Tag: jack fox

Contract status of every Detroit Lions player heading into the 2021 offseason

Examining the contract status of every Detroit Lions player heading into the 2021 offseason, with position group is broken down into detail.

The Detroit Lions 2020 season is over and that means we’re on to the offseason.

Here, we will examine the contract status of every Lions player as the team heads into the 2021 offseason in order to get a better understanding of the team’s depth and needs.

Key Terms:

  • UFA = Unrestricted Free Agents are free to sign with any team come free agency
  • RFA = Restricted Free Agents can receive offers from other teams but the Lions hold the rights to match the offer or potentially receive compensation for losing the player
  • ERFA = Exclusive Rights Free Agents are only allowed to negotiate contracts with the Lions unless the team chooses to let them explore free agency
  • SFA = Street/Other Free Agents are players who were signed to any NFL franchise’s roster in 2020, but not on the active roster at season’s end. For this exercise, players on the Lions’ practice squad, who have seen their contracts expire, are now eligible to sign a Futures Deal with any team.
  • Of note: a futures deal is a contract — typically the league minimum with no guarantees — that allows younger players to be offered an early spot on a team’s 90-man roster, but their salary doesn’t impact the team’s salary cap until the league’s new year begins — in March when the unrestricted free agency period opens.
  • 2021 Cap Hit = This won’t always equal the amount of money a player is paid for the season, but it is an account of how much he will count against the team’s salary cap if he is on the 2021 roster.
  • Guarantees remaining = this is the remaining guaranteed money owed to the player over the remainder of his contract, not just 2021. If the Lions move on from a player with guaranteed money, that amount will count against the Lions cap, even though the player is no longer on the roster.

Players are grouped by position, with the starters bolded.

Week 16 snap counts: Finally healthy, Lions edge rushers get more playing time

Examining the Detroit Lions snap counts from their Week 16 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

With the Detroit Lions operating a skeleton coaching staff, dealing with a plethora of injuries, including losing Matthew Stafford after the first series, facing off against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team looking to clinch their first playoff appearance in over a decade, and led by arguably the best quarterback to ever set foot on the gridiron — the results were predictable.

An ugly 47-7 loss that featured almost no redeeming qualities, illustrated the fact that there is plenty of blame to be spread around the Lions organization.

The defense is currently getting most of the heat — allowing 47 points tend to do that — but the offense didn’t do them any favors. The offense’s inability to sustain drives afforded them only 53 snaps over 24-minutes, while the defense was forced to defend for 77 snaps over 36-minutes.

This imbalance pushed the Lions into situations where they needed to force the passing game, while also shifting to a more aggressive defense. Again, predictably, nothing worked.

With the Lions essentially telegraphing their gameplan, the Bucs merely adjusted accordingly, and Bucs coach Bruce Arians swiftly outmaneuvered the Lions’ inexperienced play-callers.

Looking forward, the Lions have one final game remaining in the 2020 season: at home against the Minnesota Vikings. If they hope to be competitive in Week 17, they will need significantly better output from their offense, while getting more efficiency out of their defense — specifically, their pass rushers, who are getting healthier and seeing more playing time.

That and more in this week’s snap count review.

T.J. Hockenson, Frank Ragnow, and Jack Fox have made the 2021 Pro Bowl

Three Detroit Lions players have been named to the 2021 Pro Bowl: Tight end T.J. Hockenson, center Frank Ragnow, and punter Jack Fox.

Three Detroit Lions players have been named to the 2021 Pro Bowl: Tight end T.J. Hockenson, center Frank Ragnow, and punter Jack Fox. This is the first time in eight years the Lions have had more than two players in the Pro Bowl and all three are first-time honorees.

Hockenson led the NFC tight end group from the very beginning of the voting process, which shouldn’t be overly surprising considering the statistical season he is having. Over 14 games, he has 60 receptions for 675 yards, and six touchdowns on the year, tops among NFC tight ends, and third overall in the NFL at the position.

Hockenson, just in his second NFL season, is listed as the NFC starter, while the New York Giants Evan Engram is listed as the NFC’s reserve.

According to the Lions PR department, Hockenson is the fifth tight end to be nominated to the Pro Bowl in team history, with the others being: David Sloan (1999), David Hill (1978-79), Charlie Sanders (1968-71, 1974-76), and Jim Gibbons (1960-61, 1964)

Ragnow has started all three years in the NFL and is in his second year at center for the Lions. Per Pro Football Focus, Ragnow is the second-highest graded center in the NFL, behind the Packers Corey Linsley, and on the 2021 Pro Bowl team, Ragnow is the NFC’s reserve at center, behind the Eagles Jason Kelce.

According to the Lions PR department, Ragnow is the fourth center to be nominated to the Pro Bowl in team history, with the others being: Kevin Glover (1995-97), Ed Flanagan (1969-71, 1973), and LaVern Torgeson (1954).

Fox has been PFF’s highest-graded punter since the beginning of the season, while his stats have come down to earth a bit in the second half of the season, he is currently second in net punting average (45.3 yards), third in overall average punting distance (49.3 yards), third in hang time (4.57 seconds), and fourth in punts landing inside the 20-yards line (30).

According to the Lions PR department, Fox is the third punter to be nominated to the Pro Bowl in team history, with the others being: Jim Arnold (1987-88) and Tom Skladany (1981).

The NFL has the entire NFC and AFC rosters on their website.

Lions Week 11 Studs and Duds: Dagger time?

Identifying the Studs and Duds from the Detroit Lions 20-0 shutout loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 11.

The Detroit Lions were absolutely embarrassed in their 20-0 shutout loss to the Carolina Panthers. There’s a lot of blame to go around for this loss, and a lot of players who made some costly errors.

Despite all that, there were a few silver linings to this otherwise struggling team.

Here are this week’s studs and duds:

Dud: Adrian Peterson

The future Hall of Famer certainly didn’t look the part against Carolina.

While some blame for his lack of production has to go to offensive coordinator Darrel Bevell, Peterson made some really big bone-headed mistakes. The veteran running back had one huge drop in the first quarter where he made a wide-open reception, took a step, and dropped the ball without any defenders close by or any contact made on him.

In total, Peterson had 7 carries for 18 yards and his longest run of the day was just 4 yards. His blunders were a major part of the Lions’ poor offensive performance in this shutout loss.

Stud: Amani Oruwariye

The young cornerback had quite the day against the Panthers.

Oruwariye handed Carolina’s P.J. Walker his first career interception on a would-be touchdown pass at the top of the second quarter. Not long afterward, he made another big play, forcing a third-and-long by making a great tackle on Curtis Samuel while in man coverage.

Dud: The rest of the cornerbacks

Okudah and Trufant struggled in coverage all day. Okudah may get a pass as he’s still a rookie, but it is inexcusable for Trufant to be making these kinds of errors. The veteran cornerback easily allowed the Curtis Samuel touchdown in the third quarter that caused the Lions to be down by two scores.

Trufant may have brought in an interception in the fourth quarter, but that will be overshadowed by him being part of the reason the Lions were down 17 points at that moment.

Dud: Coaching

It feels like this coaching staff just refuses to learn from their mistakes. The constant usage of Peterson. The lack of awareness and blown coverages by defenders. The apparent refusal to let Stafford throw the ball for more than five yards down the field.

They can’t fire the coaching staff with just four days until the next game, but it’s looking more and more like Patricia and company should start looking for new jobs.

Stud: Reggie Ragland

Though it was recovered by Carolina, Ragland’s forced fumble in the first half helped force a three-and-out. Ragland has quietly been one of the best additions for Detroit this season.

Dud: T.J. Hockenson

Twice in the second quarter, Hockenson was the sole reason why the Lions were forced to punt.

First, he had a drop on a third-down pass from Stafford that would have moved the chains. On the next offensive drive, he whiffed on a block that caused a tackle for loss and forced the Lions to punt.

Stud: John Penisini

The big-bodied rookie defensive lineman made his presence known to Carolina early on.

His most noticeable success was when he forced P.J. Walker out of bounds near the end of the second quarter, running stride-for-stride with the athletic quarterback despite weighing over 100 pounds more than him. The rookie was credited with a sack for this play.

Dud: Matt Prater

The veteran kicker had the chance to put the team’s first points on the board in the fourth quarter and failed, kicking wide left on a 51-yard field goal.

Stud: Jack Fox

Another week, another stellar showing from the young punter.

Fox single-handedly prevented Carolina from doing more on offense. He pinned — punts inside the 20 yards line while averaging — yards per attempt. If he keeps this up, the Lions could be looking at an All-Pro on their special teams unit.

Stud: First half discipline

The Lions didn’t commit a single penalty in the first half, which is something to applaud. Detroit has averaged about six penalties per game this season prior to their matchup with Carolina.

Dud: Second half discipline

An illegal formation negated what would have been the Lions’ first score of the game on a beautiful 52-yard pass to Marvin Jones.

Justin Coleman was also penalized for running into Carolina’s kicker Joey Slye on a field goal attempt at the end of the game.

For the extra slap in the face, the Lions defense was called for two consecutive offside penalties with less than two minutes left in the game.

Dagger time!

Lions Week 10, By the Numbers: D’Andre Swift should carry the load moving forward

Examining the numbers that led to the Detroit Lions 30-27 victory over the Washington Football Team in Week 10 of the 2020 season.

Examining the numbers that led to the Detroit Lions 30-27 victory over the Washington Football Team in Week 10 of the 2020 season.

1 – sack for Everson Griffen, his first as a Lion. He also led the team with 5 quarterback hits.

2 – forced fumbles by Jamie Collins. He is the first player in Lions’ franchise history to have 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, and 10 or more tackles (he had 13) — per Lions PR.

3 – Each team had 3 touchdowns (Lions were all passing TDs, Washington’s were all rushing TDs) and 3 field goal attempts. The Lions connected on all 3 of those attempts, while Washington only connected on 2.

3 – straight games Marvin Jones has caught a touchdown pass. He now has 32 TD receptions as a Lion and is tied with Cloyce Box for 6th All-time in franchise history.

4 – sacks by Romeo Okwara over the last 4 games. He also has a team-leading 20 pressures on the quarterback over that time, including 6 in Week 10.

4 – pressures allowed by the Lions offense.

5.0 – yards per carry for the Lions offense. D’Andre Swift averaged 5.1 over 16 carries, Adrian Peterson averaged 5.3 on 4 carries, and Kerryon Johnson averaged 3.0 on 1 carry.

6 – seconds left on the clock and the Lions were 25 yards away from field goal range when Chase Young’s 15-yard personal foul penalty put them in striking distance. Stafford would hit Jones on a quick 10 yard slant, setting up Matt Prater’s 59-yard attempt.

16 – seconds were left on the game clock when the Lions took over in a 27-27 tie game.

47.8 – yards per punt average for Jack Fox in Week 10. He continues to lead the NFL in yards per punt (52.4), net yards per punt (47.9), and hang time (4.76).

50/50 – percent man/zone coverage split this week. ESPN’s Michael Rothstein points out the Lions have won every game when their man coverage is under 60-percent and a breakdown by halves shows the Lions were man 30.4-percent in the first half and 62.9-percent in the second half, further illustrating that point.

55 – yard TD reception for Marvin Hall. It’s nice to see him and Stafford connecting on the deep ball again.

59 – yard game-winning field goal for Matt Prater was the longest in Lions history, tying a record he set in 2016. He also connected from 53 and 37, going 3 of 3 on the day. This is Prater’s 7th career game (100 games played) where he has kicked multiple field goals from at least 50-yards — an NFL record.

“Prater is 22-22 on game-tying or go-ahead FGs in the 4th quarter inside of or at (the) 2-minute warning in his career (16-16 in regulation, 6-6 in OT),” per ESPN’s Michael Rothstein.

127.8 – passer rating for Stafford, the 16th time in his career he has exceeded 125. This was also his 37th game-winning drive (10th most All-time), per Lions PR.

149 – All-purpose yards for Swift, a career-high mark. It appears Swift has finally taken the running back reigns as he saw 73-percent of the Lions offensive snaps on Sunday.

Jack Fox, two other Lions earn nods on PFF’s Midseason All-Pro team

Fox continues to thrive in his first season as Detroit’s punter

Pro Football Focus released its midseason All-Pro team now that all NFL teams have played at least eight games. And the 3-5 Detroit Lions wound up with one first-team All-Pro and two with second-team nods.

Punter Jack Fox is an easy choice for the first-team spot. He’s the top-graded player at his position and is having a fantastic first season in Detroit. His 92.2 grade on punts makes Fox the only punter to top 90.0 in PFF grading.

Two Lions earned second-team mentions at their respective positions. Center Frank Ragnow backs up Green Bay’s Corey Linsley, while Duron Harmon is the first in line behind Denver’s Justin Simmons at safety.

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Studs and Duds Week 6: Swift leads the charge to victory

Identifying the studs and duds from the Detroit Lions Week 6 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Detroit Lions came off a bye week looking to improve from their 1-3 record, and they did just that. The team went down to Jacksonville and pulled off a 34-16 win to secure their second victory of the season.

While a win over the Jaguars isn’t the most impressive feat in the NFL, the Lions did look like they resolved some of the issues that had been ailing them over the first four games.

Some players really made impacts in this matchup, here are the studs and duds for Week 6:

Stud: D’Andre Swift

Before this game, Swift had 10 carries for 42 yards and a touchdown. Yesterday, he then went on to notch his first 100-yard game, with 116 yards on 14 carries and two touchdowns.

The rookie’s career day helped propel the Lions to their second win of the season. Though he has been used primarily as a receiving option, he proved he can be an all-around weapon in Detroit.

Dud: Marvin Jones

Jones, who was once the consistent second receiver on the team behind Kenny Golladay, was held to a measly eight yards on Sunday. In a season where the veteran receiver has stayed healthy, it is disappointing that he hasn’t been able to produce for the offense.

Stud: Duron Harmon

This may be a hot take, but Harmon has been the best non-rookie addition to this team this season. He currently leads the defense in interceptions with two, and has the second-most pass breakups with four.

The safety position has been a concerning one in Detroit for quite some time, but Harmon really looks like he could be an integral part of the defense, potentially for years to come.

Stud: Jack Fox

The Lions currently have the best punter in the league, and luckily, didn’t have to use him too much in Jacksonville. His two punts on Sunday were the least amount of times he’s punted in a game in his career, and he averaged 45 yards per punt.

Dud: Jeff Okudah

Yes, the rookie cornerback did lead the team in tackles yesterday, but it’s easier to set yourself up to make a tackle when you’re allowing big plays from opposing receivers. Okudah had some rough angles that lead to some blown tackles.

Stud: The run defense

The Lions held the Jaguars to a total of 44 rushing yards, with the longest run being just nine yards by quarterback Gardner Minshew. Detroit had struggled against running backs throughout their first four games, and it’s clear they made some much-needed adjustments over the bye week.

Stud: Romeo Okwara

The older of the two Okwara brothers has played relatively well on defense. Okwara finished the game with two quarterback hits, a tackle for loss, and a fumble recovery. Though he wasn’t able to record a sack in this game, he did put the pressure on both Minshew and the Jaguars’ offensive line.

Jack Fox earns the lone Lions nod on PFF’s first-quarter All-Pro team

Fox is on pace to have the highest gross yards per punt average in NFL history

The bright spot on the Detroit Lions for the first four weeks of the 2020 season has been easy to spot. Punter Jack Fox has been a special find.

Fox has been so good in his first month as the Lions’ punter that he earned the NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for September. Now Fox has also earned a spot on Pro Football Focus’ All-Pro team for the first quarter of the 2020 NFL season.

The explanation from PFF was succinct,

By far the highest PFF punting grade of the season so far, Fox is at 93.6, and no other punter is even above 80.0.

Fox is averaging 53.4 gross yards per punt on 17 attempts. That’s on pace to shatter the league record of 51.4 set by Hall of Famer (as a QB too) Sammy Baugh way back in 1940. Not bad for a second-year pro signed as a street free agent.

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Jack Fox named Special Teams Player of the Month, becomes first Lions’ punter win award

Jack Fox has been named Special Teams Player of the Month for September 2020, becoming the first Detroit Lions’ punter win this award.

Jack Fox has introduced himself to the NFL in emphatic fashion.

Through the first month of the 2020 season, Fox leads the league in Average Punt Yards per Attempt (53.1 yards), Net Punting Yards (51.1 yards), and Hang Time on punts (4.78 seconds). Additionally, Fox sits atop Pro Football Focus’ punter rankings with a 92.8 grade and is nearly 20 points higher than the next punter.

Fox’s hard work and fantastic performances throughout September have been recognized by the NFL and he has been named Special Teams Player of the Month — the first time a Detroit Lions punter has ever be recognized with this award.

As impressive as Fox has been throughout the year, both he and special teams coordinator Brayden Coombs have bigger aspirations ahead:

“Me and Jack are kind of on the same page in terms of the more success we have, we’re just going to keep raising the bar,” Coombs told the media on Tuesday. “We’re not really looking back right now and talking about anything that we’ve done. As he continues to go out and do better, then we’re just going to raise the goals higher and try to accomplish more… He knows that I’m very, very confident in him. I just don’t want he, or us, ever to feel satisfied or like we’ve arrived. We’re just going to keep trying to reach higher and higher and see how far we can take it.”

If Fox improves — or even maintains his pace — he will blow the NFL records out of the water. For perspective, the single-season NFL record for Net Punting yards is 46.0, and last year’s leader finished with an average of 44.5 yards.

Despite sitting atop most NFL punting categories, Jack Fox and Brayden Coombs want to ‘keep raising the bar’

Despite sitting atop the NFL in most punting categories, Detroit Lions punter Jack Fox and special teams coordinator Brayden Coombs want to “keep raising the bar” moving forward.

Despite sitting atop the NFL in most punting categories, Detroit Lions punter Jack Fox and special teams coordinator Brayden Coombs want to “keep raising the bar” moving forward.

Fox went undrafted out of Rice in 2019 and after a successful preseason in Kansas City, he was signed onto the Chiefs practice squad — an unusual move under the old practice squad rules. He was eventually released and signed to the Lions practice squad when it was clear they would not be bringing back Sam Martin.

During his stint on the Lions practice squad, Fox showed enough that the Lions didn’t feel the need to draft a punter in 2020, instead opting to sign Aaron Siposs as an undrafted free agent. Siposs put up a strong battle in camp for the job, but Fox came away from the competition the winner.

Through the first three weeks of the season, Fox has been nothing short of tremendous.

Here’s a look at some of the impressive stats he as earned so far:

  • 53.1 average punt yards per attempt — leads the NFL
  • 51.1 net punting yards — leads the NFL
    • “The most in NFL history through a team’s first 3 games of a season (2 punt minimum). It’s also 4.9 yards ahead of the NFL’s next-closest punter.” — Lions PR representative Greg Maiola
  • 4.78 second average hang time — leads the NFL
  • 65-yard punts in consecutive games — first in team history
  • 92.8 grade from PFF — their highest-graded punter
  • Lions have only allowed 6 total punt return yards this season relying on Fox, as well as gunner Tony McRae and a combination of Darryl Roberts/Dee Virgin/Jamal Agnew at the other gunner spot

But Fox and special teams coordinator Brayden Coombs isn’t satisfied resting on their laurels and want to keep pushing for more.

“Me and Jack are kind of on the same page in terms of the more success we have, we’re just going to keep raising the bar,” Coombs told the media on Tuesday. “We’re not really looking back right now and talking about anything that we’ve done. As he continues to go out and do better, then we’re just going to raise the goals higher and try to accomplish more… He knows that I’m very, very confident in him. I just don’t want he, or us, ever to feel satisfied or like we’ve arrived. We’re just going to keep trying to reach higher and higher and see how far we can take it.”