Tag: Drew Forbes

Updating the Detroit Lions offensive line options for Week 2

Sorting out all the possibilities for the Detroit Lions offensive line while dealing with injuries to Frank Ragnow and Jonah Jackson in Week 2

It’s only Week 2 but already the Detroit Lions are forced to test the limits of their offensive line depth. For a team that was projected to have one of the very best lines in the NFL with the presumptive starting five, it’s a huge blow.

Starting right guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai went on injured reserve before Week 1 and has subsequently had back surgery. His top replacement, Tommy Kraemer, missed Week 1 with a back injury of his own. He’s now on IR too.

Now with the Washington Commanders and their talented defensive line on the schedule in Week 2, the Lions will be without Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow. No. 77 has been ruled out with a groin and foot injury.

Evan Brown will take over for Ragnow as he did for the final 13 games last season. But the injuries don’t stop there…

Pro Bowl left guard Jonah Jackson is questionable for Sunday’s game with a finger injury. Jackson missed considerable practice time during the week. Head coach Dan Campbell called Jackson “questionably probable” on Friday, but he said the same of Ragnow–who is out.

The Lions have yet to publicly reveal their plan if Jackson can’t play. They do have a few different options.

The easiest is to see what recent acquisition Drew Forbes can do. The Lions claimed Forbes off waivers from the Cleveland Browns during roster cutdowns, so he’s been in practices in Detroit for the last two weeks. Forbes has never taken a regular-season offensive snap since entering the league in 2019.

The Lions have another fresh body on the roster in Kayode Awosika, signed midweek from the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad. Awosika, like Forbes, is a college tackle with no practical experience at guard, however.

Then there’s the potential to kick right tackle Penei Sewell inside to guard. That would mean third tackle Matt Nelson would take over at right tackle, where he struggled all preseason. Logan Stenberg would likely shift from the current starting right guard to left guard (Jackson’s spot) in that scenario while keeping Sewell on the right side.

Awosika and Forbes can both theoretically step in at tackle too, but that’s asking a lot when facing Jonathan Allen, Montez Sweat and a very talented Commanders line.

On the practice squad, the Lions have three players who could see promotions to active duty on Sunday. Tackle Dan Skipper, guard Darrin Paulo and center Ross Pierschbacher provide the practice squad depth. With no other options who have even played center before, expect Pierschbacher to be promoted on Sunday in a reserve capacity.

 

Lions claim OL Drew Forbes, LB Jordan Kunaszyk signs to Browns practice squad

Forbes joins the GM that drafted him while Kunaszyk could be useful on special teams early in the year if needed:

The constant movement on the Cleveland Browns roster can be dizzying. GM Andrew Berry doesn’t like to keep things status quo, especially at the bottom of the 53-man roster.

Monday, we got confirmation that OL Joe Haeg and TE Jesse James were signing with the team which led to the Browns waiving OL Drew Forbes and LB Jordan Kunaszyk.

Forbes was one of many backups on the interior of the offensive line where Berry decided the need at offensive tackle and the talent of Haeg was more needed. Kunaszyk was one of the surprise members of the initial 53-man roster.

One day later, the waiver process has concluded with Forbes being claimed by the Detroit Lions and Kunaszyk going unclaimed and returning to the team’s practice squad.

The Lions claiming Forbes does not come as a surprise. John Dorsey was Cleveland’s general manager when Forbes was selected and Detroit has some talent deficiencies around their roster.

It was also not surprising for Kunaszyk to go unclaimed. The Browns signed him late in training camp as he waited around for an opportunity. He could be brought up if needed for special teams duties early in the season.

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Drew Forbes: What the Lions are getting in their new OL

Our Jeff Risdon knows Forbes’ game well from his days covering the Browns. Here are his thoughts on the new Lions lineman.

The Detroit Lions unexpectedly added another offensive lineman to the active roster when the team claimed Drew Forbes off the waiver wire on Monday. Forbes joins the Lions after being waived by the Cleveland Browns in some roster shuffling on that squad.

Forbes joins the Lions and rejoins the man who drafted him in the sixth round in 2019 in Cleveland, Lions special assistant John Dorsey. I was in Browns training camp for several practices that year and saw Forbes firsthand, and did again in the summer of 2021 for a couple of practices.

What are the Lions getting in Forbes?

To start, let’s go back to Dorsey’s days as the Browns GM. Dorsey was instantly attracted to Forbes as an under-the-radar prospect at FCS-level Southeast Missouri State. Despite little national attention, Forbes got something of a cult following amongst hardcore OL draftniks for his outstanding athleticism and physical dominance.

Dorsey was the most notable fan. He personally attended Forbes’ pro day in 2019. Forbes, all 6-foot-4 and 307 pounds of him, did not get any postseason all-star game invites or a trip to the scouting combine.

Dorsey and the scouts from a handful of other teams–one of them the Los Angeles Rams, whose scouting department was run by now-Lions GM Brad Holmes–witnessed a fantastic workout. Forbes ran a 4.87 40-yard dash, a 30-inch vertical jump and a great short shuttle and 3-cone drill performance.

Forbes was even the subject of a Sports Illustrated feature called “Prospect X”, which profiled an anonymous small-school prospect and the hype growing around him.

Here’s what Dorsey said after drafting Forbes, who played left tackle in college but was projected in Cleveland at right tackle or right guard,

“He’s got incredible athleticism, so why not try him at left or right tackle? If that doesn’t work, then move inside, I mean that’s how you do the offensive line. Let them see what their natural position is and then move forward. He is a very athletic and talented guy who is mature, tenacious, and smart.”

In his rookie training camp in 2019, Forbes competed for the starting RG position with the Browns. The athleticism was obvious, but so was the lack of high-level experience and technical polish. The competition ended for Forbes, ironically enough, when he injured his knee in Detroit in the final preseason game and went on IR after the initial roster cutdowns (the Browns temporarily released starting LT Greg Robinson to sneak Forbes onto the 53-man roster).

Forbes returned late in the year but played sparingly and only on special teams. He was active for just two games. Then came 2020.

The pandemic year. Limited interactions, no hands-on training or coaching. Forbes opted out for the season, one of four Browns players to exercise their option to sit out 2020 without any penalty due to COVID-19.

When Forbes returned in 2021, everything in Cleveland had changed. Wyatt Teller, who the Browns traded for from Buffalo when Forbes got hurt, quickly developed into an All-Pro-caliber right guard. Dorsey was gone, as was OL coach James Campen and head coach Freddie Kitchens. The Browns changed offensive schemes to a more outside-zone run style and the greenhorn Forbes did not adapt quickly.

Cleveland briefly toyed with trying Forbes back at tackle, but he just couldn’t handle the speed of the game on the edge. While a very impressive athlete, Forbes’ physical prowess didn’t easily translate to the NFL field. He became something of a guard/tackle tweener–not strong enough to play guard, not fast enough to play tackle. He was reliably adequate, nothing more, in pass protection at guard. Forbes really struggled to engage targets in the run game and had a bad tendency to rise straight up and lose leverage when he did.

He wasn’t bad. But Forbes was technically raw and not progressing nearly as quickly as hoped. Coming off a playoff win and completely set at his position, Forbes’ development wasn’t a priority for Cleveland and it showed.

The Browns shuffled in several new offensive linemen and Forbes never really progressed following the opt-out season. The lost year of reps and then another knee injury in 2021 stunted his development

Now Forbes is back with the man who once saw a potential starter in him in Dorsey. The Lions have an exceptional OL coach in Hank Fraley, who has done a great job developing young talents like (former Browns C) Evan Brown and UDFA guard Tommy Kraemer a year ago. The combination of confidence in the young athlete and technical skills development is worth a shot for the Lions. But Forbes is starting out from the bottom of the depth chart at both guard and tackle.

Personally I hope the Lions try to make Forbes happen at tackle. He’s lacking the great length the team prefers, but the physical tools are there to handle pass protection in a swing role. Detroit is weaker at reserve tackle than guard, too.

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Lions claim OL Drew Forbes off waivers, place Halapoulivaati Vaitai on IR

Lions claim OL Drew Forbes off waivers from the Browns and place RG Halapoulivaati Vaitai on IR

The long-awaited regular season debut of the Detroit Lions starting offensive line will have to wait at least a month. That’s because the Lions placed starting RG Halapoulivaati Vaitai on injured reserve on Tuesday.

Vaitai played in Detroit’s final preseason game but did not practice last week with an undisclosed injury. He will miss at least four weeks on IR. Tommy Kraemer or Logan Stenberg will start in his place between center Frank Ragnow and right tackle Penei Sewell.

With the opening on the roster, the Lions successfully claimed offensive lineman Drew Forbes off waivers from the Cleveland Browns. Forbes is entering his third NFL season and can play guard or tackle.

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Browns make 4 moves: Confirm two signings, waive two

Two signings were made official to the 53-man roster and two players were waived to make room:

The Cleveland Browns had a busy weekend with moves just becoming official on Monday through the NFL’s official transaction document.

Two moves discussed over the weekend became official as the team signed OL Joe Haeg and TE Jesse James to the 53-man roster. James and Haeg both visited with the team earlier in the week.

Haeg gives the team some depth at tackle with Jack Conklin recovering from his major knee injury last year. James gives the Browns a third tight end behind David Njoku and Harrison Bryant.

Brad Stainbrook of The OBR had the initial report on James’ signing on Friday.

To make room for Haeg and James, Cleveland released OL Drew Forbes and LB Jordan Kunaszyk.

Forbes was the team’s sixth-round draft pick in 2019. He’s only played in three games with the Browns since being drafted.

Kunaszyk was added to the training camp roster late but was an important part of special teams leading to him making the initial 53-man roster.

Both Forbes and Kunaszyk could be brought back on the team’s practice squad if they clear waivers.

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Kevin Stefanski: Browns will ‘continue to look at’ building OL depth after 3 opt-outs

Josh Kline is the best available free agent fit

After three reserves along the Browns offensive line chose to opt out of playing in the 2020 NFL season, the depth chart at guard looks perilously thin in Cleveland. New Browns coach Kevin Stefanski is acutely aware of the shortage of bodies after Drew Forbes, Malcolm Pridgeon and Drake Dorbeck all opted out.

Stefanski strongly hinted that the team will be making a move or two in order to bolster the roster for training camp and perhaps even the upcoming season. Coach Stefanski addressed the dearth of OL depth in a Zoom teleconference with reporters.

It’s certainly something that we’ll continue to look at,’’ the rookie coach said. “As it pertains to practice reps, you have to get your starters ready. You also have to get your backups ready this year. We have to be very mindful of how we divvy up those reps. I’ve sat down with the coaches already and we have a plan for that, but I don’t think it is a season where you just say, ‘Hey, I’m just getting my starters ready.’ I think that may not be smart.”

Stefanski later added that they’re not just looking for players that are easily disposed of after training camp usage.

“I think we need good players,” Stefanski stated. “I think (GM Andrew Berry) and his staff are going to work really hard at all of these positions. If we should have a need somewhere, we want to get a good player in here. We want to make sure that we are bringing guys in who have a chance to develop.”

There aren’t many players available who fit that criteria. One who is: former Vikings and Titans starter Josh Kline, who played under Stefanski in Minnesota last season. Other veteran options include Cordy Glenn, Ron Leary and Jon Halapio.

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Browns’ unofficial depth chart for Week 13

Browns’ unofficial depth chart for Week 13 vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers

The Cleveland Browns released their unofficial depth chart for the Week 13 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. This week’s edition features a couple of interesting wrinkles.

First, rookie offensive lineman Drew Forbes makes an appearance as the backup left guard behind starter Joel Bitonio. Forbes has still yet to play in a game for the Browns since being activated off injured reserve.

At tight end, rookie Stephen Carlson is listed ahead of Pharaoh Brown on the depth chart. That reflects the reality of late, but it’s still interesting to see the movement after Brown’s injury earlier this year. Carlson caught his first career pass–a touchdown reception–in the first meeting with the Steelers in Week 11.

Olivier Vernon remains listed with an injury designation at one of the starting DE spots. We’ll know more about his status for the Steelers game later this week.

Browns activate rookie OL Drew Forbes, waive WR Antonio Callaway

Browns activate rookie OL Drew Forbes, waive WR Antonio Callaway

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John Dorsey and the Cleveland Browns made a surprising roster move just hours before the Browns’ Thursday night date in Week 11 with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Browns activated rookie offensive lineman Drew Forbes from injured reserve and waived wide receiver Antonio Callaway.

Forbes was designated to return after being placed on IR with a knee injury following the final roster cuts. The team had to activate him by tonight or else he would have reverted to IR.

Cutting Callaway rids the Browns of an unreliable but physically talented player. He was inactive in Week 10 after he missed a meeting. The second-year wideout has tested Dorsey’s patience several times with dropped passes, missed assignment and off-field issues that include two police interactions since he arrived in Cleveland. The Browns selected Callaway out of Florida in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL draft.

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