Tag: Evan Brown

Lions PFF grades: Best and worst players against the Bears from Week 4

The Detroit Lions PFF grades reflect the continued struggles in the secondary and average showing from the offense against the Chicago Bears

The Detroit Lions seemed to be on the up and up competing against the top-tier teams this season. Heading into Week 4, you had to believe they were feeling good against the Chicago Bears team that gave up nine sacks the previous week. The only kicker was they competing against the Bears and themselves, turning to be their downfall.

With poor execution, sub-par defensive play, and the constant shot footing, the Lions could not get anything figured out until it was too late. Also, to add injury to insult, the Lions lost their best defensive player, Romeo Okwara, for the season, making a poor defense much weaker in the long run.

There weren’t too many stellar players this week, and it reflected in this week’s PFF grades for the Lions.

5 Lions players with the most to gain in the preseason game vs. the Colts

Here are the 5 Lions players who stand to gain the most from a strong performance against the Colts in Detroit’s final preseason game. 

Jobs are on the line when the Detroit Lions host the Indianapolis Colts on Friday night in Ford Field (7 p.m. ET). With nearly all the starters from both teams sitting out the exhibition season finale, it’s a chance for some players on the Lions’ roster bubble to step up and prove they belong.

Here are the five players who stand to gain the most from a strong performance against the Colts in Detroit’s final preseason game.

8 thoughts about the Lions roster entering the preseason finale

Lions place Jalen Reeves-Maybin on reserve/COVID-19 list to start training camp

The Lions also placed IOL Evan Brown on the active/non-football injury list

The Detroit Lions made a couple of roster announcements to start training camp in Allen Park on Wednesday morning.

Detroit placed veteran linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin on the reserve/COVID-19 list and reserve guard/center Evan Brown on the active non-football injury (NFI) list.

Reeves-Maybin will have to sit out camp until he clears the required NFL COVID-19 protocols. It is unknown if he tested positive or was exposed to a positive person and isn’t vaccinated.

Earlier in his initial press conference to kick off camp, head coach Dan Campbell stated that over 80 percent of the Lions players were fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

This article was updated to reflect Reeves-Maybin’s status

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Lions roster projection heading into training camp: Offense

Projecting who will make the Detroit Lions final offensive roster at the start of training camp

Detroit Lions training camp kicks off in less than two weeks. Footballs will be flying around the team’s practice facility in Allen Park with 90 players fighting for 53 final roster spots.

This is our first prediction on which players make the Lions roster after the final cutdowns.

To keep things more manageable, we’re splitting up the offense and the defensive projections, with the special teams sticking with the D. First up is the overhauled offense under new coordinator Anthony Lynn.

The projection here leaves the Lions with 25 offensive players, and that includes the return specialist and three quarterbacks.

Detroit Lions sign 5 players to futures contracts

The Detroit Lions announced that they have signed five players from their 2020 practice squad to futures contracts.

The Detroit Lions announced that they have signed five players from their 2020 practice squad to 2021 futures contracts including wide receiver Tom Kennedy, wide receiver Victor Bolden, interior offensive lineman Evan Brown, linebacker Anthony Pittman, and safety Jalen Elliott.

Futures contracts are typically for the league minimum with no guarantees and they allow younger players to be offered an early spot on a team’s 90-man roster. As an incentive for teams to sign these players, the NFL does not count their salary towards the team’s salary cap until the league’s new year begins — in March when the unrestricted free agency period opens.

While the Lions have signed five players to futures deals, they are not necessarily finished adding players in this manner. The Lions can add as many futures contracts as they desire — as long as they don’t exceed the 90-man roster limit — and they have several players who were with the team in 2020 who qualify.

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With slot receivers Danny Amendola and Jamal Agnew’s contracts expired, the Lions didn’t have any slot receivers on their current roster. Kennedy, who has been with the Lions for the last two seasons, and Bolden give the Lions inexpensive depth options with upside at the position.

Brown was promoted from the Lions practice squad each of the last two weeks and found his way on the field due to injuries in both games. He has played in 11 games over his career and is a depth option that can play all three interior spots.

Pittman is a hybrid linebacker who has been with the organization the last two seasons. He is built like an off-the-ball linebacker but was used as a JACK linebacker when he saw the field in 2019. His athleticism and versatility should help him adapt to the new defensive scheme.

Elliott was an undrafted free agent last season and has some positional range at safety. He is not at the athletic level of the Lions’ other safeties, but he is intelligent and has a nose for the ball.

Detroit Lions activate Danny Shelton, sign Bobby Price, elevate 2 from practice squad

The Detroit Lions announced six roster moves ahead of their Week 17 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings, including activating defensive tackle Danny Shelton from injured reserve and signing safety Bobby Price from the practice squad to the active roster. Other roster moves include elevating center Evan Brown and defensive tackle Albert Huggins for tomorrow’s game, activating practice squad linebacker Anthony Pittman from the Reserve/COVID-19 list, and releasing defensive lineman Frank Herron.

The Detroit Lions announced six roster moves ahead of their Week 17 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings, including activating defensive tackle Danny Shelton from injured reserve and signing safety Bobby Price from the practice squad to the active roster.

Other roster moves include elevating center Evan Brown and defensive tackle Albert Huggins for tomorrow’s game, activating practice squad linebacker Anthony Pittman from the Reserve/COVID-19 list, and releasing defensive lineman Frank Herron.

Shelton was added to injured reserve with a knee injury in early December, and after three weeks he worked his way back to practices. He has been activated to the roster in hopes of playing against the Vikings on Sunday, but his knee could still keep him from the game, as he was added to this week’s injury report and listed as questionable.

With Shelton being a potential game-time decision, it explains the elevation of Huggins from the practice squad. With the Vikings’ strong running offense, the Lions appear to want to have at least one nose tackle other than John Penisini on the game-day roster.

Herron, who is more of a 3T/Big DE, was released in order to make room for Shelton.

Price will take the vacated roster spot of safety Jayron Kearse, who was released earlier in the week. In Week 17, he will mainly contribute on special teams, but Price is an athlete with upside and this move appears to be more about the future. In the grand scheme of roster development, Price will give the Lions four safeties under contract heading into the offseason.

Brown was called upon to replace Joe Dahl at center last week, contributing on 28 of the Lions’ 53 offensive snaps. This week, Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow is expected to be back in the lineup — he is listed as questionable — but Dahl remains out and the Lions will turn to Brown to back up the position once again.

One final note: Pittman, who was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list two weeks ago, has cleared the league protocols and will return back to the practice squad.

Lions activate Everson Griffen to 53-man roster, elevate CB Tramaine Brock and C Evan Brown

Detroit Lions activate EDGE Everson Griffen to the 53-man roster, elevate corner Tramaine Brock and center Evan Brown for Week 16.

Happy holidays!

Detroit Lions announced that they have activated EDGE Everson Griffen to the 53-man roster, and elevated two practice squad players for Week 16: corner Tramaine Brock and center Evan Brown.

After contracting the COVID-19 virus, Griffen spent nearly two weeks on the reserve list before being cleared to return to practice on Wednesday. Because of the return to action protocols surrounding COVID-19, Griffen had a commissioner’s permission roster exemption while he re-acclimated back to football and did not count against the 53-man roster.

In order for him to be eligible to play on Saturday, he needed to be activated to the 53-man roster (which is today’s move) and a corresponding move would be required —  which the Lions created by releasing running back Jonathan Williams yesterday.

With corner Darryl Roberts questionable to play, the Lions only had three healthy corners: Amani Oruwariye, Justin Coleman, and Mike Ford — who was injured all week but doesn’t carry an injury designation into this game.

Brock gives them a fifth option at corner, depth on special teams, and insurance against Roberts’ injury.

Ragnow is still mending his fractured throat, and despite a limited practice on Thursday, he remains questionable to play. Joe Dahl replaced Ragnow in the starting lineup last week, but the elevation of Brown gives the Lions a true center option in case of further injury.

Detroit Lions make 3 practice squad moves, protect 4 in Week 16

Detroit Lions made a series of practice moves on Tuesday, adding C Jon Toth, releasing C Marcus Martin, placing LB Anthony Pittman on the COVID-19 list, and protecting four players in Week 16.

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Detroit Lions made a series of practice moves on Tuesday, adding center Jon Toth, releasing center Marcus Martin, placing linebacker Anthony Pittman on the COVID-19 list, and protecting four players in Week 16.

The Lions protected players include, center Evan Brown, defensive tackle Albert Huggins, corner Tramaine Brock, and safety Bobby Price.

With Frank Ragnow still dealing with a throat injury, the Lions turned to Joe Dahl to start at center last week, and elevated natural center Martin to act as a reserve. Unfortunately, Martin has exhausted his elevation eligibility in 2020, and the Lions released him to make room for Toth.

Toth (6-5, 310-pounds) played center at Kentucky, was undrafted in 2017, and joined the Eagles. After just over a year on Philadelphia’s practice squad, he joined the Jets practice squad in 2018. He also spent time in the XFL with the D.C. Defenders, before joining the Browns earlier this year.

Toth will compete with Brown (who is protected this week) for a potential elevation spot in week 16. Neither has been elevated this year.

Brock has also not used an elevation this year, but with corners Darryl Roberts and Mike Ford banged up (both were estimated to be limited on Tuesday) they may need him as an elevation option this week. Brock will be competing with fellow practice squader Alex Meyers — who was posterized by Derrick Henry last week.

Huggins was elevated once by the Lions in Week 12, while Price was a standard elevation in Week 13, and a COVID-19 replacement elevation in Week 14, meaning each has one standard elevation remaining as COVID-19 elevations don’t count against the standard numbers.

Pittman was placed on the COVID-19 list and per an NFL/NFLPA agreement, teams do not differentiate between if a player tested positive for COVID-19 or if he had a close contact exposure, so it’s unclear how long he will be out at this time.

However, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, “One Lions player and one non-player tested positive for COVID-19, per league source. The team facility is closed and players and coaches are meeting virtually, with contact tracing ongoing.”

So, if Pittman did indeed test positive, his season could potentially be over. But, if the report is wrong, and it is a close contact exposure — like Matthew Stafford, Jarrad Davis, and Jalen Elliott earlier this year — it’s possible he could return before the season’s conclusion.

Lions sign OL Evan Brown to practice squad, release Beau Benzschawel

Brown played for the Cleveland Browns earlier in 2020

The Detroit Lions made a change to the offensive line contingency on the team’s practice squad on Friday. Detroit signed free agent Evan Brown to the practice squad, days after holding a tryout for the second-year vet.

Brown was most recently with the Cleveland Browns, where he played on special teams in five games earlier this season. He is a natural center but can also play guard. Brown played for the Miami Dolphins and New York Giants in 2019 as an undrafted rookie from SMU.

To make room on the practice squad for Brown, the Lions released guard/center Beau Benzschawel. The second-year undrafted free agent from Wisconsin has now been released from the practice squad twice in 2020.

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Lions hold tryout for free agent OL Evan Brown

Brown can play guard or center and has NFL experience

The Detroit Lions held an official tryout on Friday for free agent offensive lineman Evan Brown.

Brown played five games for the Cleveland Browns in 2020 before being let go after Week 8. The second-year lineman from SMU played exclusively on special teams. Brown was with the Miami Dolphins and New York Giants as an undrafted rookie in 2019, playing a total of 38 snaps on the line.

He’s primarily a center but Brown can also play either guard position. He’s got good agility for a 302-pounder and has some special teams experience with all three of his prior NFL stops.