Tag: Jalen Elliott

Lions activate DE Da’Shawn Hand in a series of roster moves

Lions activate DE Da’Shawn Hand in a series of roster moves that also includes elevating two players from the practice squad

The Detroit Lions made some roster moves in advance of Sunday’s Week 8 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles. The most significant of those moves is the return of defensive end Da’Shawn Hand to the active roster.

The Lions activated Hand from the injured reserve list, where he has been since the start of the season. Hand was designated for return with his ongoing groin injury earlier this month and he came through practices in good enough shape to earn his way back onto the 53-man roster.

In addition to Hand, safety Jalen Elliott and tight end Brock Wright will also be in uniform on Sunday when the Lions host the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 8. Elliott and Wright were elevated from the practice squad to the active list. It’s the second week in a row for each player.

Detroit also brought back defensive lineman Eric Banks to the practice squad, releasing CB Shakur Brown to make room. Banks was waived from the active roster during the week to help create the space for Hand to return.

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Lions promote 2 from practice squad to active roster for Week 7

The Lions promote Jalen Elliott and Brock Wright from the practice squad for the Week 7 matchup with the Rams

There will be a third tight end on the roster for the Detroit Lions’ matchup with the Los Angeles Rams. Brock Wright will be joining T.J. Hockenson and Darren Fells at tight end after he was one of two Lions players elevated from the practice squad to the active roster.

Wright and safety Jalen Elliott were promoted with a standard elevation for the Week 7 visit to Los Angeles. If they are active for the game, it will be the NFL debut for each. Wright is an undrafted rookie tight end, while Elliott is in his second season as an undrafted free agent. Both played collegiately at Notre Dame.

Wright could be useful for the Lions with fullback Jason Cabinda questionable with a hip injury. Cabinda does occasionally align as a tight end. Wright did get some training camp reps as an H-back tight end.

Lions reveal the 4 protected practice squad players for Week 1

The protection means that another team cannot sign these players to their active roster until the protection ends after this week’s games are done

Fresh off creating the team’s 16-player practice squad, the Detroit Lions have revealed the first week’s protected players from the practice players.

Protecting practice squad players is a wrinkle that was added last season and carries over due to overwhelmingly positive reception from both teams and players. Each team can protect up to four players each week, which means another team cannot sign those practice squad players to their active rosters. The protection ends after the week’s games are complete.

The Lions chose to protect safety Jalen Elliott, defensive end Bruce Hector, kicker Zane Gonzalez and quarterback Steven Montez for Week 1. Montez was signed to the practice squad after cutdowns, while the others have been with Detroit since training camp.

Presenting the Detroit Lions initial 2021 practice squad

Which players made the Lions practice squad and breaking down what they offer the team

With the 53-man active roster established, though in flux with some more moves beyond the initial cutdowns, the Detroit Lions have established the practice squad for the 2021 team.

The Lions can retain up to 16 players on the practice squad. Up to six of those can be vested veterans who would previously not qualify for the practice squad due to service time, a rule change made to accommodate the COVID-19 pandemic from last season.

The team can protect up to four players each week from being signed away to another team, though that protection does not start until after Week 1.

Here are the players on the Lions practice squad officially announced by the team on Wednesday. Reports of the team signing QB Steven Montez are not yet official.

Several former Notre Dame players gather after Steelers-Lions game

So many players who once wore the gold and blue in one place.

The NFL preseason can be a funny thing. Sidelines are more crowded than usual with players trying to fulfill their professional dreams. That also increases the chances of more players who came from the same school being around each other. Such was the case during Saturday’s game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions:

While the Steelers were the 26-20 victors in this fake football game, one of the real highlights occurred after the clock ran out. The above photos, posted in a tweet by former Notre Dame receiver Javon McKinley’s mother, are with several players who once wore the gold and blue. McKinley is on the same roster as Brock Wright, Tommy Kraemer, Jalen Elliott and Romeo and Julian Okwara. Two of the players on the opposing sideline were Chase Claypool and Jamir Jones.

During the game, McKinley scored his first touchdown in an NFL uniform, albeit one that won’t go down in the record books. That surely had to be his highlight of this game, but being with all of these brothers of his at the same time had to be a close second. That’s a bond that never can be broken.

Lions roster bubble watch: 6 players who helped their chances

After the Detroit Lions preseason matchup against the Buffalo Bills, these 6 players had a strong performance to help their roster chances

With roster cuts in the midst for the Detroit Lions, some players sit firmly on the bubble for a roster spot. However, with a loss to the Buffalo Bills, some of those players did what they needed to help their case by taking advantage of their opportunities.

Even though some of these players may still have a long way to go, if they can put up more solid performances, they may be able to pave their road to the 2021 roster.

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.

Lions activate Jalen Elliott from reserve/COVID-19, release Khari Lee from practice squad

The Detroit Lions have activated safety Jalen Elliott from the reserve/COVID-19 list and released tight end Khari Lee from the practice squad in a corresponding move.

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The Detroit Lions announced they have activated safety Jalen Elliott from the reserve/COVID-19 list and released tight end Khari Lee from the practice squad in a corresponding move.

After activating Matthew Stafford on Saturday, Jarrad Davis on Monday, and Elliot today, the Lions reserve/COVID-19 list is once again emptied.

While the player’s list is empty, the Lions did announce on Saturday that a staff member had tested positive for COVID-19. As of yesterday, the team did not have any updates on this situation.

“I think from that standpoint, I’m definitely not going to comment on anybody’s health status from those situations,” coach Matt Patrica said at Monday’s press conference. “We’ll report as we’re following all the policies and guidelines from that standpoint. I totally respect the questions, and I appreciate that, but just trying to do the best I can to follow all the guidelines, and certainly when we talk about people’s health, and just the team in general, I try to do a good job of respecting all that.”

Elliot will likely rejoin the team’s practice squad when they take the practice field again tomorrow as they begin preparation for the Washington Football Team.

Detroit Lions place Jalen Elliott on the reserve/Covid-19 list

The Detroit Lions announced they have placed practice squad safety Jalen Elliott on the reserve/Covid-19 list.

The Detroit Lions announced they have placed practice squad safety Jalen Elliott on the reserve/Covid-19 list. This is his second stint on the reserve/COVID-19 list, after being placed on there on July 29th and not coming off until August 14th.

After not having a player land on the reserve/COVID-19 list all season, Elliott is now the third Lions player placed on the list in as many days, with Jarrad Davis being placed there on Tuesday and Matthew Stafford landing there on Wednesday. All three players’ situations are reportedly entirely independent of one another.

As a practice squad player, Elliott’s addition to the list does not impact the Lions active roster but does free up a spot on the practice squad if the Lions wanted to add a player as he moves through the league’s protocol.

As has become standard practice, the Lions released the following statement with their confirmation, reminding everyone that being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list does not mean a player tested positive:

This reserve list category was created for a player who either tests positive for COVID-19 or who has been quarantined after having been in close contact with an infected person or persons. If a player falls into either of these categories, their club is required to immediately place the player on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Per agreed upon NFL-NFLPA policy, clubs are not permitted t comment on a player’s medical status other than referring to roster status. Clubs may not disclose whether player is in quarantine or is positive for COVID-19.

Irish have 6 players on Senior Bowl Top 250

There could be up to six Notre Dame Football seniors who could play in this years version of the Reese’s Senior Bowl.

The Reese’s Senior Bowl has been a great sendoff for collegiate seniors since 1950, giving them once more opportunity to impress the NFL scouts as the finish off their eligibility. This year six Notre Dame players made their top 250 list, which were: offensive linemen Tommy Kramer, Liam Eichenberg and Robert Hainsey, quarterback Ian Book, and defensive linemen Daelin Hayes and Ade Ogundeji.

This game has been a spring board for some great prospects, as their alumni consists of Cowboys quarterback Dan Prescott and New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones. The Irish have had one MVP of the Senior Bowl, coming all the way back in 1959 when running back Norm Odyniec shared the title with Georgia full back Theron Sapp.

All six of the Notre Dame players on their top 250 list have a great shot at making the All-Star game. Last year Chase Claypool impressed many while Troy Pride Jr., Alohi Gilman and Jalen Elliott each made their marks during the week. Hopefully they all get their chance to shine one more time wearing the Blue and Gold.