Tag: Giovanni Manu

Lions inactives vs Bills: The return of the healthy scratches

Lions inactives vs Bills: The return of the healthy scratches alongside LB Trevor Nowaske, who is out with a concussion

The Detroit Lions had a pleasant problem ahead of Sunday’s Week 15 matchup with the visiting Buffalo Bills. The Lions coaching staff had to come up with several healthy scratches for the game after dealing with multiple injuries over the last few weeks.

Only one player was ruled out on the final injury status report. Linebacker Trevor Nowaske was sidelined with a concussion. Nowaske was the only Lions player who carried any sort of injury designation into the game.

That means all the other inactive are healthy scratches for Detroit. Many are the usual suspects, notably the offensive linemen:

OL Giovanni Manu
OL Kayode Awosika
OL Colby Sorsdal
DL Myles Adams
DL Brodric Martin
CB Emmanuel Moseley

Martin and Adams get bumped down due to healthy returns by Levi Onwuzurike, DJ Reader and Josh Paschal.

Lions inactives vs. Jaguars: Sam LaPorta out, 3 healthy scratches on the OL

Lions inactives vs. Jaguars: Sam LaPorta out, 3 healthy scratches on the OL in Week 11

The Detroit Lions released their inactive player list for the Week 11 matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The biggest name was one that was already known, with tight end Sam LaPorta already ruled out with a shoulder injury.

LaPorta is the only player on the active roster out due to injury. Cornerback Carlton Davis broke his thumb during the week, but he’s active. So is left tackle Taylor Decker, who missed Week 10 with a shoulder/chest issue.

All the other inactive Lions are considered healthy scratches, with three of them coming along the offensive line:

OL Giovanni Manu
G Christian Mahogany
T Colby Sorsdal
S Loren Strickland
DE Al-Quadin Muhammad

Muhammad is inactive thanks to the addition of veteran Za’Darius Smith, who will make his Lions debut against the Jaguars.

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Lions options for replacing injured Taylor Decker vs the Texans

The Detroit Lions options for replacing injured Taylor Decker vs the Texans if the veteran LT can’t play

The Detroit Lions appear poised to overcome some more injury-related adversity in the team’s Week 10 trip to Houston. Left tackle Taylor Decker is unlikely to play for Detroit in the Sunday night game after not practicing all week with a shoulder injury.

“I don’t see him practicing today,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said of Decker in his Friday morning press conference. “It’s about how he heals up. I don’t feel like this is something major, but we need to really see how he feels overthe next 48 hours.”

That’s not a promising sign for Decker’s availability against the Texans. If Decker is indeed out, the Lions lose a bedrock starter at left tackle for a game against one of the more aggressive defenses in the league.

Any Decker absence would require some serious scrambling for the Lions offensive line. With both starting guards, Graham Glasgow and Kevin Zeitler, being exclusively interior players, that means one of the depth tackles would get the nod.

Moving Penei Sewell from right to left

Switching All-Pro right tackle Penei Sewell from his normal side to the left is one potential solution. It’s what the Lions did in Weeks 2 and 3 of the 2023 season when Decker was sidelined.

It’s not a perfect solution. Sewell had two of his three lowest-graded games of his career by PFF while playing at left tackle. He hasn’t taken a known practice rep on the left side since the summer of 2022 other than those weeks, as well.

The Lions would need to decide if it’s worth getting weaker at right tackle by moving Sewell to the left side, where he hasn’t been as effective. Especially in run blocking, the Lions lean heavily on Sewell being the best right tackle in the league.

Dan Skipper

Typically the Lions extra tackle and 6th lineman in heavy formations, Skipper has been the only other tackle active on game days for the vast majority of the season. His preseason and training camp playing left tackle specifically was a mixed bag.

The 6-foot-9 Skipper tends to play too tall in pass protection, a real issue against more athletic and smaller pass rushers. That’s not a major issue against Houston, which tends to play bigger ends outside of Will Anderson — whose status for Sunday is up in the air due to injury, too.

Interestingly, Skipper has performed better at right tackle than left throughout his career in preseason and brief opportunities in the regular season. If Sewell kicks to the left side, Skipper’s relative struggles on the right side could be exacerbated.

Colby Sorsdal

Now in his second season, Sorsdal has been a healthy scratch most of 2024 and has only played on special teams when active. The 2023 fifth-round pick repped exclusively at right tackle in training camp and preseason, stepping in when Sewell needed rest or else repping with the second- and third-team offenses.

Sorsdal did not have an encouraging summer, consistently struggling with the speed of the Lions defense in practices and the speed of the game in preseason matchups against Pittsburgh and Kansas City. Simply out of familiarity with the right side, Sorsdal would likely be the starting option there if Sewell flips sides.

Jamarco Jones

The veteran Jones is on the Lions practice squad after joining the team in preseason. He played well at left tackle in the exhibition matchup against the Chiefs and does have some limited NFL regular-season experience starting on the left side, though he’s primarily played right guard in his stops with the Seahawks and Titans.

Jones also has some live-game experience playing as an extra tackle, which could come in handy if Skipper is required to play as a starter. If he avoids penalties, which has been a struggle for him going back to his college days, Jones is the most effective pass blocker of the reserve options.

Giovanni Manu

Manu was drafted in the fourth round with the implicit knowledge that he was not ready, nor would be ready to play in 2024. That’s been made clear by multiple coaching comments.

The giant Canadian collegian has been a healthy scratch all season and was one of PFF’s lowest-graded pass blockers in the preseason. Those low grades passed the eye/sniff test based on the very technically raw Manu from what we witnessed in practices, too. He should be considered an emergency-option only.

 

Lions vs. Titans inactive players: Titans sitting some significant names

Lions vs. Titans inactive players: Titans sitting some significant names including their starting QB

There weren’t any surprises or big names for the Detroit Lions on their inactive player list for the Week 8 visit from the Tennessee Titans. It’s a different story for Tennessee, however…

The only Lions player on the active roster who was ruled out due to injury was DE Josh Paschal, who was ruled out for an illness related to a post-cancer medical screening.

That leaves four healthy scratches, and all were widely expected:

TE Parker Hesse

OL Giovanni Manu

OL Colby Sorsdal

S Loren Strickland

Hesse was effectively replaced by practice squad elevation Shane Zylstra for the second week in a row.

The Titans inactive player list features several more prominent players, including their regular starting quarterback, Will Levis.

 

5 key players to watch in Lions preseason finale

5 key players to watch in Lions preseason finale, from Hendon Hooker to Brandon Joseph

The final preseason game is all about sorting out the Detroit Lions depth. Very few of the players who will ever matter in a regular season game–unless necessitated by injury–will play in the Lions exhibition finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

For those battling for the bottom of the roster spots, practice squad berths or auditioning for their next football destination, it’s a very big day. There’s still a ton to play for and take away for so many players.

These five stand out as ones to really watch in Detroit’s matchup with Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon.

Hendon Hooker

Hooker is efforting to prove he can be the No. 2 quarterback, earning the trust from the coaching staff to take over for Nate Sudfeld in the primary reserve role behind Jared Goff. He had a very strong performance in leading Detroit’s comeback win over the Chiefs a week ago, and another game full of good decisions, accurate passes and timely runs would go a long way for Hooker.

Giovanni Manu

Manu, like Hooker, is in no danger of being cut. But the raw rookie offensive tackle desperately needs reps to get up to as fast of a speed as he can. The message from the team has been consistent from the second the Lions drafted Manu: 2024 is a redshirt season for the giant Tongan who played Canadian college basketball until discovering football.

Manu had a very solid performance in Kansas City, and he’s shown technical improvement in practices. He’s still incredibly green, but the progress could be enough that Manu can at least be active in a game and play as an extra tackle in packages in the regular season. Continued growth and confidence against the Steelers would be great to see.

Mitchell Agude

Dan Campbell brought up Agude during the week, and it’s important to heed the coach’s words:

“I see growth. We like Mitch. Mitch, he’s another guy, just busts his rear, he gives you everything he’s got out there, and he’s got some rush ability. He’s strong, quick off the edge. And look, we moved him to SAM linebacker last week, so we kind of made that change. ‘Let’s put him at SAM and move (Lions LB James) Houston to more D-end.’ So, we flopped those two. And it’s not necessarily the perfect position for Mitch, but he’s made the most of it, and he’s trying to make it work, and that’s a credit to him. But he still has enough of that where he can play the D-end position and really excel at what he does best, so he’s doing a good job. We like Mitch.”

Agude is fighting for one of those very last spots on the roster. He’s outplayed James Houston and Mathieu Betts all summer — rather emphatically in my eyes. If Agude proves he can handle his business at a new spot after a crash course week of practice, it’s a big feather in his cap. That reserve SAM spot behind Derrick Barnes is Agude’s for the taking.

Donovan Peoples-Jones

Despite repeated challenges to “step up,” it just hasn’t happened for Peoples-Jones in his quest to earn the No. 4 receiving job. The Lions have invested the most in making No. 19 win that spot, both in terms of money and time. I still believe that one big game can reward Detroit’s tested patience in Peoples-Jones and keep him on the roster.

Brandon Joseph

The second-year safety has shown considerable all-around improvement this summer. Joseph has been rewarded by earning first-team reps at safety ahead of Ifeatu Melifonwu when both have been healthy (Melifonwu is currently dealing with another injury), and No. 40 keeps picking off passes and blowing up quick slants. The Steelers bring a very different type of offensive dynamic to Detroit. If Joseph plays well against the different look, it’s going to be hard to knock him from that No. 3 safety role. But if he struggles–notably in decision-making in space–that role swings right back to a healthy Melinfowu, who is a better tackler and blitzer.

Lions place fourth-round rookie on NFI list to start training camp

Lions place fourth-round rookie Giovanni Manu on NFI list to start training camp

The Detroit Lions open their training camp on Tuesday, but the team will not have one of its fourth-round draft picks available to play right away. After reporting with the rest of the rookie class on Saturday, the Lions placed Giovanni Manu on the non-football injury list.

No reason for the move was released by the Lions. Manu had been a full participant in minicamp and OTAs earlier in the offseason.

Manu was a surprise selection as the 126th pick in April’s draft after playing in the relative obscurity of Canadian college football at the University of British Columbia. A 6-foot-7, 352-pound offensive tackle, Manu arrived in Canada from his native Tonga as a basketball player before finding football.

Detroit traded a 2025 third-round pick to land Manu in the late fourth round. He’s viewed as an athletic project with high long-term upside but isn’t expected to contribute as a rookie. Starting on the NFI list won’t help accelerate Manu’s development, unfortunately.

Brian Branch among 3 defensive vets placed on PUP list to start Lions training camp

All 3 are coming off injuries in the 2023 season and can be activated at any time

The veteran portion of training camp for the Detroit Lions doesn’t kick off officially until Tuesday, but the team already made some roster tweaks on a few key defensive players.

Defensive back Brian Branch was one of three players placed on the physically unable to perform list ahead of training camp. Branch had offseason surgery on an injured ankle and was in street clothes throughout OTAs and minicamp.

Free agent signees DJ Reader and Marcus Davenport were also placed on the PUP list to start camp. Reader is coming back from a torn quadriceps, while Davenport’s 2023 season ended early with a high ankle sprain.

All were placed on the active PUP list, meaning they can be activated at any time before the regular season.

The Lions also placed fourth-round rookie Giovanni Manu on the non-football injury list. He is also eligible to be activated for duty at any time.

Video: Breaking down the Lions offensive line depth chart ahead of training camp

Video: Breaking down the Lions offensive line depth chart and potential ahead of training camp

The latest in the series of Detroit Lions positional breakdowns is now available to watch and stream. Recorded via the Detroit Lions Podcast, this edition goes over the offensive line room as it stands heading into training camp.

From the excellent starting five, which many feel is the best in the league, through the veteran depth and the rookies, this one covers coach Hank Fraley’s unit. What is in line for rookies Christian Mahogany and Giovanni Manu? Can a newcomer like Netane Muti seize a reserve spot over a holdover like Kayode Awosika? What’s the backup plan behind All-Pro center Frank Ragnow?

All that and more in this video, which I recorded during the week.

An audio-only version of the show is available from your favorite podcast provider.

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Dan Campbell on Lions rookie OL Giovanni Manu: ‘He is swimming’

Dan Campbell on Lions rookie OL Giovanni Manu: ‘He is swimming’ as a raw project in his first NFL minicamp

When the Detroit Lions traded up into the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft to select Giovanni Manu, the move was made with a clear eye for the future. For Manu, an offensive line prospect from the University of British Columbia with scant football experience, the present tense is all about learning and developing.

That’s something that has been as evident during Lions OTAs. Offensive line coach Hank Fraley has spent considerable time teaching the basics to Manu. It’s not been a quick or easy process for Manu, according to Lions head coach Dan Campbell.

“Yes, he’s swimming. He is swimming,” coach Campbell said before the start of this week’s mandatory minicamp. “But we expected him to be swimming. We fully expected this to get worse before it ever gets better. He’s trying to find his way.”

As Campbell continued, he described in detail a player who has to be taught just about everything needed to actually play offensive line.

“We’re back to the basics of how you get into a stance properly, where your weight goes, when you get out of a stance, where your help is, certainly the scheme, the MIKE, working with others, working with the tight end in this combination, working with the guard, pass and twist – he’s just in the infant stages of here we go.”

It’s not a surprise that Manu is a raw project. Campbell himself acknowledged that, noting that “we’re literally working from the ground up, and we knew it was going to be that way.”

It’s a clear indication that the team isn’t expecting much of a rookie contribution from the supremely athletic Manu. Much like Brodric Martin last season, Manu’s rookie campaign will be about learning how to do everything it takes to be a professional football player. The Lions are betting on the athleticism and driven character of Manu, as well as the developmental prowess of Fraley and the coaching staff, will pay big dividends down the road.

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Detroit Lions Podcast: Bish and Brown on the Lions 2024 NFL Draft class and Goff extension

Detroit Lions Podcast: Lions Wire’s Scott Bischoff and Russ Brown break down the Lions 2024 NFL Draft class and Goff extension

Russell Brown and Scott Bischoff return on the Detroit Lions Podcast! In this episode, the guys talk about the following:

  • In-depth analysis on each draft pick from the Lions 2024 NFL Draft Class
  • Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw give the Lions a long-term plan at cornerback.
  • They have a day 3 pick that could start right now?
  • The final segment of the show is about the Jared Goff extension with the Lions.

The guys get into all that and more right here on the Detroit Lions Podcast! Be sure to rate, review and subscribe to the show with YouTube, Apple Podcast, Spotify and wherever you get your favorite shows!