to keep him on the active roster for at least three weeks. That time expired ahead of Week 10, and Thomas’ meager contributions (3 tackles, zero QB hurries) made him expendable.

Detroit also placed linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin on injured reserve. Reeves-Maybin suffered a neck injury suffered in the Week 9 win in Green Bay. He will miss at least the next four games, including Sunday.

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To fill those roster vacancies, the Lions signed three players from the practice squad to the active roster:

TE Shane Zylstra
EDGE Al-Quadin Muhammad
LB Abraham Beauplan

Zylstra was out of practice squad elevations, so his signing was expected after the team waived rookie WR Isaiah Williams during the week. Williams has since been claimed by the Cincinnati Bengals.

In this week’s practice squad elevations, offensive tackle Jamarco Jones and linebacker Ezekiel Turner were promoted to play against Houston. It is the first elevation for each player in 2024.

Lions waive rookie wide receiver in surprising move

Lions waive rookie wide receiver Isaiah Williams in surprising move

In an unexpected move after Thursday’s practice session ahead of Week 10, the Detroit Lions announced they have waived rookie wide receiver Isaiah Williams.

Williams made the team as an undrafted free agent from Illinois and had seen brief action in two games on offense and special teams, including a nice kick return in the Week 9 win in Green Bay. He had been a healthy scratch several times. He had impressed throughout training camp and preseason as a slot weapon and return specialist.

The waiver of Williams comes without a corollary roster move, which makes it more of a surprise.

Lions add some familiar names and a newcomer to the practice squad

Lions add Chris Smith and Abraham Beauplan, plus a newcomer to the practice squad ahead of the Week 10 matchup with the Houston Texans

The Detroit Lions filled out all the vacancies on the team’s practice squad ahead of Wednesday’s practice session in Allen Park. With three spots open, the Lions brought back two familiar names and one new player–who has ties to this week’s opponent, the Houston Texans.

As expected, the Lions re-signed defensive tackle Chris Smith and linebacker Abraham Beauplan to the practice squad. The defensive duo had been on the practice squad all season before being signed to the active roster last week as Detroit dealt with an injury crunch. Smith played 10 snaps in the win over the Packers, while Beauplan didn’t get in on defense but played extensively on special teams while filling in for injured Malcolm Rodriguez.

The Lions also added veteran linebacker Ezekiel Turner to the practice squad. The 28-year-old spent the 2018 through 2023 seasons playing for the Arizona Cardinals, primarily on special teams. The Lions are his fourth team in 2024, with practice squad stints with the Texans and Seattle Seahawks during the regular season and offseason time with the San Francisco 49ers. He was on the Texans practice squad for the first four weeks of the season.

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Christian Mahogany activated to the Lions 53-man roster

Christian Mahogany activated to the Lions 53-man roster after spending months on Detroit’s non-football illness list

The Detroit Lions have activated rookie offensive lineman Christian Mahogany from the non-football illness list. Mahogany is now on the Lions’ 53-man active roster and eligible to play immediately.

It’s been a long path for Mahogany, a sixth-round pick out of Boston College. The guard contracted mononucleosis over the summer and missed all of training camp and the first few weeks of the season. The Lions designated Mahogany for return three weeks ago, and the team had to either activate him this week or lose Mahogany for the rest of the season.

Mahogany has been an active participant in practices but wasn’t deemed ready to be active until today, an off day for Lions. Detroit had an opening on the roster, so no corollary move was required to add Mahogany.

Lions release injured WR, add safety to practice squad

The Lions made a couple of moves at the bottom of the roster on Tuesday

The Detroit Lions made a couple of tweaks to the bottom end of the roster on Tuesday.

Detroit released wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith from the injured reserve list. Smith was injured during the preseason and was placed on the I.R. prior to roster cutdowns. The veteran was trying to make the Lions after several injury-plagued years with the New Orleans Saints.

The Lions also tinkerer with the practice squad. Erick Hallett is back on the practice squad after being released from an earlier stint. The team had an opening, so no other move was needed.

Lions officially place 2 on I.R., sign Isaiah Thomas

Lions officially place Aidan Hutchinson and Kyle Peko on I.R., sign Isaiah Thomas

It’s now official: the Detroit Lions have placed Aidan Hutchinson on the injured reserve list.

The Lions announced the move on Tuesday, two days after the standout EDGE broke his left legbroke his left leg in a blowout win over the Dallas Cowboys.

Detroit also placed DT Kyle Peko on I.R. Peko tore a pectoral muscle. Peko tore a pectoral muscle in Dallas and is out indefinitely. While neither player is expected to return in 2024, being placed on the reserve list means Hutchinson and Peko are each out a minimum of four games.

With one of the open spots on the 53-man roster, the Lions signed EDGE Isaiah ThomasLions signed EDGE Isaiah Thomas. The newest member of the Lions den comes to Detroit from the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad. Because he was signed from the practice squad of another team, Thomas must remain on Detroit’s active roster for at least three games.