Tag: Detroit Lions roster moves

Lions have released TE Jesse James per reports

The move frees up at least $2.1M in salary cap room

One of the bigger swings and misses in free agency in Lions history has mercifully come to an end. The Lions have released tight end Jesse James after two underperforming, underwhelming seasons.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to report the move.

Releasing James frees up at least $2.1 million in salary cap room for 2021. If the team designates James as a June 1st cut, the figure goes up to $5 million. There is no indication on the contractual fine print of his release.

James signed with the Lions prior to the 2019 season after four seasons with modest success in Pittsburgh. Then-GM Bob Quinn turned some heads by paying the career backup $25 million over four years.

It was obvious from the very first training camp session in 2019 that the move might not work out. James just didn’t have the athleticism or the consistency to his blocking to handle the role designed for the No. 2 tight end in Darrell Bevell’s offense. He caught just 30 passes for 272 yards in two seasons in Detroit, a lower total than any of his final three years in Pittsburgh.

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Report: Lions will release CB Justin Coleman

Coleman is due an $8.95 million salary in both 2021 and 2022

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It appears Justin Coleman’s time in Detroit is coming to an abrupt end. A report from Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, quickly echoed by other sources, indicates the Lions will release the slot cornerback after just two seasons in Detroit.

Coleman played the first two years of a four-year, $36 million contract signed as a free agent prior to the 2019 season. The former Seahawks standout was expected to solidify the slot corner position in Detroit, but it just did not come together as expected. Coleman struggled with penalties and missed tackles, as well as speedy receivers, in 2019. Those issues were more prevalent in 2020, a season that also saw Coleman miss five games with an injury.

The Lions will save at least $4.94 million in cap room in 2021 as a result of the anticipated move. The savings goes up to $9 million if the team designates Coleman as a post-June 1st cut when he is officially released. He was due $8.95 million in base salary in both 2021 and 2022.

Lions re-sign Mike Ford to a new contract

Ford was set to be a restricted free agent

The Detroit Lions are bringing back cornerback and core special teams player Mike Ford. The team announced on Monday it has re-signed Ford to a new contract, the terms of which have yet to be disclosed.

With Ford back in Detroit, the Lions no longer have any restricted free agents pending. The Lions faced a deadline of extending a tender offer to Ford, but signing him to a new contract ends any drama there.

Ford has played three seasons in Detroit, appearing in 31 games and starting seven. He consistently shows speed and energy at both CB and on special teams, though his coverage skills can be clunky. He did grade out with the highest PFF coverage score on the team in 2020 with an 87.6, albeit in just 26 coverage snaps.

He joined the team as an undrafted rookie from SE Missouri State following the 2018 NFL draft and has worked his way up from the practice squad. Ford has shown enough to the new coaching staff to bring back for at least one more season.

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Lions release LB Christian Jones and OL Russell Bodine

The moves free up over $3.4 million in cap room

The Detroit Lions announced two more players will not be back with the team. Detroit released linebacker Christian Jones and offensive lineman Russell Bodine.

Jones played three seasons in Detroit and started 42 of 45 games. His best season was his first, logging 69 tackles and showing versatility at playing all over the formation. His play declined and so did his playing time, with the 30-year-old playing less than half the defensive snaps in 2020.

Bodine was a reserve offensive lineman signed during the 2020 season. He never played for the Lions and hasn’t taken a regular-season snap since 2018 in Buffalo.

Cutting the two players saves the team some valuable salary cap room. Jones saves the Lions at least $2.56 million, and that figure goes up if he is designated as a post-June 1 release. Bodine’s release frees up $850,000. Both figures are per Over The Cap.

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Mike Ford placed on I.R. as Oday Aboushi officially re-signs with the Lions

Ford was injured in late August in practice

The Detroit Lions made it official on Sunday night. The Lions announced they have re-signed offensive lineman Oday Aboushi to the active roster.

To make room for Aboushi, the team placed cornerback and special teams standout Mike Ford on injured reserve.

Ford was injured late in training camp in a collision with WR Victor Bolden. He suffered a leg injury and did not return to any practice sessions.

The move gives the Lions nine offensive lineman and reduces the CB total to six. Aboushi has the ability to play any spot on the OL outside of center, though he has primarily played as part of the team’s guard rotation in 2019.

Report: Lions bring back OL Oday Aboushi

Aboushi played in seven games for DET in 2019 including two starts

Oday Aboushi’s wild ride on the Detroit Lions roster roller coaster has climbed up a new hill. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, the Lions have re-signed the veteran offensive lineman, one day after Aboushi was part of the cutdown to the 53-man roster limit.

Aboushi played in seven games for the Lions at guard in 2019, including two starts. The 29-year-old has also played for the Seahawks (with Lions OC Darrell Bevell), Texans, Jets and Cardinals in his journeyman career. He lost out on an initial roster spot to rookie Logan Stenberg and unheralded Matt Nelson.

There has been no immediate corresponding roster move to make room for Aboushi on the active roster. However, the Lions are expected to place rookie TE Hunter Bryant on injured reserve to create a roster spot.

One possible explanation for why Aboushi was cut and then brought back is for salary purposes. By cutting Aboushi, his contract figure for 2020 is no longer guaranteed. The Lions can now cut him (again) during the season and not incur any salary cap penalty.

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Lions waive WR Geremy Davis

Davis couldn’t climb up the Lions deep roster at WR

The Detroit Lions have begun the painful process of whittling down the roster in advance of Saturday’s deadline. Head coach Matt Patricia confirmed in his pre-practice Zoom session with reporters that the team has released wide receiver Geremy Davis.

Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press first reported the news.

Davis joined the Lions this offseason after four seasons with the Chargers. His size and experience on special teams gave him a chance to make it, but the Lions depth at wide receiver made it a foreboding challenge. He can now try to latch on with another team prior to the season.

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Lions sign DT Kevin Wilkins, waive Olive Sagapolu

Wilkins was with the Eagles under Cory Undlin in 2019

The Detroit Lions added a new defensive tackle to the roster just ahead of Thursday’s practice session in Allen Park. The Lions announced they have signed free agent Kevin Wilkins to a contract.

In order to make room for Wilkins, the team waived DT Olive Sagapolu.

Wilkins was most recently with the New York Giants. He spent most of the 2019 season on the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad, where he spent time working with new Lions defensive coordinator Cory Undlin. He was originally an undrafted free agent from Rutgers. The 25-year-old Wilkins has not played in an NFL game as of yet.

 

Lions release 6 players including Chris Lacy, Travis Fulgham

Releasing them now gives those vets a chance to try and land elsewhere

Six Detroit Lions veterans woke up to the U2 song “Sunday Bloody Sunday”. The team announced it has cut all six players after less than a full week in the building for training camp.

The most notable here is Travis Fulgham. His agent announced his release on Saturday and the team confirmed they are dumping the 2019 sixth-round wideout.

WR Travis Fulgham
G Josh Garnett
DB Michael Jackson
WR Chris Lacy
LB Christian Sam
DE Jonathan Wynn

Lacy’s name is the biggest surprise here. With the reports of Fulgham being released on Saturday, some speculated Lacy might be the biggest beneficiary.

There is a theme here with all these players. All have at least some NFL experience and all were unlikely to earn more than the final roster spot in Detroit in 2020. Releasing them now gives those vets a chance to try and land elsewhere. With no preseason games to audition for other teams, a straight early release like this is their best chance to latch on and show something in another training camp.