Tag: Jalen Reeves-Maybin

Breaking down the Jalen Reeves-Mabin contract with the Texans

Take a look at how the two-year contract linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin signed with the Houston Texans breaks down.

The Houston Texans added to their linebacking corps with the signing of former Detroit Lions 2017 fourth-round pick Jalen Reeves-Maybin.

According to Aaron Wilson from the Pro Football Network, Reeves-Maybin signed a two-year contract worth $7.5 million with $5 million guaranteed.

Reeves-Maybin earned a $1.5 million signing bonus and he has salaries of $2.25 million — fully guaranteed) and $3.25 million with $1.25 million of that guaranteed. The 27-year-old also can earn up to $250,000 per game in active roster bonuses each year and up to $750,000 in playing time incentives each season.

The 6-1, 230-pounder saw the most defensive snaps of his career in 2022 with 616. Reeves-Maybin provided the Lions with a career-high 82 combined tackles, four tackles for loss, a quarterback hit, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery through 15 games, 11 of which he started.

Texans sign former Lions LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin to 2-year contract

The Houston Texans have signed former Detroit Lions linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin to a two-year contract.

The Houston Texans are bolstering their linebacking corps with another veteran on a short-term contract.

According to Aaron Wilson from the Pro Football Network, the Texans have signed former Detroit Lions linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin to a two-year contract worth $7.5 million.

$5 million of Reeves-Maybin’s contract is fully guaranteed, and the maximum value of the contract is $9 million.

Reeves-Maybin had his most productive year with the Lions last season as he collected 82 combined tackles, four tackles for loss, a quarterback hit, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery through 15 games, 11 of which he started.

The former Lions 2017 fourth-round pick from Tennessee played a career-high 616 defensive snaps last year. Reeves-Maybin also has utility on special teams as he has played over half of the Lions’ snaps on the transition phase of the game, save for last year when he played just 31% of the special teams snaps.

Jalen Reeves-Maybin signs with the Houston Texans

LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin signs with the Houston Texans on a 2-year deal

We have our Detroit Lions first free agency defection of 2022. Linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin is heading to Houston to join the Texans.

Reeves-Maybin has signed with the Texans on a 2-year deal worth a reported $7.5 million. The exact details are not yet publicly revealed.

He is the first Lions player from 2021 to sign with another team. The Lions have brought back most of their own free agents, including LBs Alex Anzalone and Josh Woods. Reeves-Maybin recorded 82 tackles and four PDs in 2021 in the most extensive playing time in his five years in Detroit.

 

 

Aaron Glenn praises Jalen Reeves-Maybin: ‘Obviously we want’ him back in 2022

Lions DC Aaron Glenn praises LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin: ‘Obviously we want’ him back in 2022

Jalen Reeves-Maybin has been one of the bright spots for the Detroit Lions defense in 2021. A seldom-used afterthought in his seasons under Matt Patricia, Reeves-Maybin has blossomed into a quality starting linebacker under new head coach Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.

The impact Reeves-Maybin has made in his fifth season in Detroit is undeniable. Aside from his production, No. 44 has emerged as a veteran leader and valuable mentor this season. His coordinator certainly values Reeves-Maybin’s presence in the Lions lineup.

“Man, that guy is a football player,” Glenn said enthusiastically. “The thing is he loves football and you clearly see that when he’s on the field. Anytime you have a player of that magnitude, you can’t help but just put him on the field. You can’t help but just play him. And, I know he was relegated to special teams years before, but he’s shown he can be a starting inside linebacker.”

Reeves-Maybin will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but Glenn doesn’t want his rising young standout anywhere but in Detroit in 2022 and beyond.

“Obviously, we want the player back,” Glenn stated. “because he’s a good player.”

In 13 games this season, Reeves-Maybin has 67 total tackles, four PDs, two tackles-for-loss and two forced fumbles. All those figures are nearly double his previous career highs.

Lions get D’Andre Swift back at full speed but Jared Goff sits out with a knee injury

The Lions get D’Andre Swift back at full speed but Jared Goff sits out with a knee injury

The first Detroit Lions practice injury report of the week offered up some really promising news but also a healthy dash of problems.

The good news: RB D’Andre Swift was a full participant in practice for the first time since the week before injuring his shoulder in the Lions’ Thanksgiving loss to Chicago. Swift has been nursing the injury but is expected to play in Sunday’s game in Seattle against the Seahawks.

Also returning at full speed — OLB Julian Okwara, who has missed the last three games with an ankle injury.

And then there’s the bad news…

Starting quarterback Jared Goff did not participate due to a knee injury. Goff suffered the injury in Week 15 on one of three personal fouls called against the Arizona Cardinals defense. Goff briefly left the field but returned. He missed last week’s game on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Fullback Jason Cabinda was also missing with his knee injury. Cabinda was injured in Sunday’s loss to Atlanta and is not expected to play in Week 17.

There was only one player listed as limited. Linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin worked through a shoulder injury for part of practice.

It’s a much smaller list than we’ve seen from the Lions all season, though it does not include any players currently on the IR or reserve/COVID-19 lists.

On that front, OT Matt Nelson and WR Trinity Benson each returned from the reserve/COVID-19 list on Wednesday. Wide receiver Quintez Cephus was also removed from the COVID-19 list, though he remains out for the season and on injured reserve.

4 takeaways from the Lions Week 15 win over the Cardinals

On the Lions dominant ground game, Will and Charles Harris, a more confident Jared Goff and more

Sunday was a fun day for the Detroit Lions and their fans. The Lions pulled off a stunning, convincing upset win over the visiting Arizona Cardinals.

The 30-12 win by the Lions, who were 13.5-point underdogs, marked the first time in NFL history a double-digit underdog won a game outright by double digits. Detroit did so by dominating nearly every facet of the game from the opening drives.

Here are a few next-day takeaways from the Lions Week 15 win over the Cardinals.

Studs and duds from the Lions Week 15 win over the Cardinals

The Detroit Lions pulled a convincing victory over the Arizona Cardinals through strong contributions from a handful of studs this week

ANY GIVEN SUNDAY!!!

In a game where the Detroit Lions were already slated by many to lose before the season started, they managed to pull off a convincing upset victory over the potential playoff contender, the Arizona Cardinals, 30-12, to secure their second victory of the season.

In this David vs. Goliath matchup, the Lions played spoilers to keep the Cardinals from securing their playoff spot and put together one of the complete games from this squad in quite some time. The offense string drives together with a strong rushing attack and an efficient aerial assault. The defense brought relentless pressure and shutdown coverage, and special teams were the cherry on top of this delicious sundae.

Typically I come away with the studs and duds after the game. But this week after taking down one of the top teams in the NFL, we will stay positive and highlight the good that came away from this week’s victory.

Jared Goff showed strong pocket presence and had strong throws, especially with his touchdown throws to Josh Reynolds and Amon-Ra St. Brown. It was going so well he found Jason Cabinda for the first touchdown of his career. Speaking of St. Brown, the rookie has become Goff’s favorite target seeing a team-high eleven passes his way catching eight for 90 yards and a touchdown.

The offensive line put together a very strong effort keeping Goff clean and imposing their will on the Cardinal’s defensive line opening up lanes for the rushing onslaught from Craig Reynolds. Last week, Reynolds nearly eclipsed 100 yards but came up short. Reynolds would not be denied against Arizona, recording 112 yards on the ground giving the Lions every reason to keep him even when D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams return.

A couple of low lights on the Lions offense was Brock Wright and Godwin Igwebuike. Wright missed a couple of his assignments, including the St. Brown touchdown, but Goff was able to step up and deliver a beautiful touch pass. Igwebuike fumbled the ball away when the Lions were driving, which could’ve ended up shifting momentum in the Cardinals favor.

Shifting to the defensive side of the ball, Aaron Glenn is making his case to be a strong head coach candidate in the upcoming season. With quite a few key players missing, he can put together a strong game plan and get the most out of each one of them. When you have Will Harris playing cornerback, and it wasn’t the kiss of death like everyone thought it would, you have some high praise.

The Cardinals did have a couple of big gains on the ground, but all in all, the defensive line was able to contain them for the most part and contained Kyler Murray limiting his effectiveness. The one who got the better of Murray was Charles Harris, who managed to make Murray’s life a long one this week after sacking him 1.5 times while leading the team in 12 tackles and three for loss.

The Lions coverage unit keeps the Cardinals’ aerial attack ineffective with only 293 yards between Murray and Colt McCoy. Jalen Reeves-Maybin was playing like his hair was on fire, batting down two passes and leading the Lions defense after Alex Anzalone went down. After Igwebuike, Amani Orwuyarie was able to turn the tides around, picking off Murray and nearly returning it himself but set up Cabinda’s touchdown instead.

Knock on wood, but the Lions might have found their kicker in Riley Patterson. He had another perfect day hitting all six of his kicks, three field-goal attempts, and three extra-point attempts. Punter Jack Fox did what Fox always does and was able to flip the field in the Lions favor pinning the Cardinals deep. Also, the coverage was able to keep the returns attempt to a minimum.

As you can see, there were strong contributions from every part of the team that played roles in the win this week. Dan Campbell and his team can get the most of their players and put up a fight no matter what who they play against. Draft position aside, it is amazing to see the Lions come out on top of this one and pull off a very convincing victory.

Lions vs. Vikings: Best and worst PFF grades from Week 5

Detroit Lions best and worst players through PFF shows the highlights and struggles against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 5

Another kick to the heart for the Detroit Lions after the Minnesota Vikings stole the victory right out of the Lions’ grasp with a last-minute field goal to drop the Lions record to 0-5 to start the season.

On top of another loss, the Lions lose yet another player, WR Quintez Cephus, to a potentially season-ending injury, making everyone wonder how the Lions can have this much bad luck. But you can tell the players are fighting to the last second and giving their all, making these losses so tough it brings Dan Campbell to tears.

It will only be a matter of time before the Lions get their first victory, and many of these players will be out to help achieve that win.

Here are this week’s PFF’s best and worst players for the Lions in Week 5.

Detroit Lions are seeing early dividends from improved pass rush

The Detroit Lions are seeing a vast improvement in pass-rushing production to start the season. Can they continue against the Bears?

The Detroit Lions may still be winless heading into Week 4 against the Chicago Bears, but it is easy to see some improvements from last year. One big improvement is the pass rush. It was easy to notice in the matchup against the Ravens, where the Lions defense could keep Baltimore off balance throughout the game and picked up four sacks in the process.

While Matt Patricia was riding the ship, he valued the art of containment with big men swallowing gaps over athleticism needed to create pressure, and it bit them royally. If the Lions could not generate any noise of pressure from the four men on the line, the quarterback could binge watch his favorite show while sipping on some coffee and still have time to find an open receiver. It was extremely frustrating to watch weekly and one of the areas that led to his demise.

Last year, the Lions had 24 total sacks, ranking near the bottom of the league. Even worse was the 112.4 passer rating the defense allowed which was good for dead last in the league. So, in a nutshell, the opposing offense could dictate what they wanted to do, and the Lions had no idea to slow it down.

With the Brad Holmes/Dan Campbell regime in place, the Lions placed a premium on athleticism. You can point to any number of the moves made in the draft and free agency that proves that notion. From the re-signing of 2020 sack leader Romeo Okwara, drafting of Levi Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill, and the low-cost acquisition of Charles Harris, all helped. You can point at any of these moves and see what they are trying to build on defense, and through three weeks of the young 2021 season, it has been paying dividends.

So far, the Lions have recorded eight sacks, with Harris leading the charge with two. Harris might’ve had his best game last week, but you can see what he can bring to the table. Do you know how long it took the Lions to get to eight sacks in 2020? Week 7 against the Atlanta Falcons.

Also, PFF is noticing the improved Lions pass rush as well. Currently, they sit seventh overall in pass rushing in the league, and if you dig deeper into the players, you can see why.

Now Julian Okwara has only been brought on a situational front, with only 14 snaps so far. Still, the Lions currently have three players, the Okwara brothers and Harris, in the top 20 in pass rush PFF grading amongst edge rushers, most in the league. With the players up front playing at a high level, the Lions are also seeing pass-rushing production from linebackers Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Alex Anzalone. Also, with Jamie Collins not getting in the way anymore, they should see a boost in production.

Also, with PFF’s pass rushing productivity, the Lions have four players in the top 25, with Austin Bryant included. Julian Okwara and Bryant are seeing limited snaps, but it’s showing they make most of the small snaps they have received. Both of them of dealt with injuries and the coaching staff has shown they would rather get the player healthy instead of rushing them on the field. As long as both of them can stay healthy, they can give a nice dose of youth and athleticism on defense.

The season is young and anything can happen, but you have to be pleased with the improvements made to the pass rush. Between defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, linebacker coaches Mark DeLeone and Kelvin Sheppard, and defensive line coach Todd Wash has made tremendous strides in pulling the potential out of these players.

The Bears suffered a punch to the gut when their swiss cheese offensive line and lack of gameplan from their coaches, saw their rookie quarterback Justin Fields abused by the Cleveland Browns with nine sacks. Now the Lions don’t have the players on the defensive line like the Browns, but after seeing what they could do against the Ravens, you have to think they can pull out a few stops against the Bears.

Glenn has shown he can dial up a strong defensive game, especially when other NFL coaches calling you on how he did it against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. You better believe he has a plan lined up against whoever the Bears put behind center in hopes of notching that elusive first win of the season against one of their division rivals.

The Lions announce their 5 team captains for 2021

Newcomers Jared Goff and Alex Anzalone earned captaincy honors in voting by their Lions teammates

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Congratulations are in order for the five Detroit Lions players selected by their teammates as team captains for the 2021 NFL season.

The Lions selected two newcomers to the team as captains, with QB Jared Goff and LB Alex Anzalone earning the honor and respect from their peers.

Goff will serve as one of the two offensive captains, along with Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow. On defense, Anzalone joins DE Trey Flowers with the captaincy. Jalen Reeves-Maybin takes over the special teams captain role after the team parted with longtime long snapper Don Muhlbach.