Tag: Jashon Cornell

5 Lions players revert to the team’s IR list after going unclaimed on waivers

5 Lions players revert to the team’s IR list after going unclaimed on waivers, including WR Trinity Benson

When the Detroit Lions reduced the roster on Tuesday from 80 down to 53 players, they used a technicality with five players. They were all designated as waived/injured.

Those five players are now back on the Lions roster and payroll, at least temporarily. When they went unclaimed on Wednesday, the quintet reverted to the Lions’ injured reserve list.

DT Eric Banks

WR Trinity Benson

DL Jashon Cornell

OL Kevin Jarvis

S C.J. Moore

All are officially out for the season for Detroit. However, the players could accept an injury settlement with the Lions and play for another team later in the year.

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Jashon Cornell tops the Lions weight room records for this offseason

Cornell has some very impressive weight room numbers

Jashon Cornell is facing a huge training camp and preseason in his young NFL career. If the third-year defensive lineman doesn’t make a mark with the Lions this summer, it won’t be from a lack of strength.

Cornell’s name tops the Lions’ weight room marks for the 2022 offseason. A season ticket holder snapped pictures of the weight room records inside the Lions training facility in Allen Park this week, and Cornell tops the list on a couple of the screens.

Two of the pictures from the weight room:

Photos by Andy Morse used with permission

Craig Reynolds and Kalif Raymond also showed some serious weight room work, too. Frank Ragnow topped the offensive linemen.

Cornell, a seventh-round pick from Ohio State in the 2020 NFL draft, has played just one game in two seasons. He’s battled through injuries and is attempting to make his mark. During the team’s recent minicamp, Cornell told reporters he was up to 295 pounds and had improved his diet as well.

Who fills the NT opening for the Lions after John Penisini’s retirement?

John Penisini’s retirement leaves the Lions light at nose tackle behind Alim McNeill. Who could step into the role?

With the unplanned retirement of John Penisini, the Detroit Lions now have a hole at nose tackle. The starting role is in very good hands with Alim McNeill, who is coming off an all-rookie team debut and looks like a player capable of earning Pro Bowl recognition sooner than later.

But after McNeill, the Lions are light — quite literally.

McNeill is 6-2 and 330 pounds, though he wears that weight quite well. He is the only defensive lineman on the roster listed at more than 297 pounds. While the emphasis on being more aggressive and attacking favors lighter linemen, there are times when the defense will require an “immovable object” type of presence in the middle of the line. That was Penisini’s (6-2/335) niche.

Internal options

There are a few internal candidates to step into the role.

During last week’s minicamp, third-year vet Jashon Cornell took a lot of reps in the nose tackle role. Cornell is listed at 297 but he looked visibly stouter than he had in prior years. He’s missed almost all of his first two seasons with injuries since being a seventh-round pick out of Ohio State in the 2020 NFL draft.

In the Lions’ new 4-man line, Cornell’s old spot of 5-technique end no longer exists other than in specific sub-packages. He does have good power and base strength, so it makes sense to see if Cornell can handle the reserve NT role. It might be his best (or only?) shot to make the team.

Undrafted rookie Demetrius Taylor is the most natural nose tackle left in terms of build and mindset. I wrote this on Taylor after Thursday’s practice,

Nose tackle Demetrius Taylor made his mark, as much as can be done by a lineman with no pads on. He’s squatty at 6-1 and 290 pounds but he’s got good lateral quickness. Taylor consistently shot the gap and eliminated backside cuts in the run game. I wish the Appalachian State product was bigger, but he’s got some undeniable skills.

The other heavier players on the current Lions roster don’t really fit as a 0/1 tech line anchor. Bruce Hector, Levi Onwuzurike and Michael Brockers are the only other players over 285 listed pounds and none would ever be confused for being a nose tackle. Onwuzurike could man the job in odd-man fronts against pass-heavy sets. Maybe.

Outside options

The free agent market does have some intriguing names. Two jumped out from the list of unsigned veterans.

Linval Joseph is an absolute behemoth at 6-4 and 330 pounds. Joseph is a very adept run defender with excellent recognition skills. He made two Pro Bowls (2016-2017) for the Vikings and remained an effective player last year for the Chargers at 33 years old.

One-time Lions first-rounder Ndamukong Suh is still unsigned. Now 35, Suh spent the last three seasons in Tampa Bay. He’s never missed a game due to injury and is still a menace as an interior pass rusher (6 sacks in both 2020 and 2021). However, a return to Detroit seems unlikely for Suh, who has been linked exclusively to championship contenders this offseason.

Larry Ogunjobi is another interesting name. He had agreed to terms with the Chicago Bears earlier this offseason but failed his physical. During his time with the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals, the 28-year-old Ogunjobi was a consistent performer. But he’s much more of a 3-tech than a nose tackle, and he’s still recovering from the foot surgery that ended his Bengals season after their Wild Card round win.

None of the other players have games commensurate with their name recognition, unfortunately. Brandon Williams, Malik Jackson, Corey Peters and others are emergency-only options that will likely still be available when the preseason starts.

Lions minicamp notebook, Day 2: Probing the depths of the roster

News and notes from the Detroit Lions mandatory minicamp on Wednesday, June 8th

Wednesday marked Day 2 of Detroit Lions mandatory minicamp. The Lions players rolled through an energetic, solid practice session on a partly sunny and breezy afternoon in Allen Park.

After a more general view on the first day, my focus on Wednesday turned more to the depth players. With the second and third-team units getting a lot of prime action, it turned out to be a very informative practice session.

Lions minicamp notebook: First impressions from opening day

Here’s what I observed from Wednesday’s action at Lions minicamp.

Lions sign LB Curtis Bolton, TE Jared Pinkney in flurry of roster moves

Curtis Bolton, Jared Pinkney and Jashon Cornell are now all on the 53-man roster after a plethora of moves on Tuesday

It was a very busy day on the NFL’s transaction wire on Tuesday around the league. The Detroit Lions contributed their fair share of roster moves to the log.

To sum it up briefly, the Lions:

Signed LB Curtis Bolton and TE Jared Pinkney to the active 53-man roster

Activated DE Jashon Cornell from the reserve/non-football injury list

Signed WR Juwan Green and TE Ross Travis to the practice squad

Placed LB Josh Woods on injured reserve

Placed TE Brock Wright on the reserve/COVID-19 list

Released CB Chris Williamson from the practice squad

Bolton comes up from the Lions’ own practice squad. He’s played over 30 snaps on special teams as a practice squad elevation the last two weeks. The inside backer will take the place of Woods, who started in Week 14 before getting hurt in the Week 15 matchup against Arizona. His season is over due to his neck injury.

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Pinkney was signed off the Los Angeles Rams’ practice squad to the active 53-man roster. He did spend three weeks in September on the Lions practice squad before emigrating to the Rams.

With Wright going on the reserve/COVID-19 list and the earlier move sending Shane Zylstra to the injured reserve, Pinkney is the only tight end on the active roster and projects to start against the Seahawks in Week 16. He is in his second NFL season as an undrafted free agent from Vanderbilt.

Perhaps the most eye-catching move is Cornell. A 2020 7th-round pick from Ohio State, Cornell has been on the field for just four snaps in two seasons. He’s battled injuries, a three-game NFL suspension and recently the lengthy stint on the NFI list. Cornell flashed quite a bit of pass-rush potential in the summer of 2021 when he was healthy.

Jashon Cornell returns to Lions practice in hopes of coming off the non-football illness/injury list

Cornell has been on the NFI list for several weeks but could return within the next 21 days

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Could we see Jashon Cornell in a Lions uniform by the end of the season? It could happen, based on the second-year defensive end returning to Detroit’s practice on Wednesday.

Cornell has been on the team’s reserve non-football injury/illness list for several weeks. He was cleared to return to actively participating in practice on the Wednesday session leading into Detroit’s Week 14 trip to Denver to face the Broncos.

Like players being activated from injured reserve, Cornell now has 21 days to get back on the active roster or else he will miss the remainder of the season.

It’s been a tough start to the NFL career for Cornell, a seventh-round pick in 2020 out of Ohio State. The physical defensive end tore his Achilles in a training camp practice and missed his rookie campaign. Cornell showed some real ability in the 2021 training camp while playing defensive end, but he was suspended for the first three games of the season for a prior DUI offense. He’s only played in one game in two years, appearing exclusively on special teams in the team’s Week 7 trip to Los Angeles.

Neither the Lions nor Cornell have publicly stated precisely why he’s on the NFI list, but his return to practice offers some hope that the Lions could get something out of their once-promising draft pick.

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NFL reinstates Lions DE Jashon Cornell from his suspension

The Lions have until Thursday to decide what to do with Cornell

Jashon Cornell is back and eligible to be with the Detroit Lions this week. The second-year defensive end is no longer under suspension by the NFL.

Cornell was lifted off the suspended list by the league on Monday, a day after the Lions lost to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3. He was serving a three-game suspension for a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy.

The league granted the Lions a special exemption until Thursday before activating Cornell. That move will require another move to the 53-man active roster. Detroit does not have to use that full time allowance, however.

Cornell missed his entire rookie season in 2020 after tearing his Achilles early in training camp. The 2020 seventh-round pick from Ohio State showed some ability to pressure the passer in both training camp and preseason this summer.

Snap count notes: Breaking down the Lions reps in the preseason opener

The snap counts for the Lions in the preseason opener could be a clue to the final roster composition

One of the key factors to analyze following a preseason game is the snap count for players. Who played, how much did they play at their positions and what volume of reps did the roster bubble players get on special teams?

For the Detroit Lions in their preseason opener, 13 players sat out. Many were sidelined with injuries, including starting RB D’Andre Swift, second-round DE Levi Onwuzurike and nose tackle John Penisini. Tight end T.J. Hockenson and veteran DE Michael Brockers also sat it out, with head coach Dan Campbell not wanting to risk injury to his key performers.

Offense

The starters played two full series, 22 snaps in total. None of the regular starters, from QB Jared Goff to RG Halapoulivaati Vaitai, reentered the game after those two drives.

Two backup offensive tackles, Dan Skipper and Darrin Paulo, topped the snap counts. Each played 47 snaps. Reserve lineman Matt Nelson played 30 at guard, though he’s generally expected to be both a guard and tackle. Second-year guard Logan Stenberg also played 30 and fared fairly well.

Tom Kennedy topped all skill position players with 36 snaps. Fellow wideout Sage Surratt played 30.

In the battle for the No. 3 TE spot, the Lions gave Alize Mack the first chance to prove himself. He played 23 snaps on offense and another 10 on special teams. His competitors:

  • Charlie Taumoepeau, 17 on offense and nine on special teams
  • Brock Wright, 15 and 13
  • Hunter Thedford, 12 and one

Mack had the only passing target, catching one throw for exactly one yard.

At running back, newcomer Craig Reynolds logged 14 snaps. That’s three more than seventh-round rookie Jermar Jefferson, who has been slowed by injury in practice recently. Dedrick Mills played 11 and Javon Leake, who served as the return specialist in the second half, was on the field for just two offensive snaps.

Defense

It felt like OLB Julian Okwara never left the field. In reality, Okwara was only on the field for 49 defensive snaps. That’s still the most on the Lions, who played the starters for the first two series exclusively as well. Romeo Okwara, Trey Flowers, Jamie Collins, Tracy Walker and the other regular starters played 11 snaps.

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New CB Nickell Robey-Coleman was on the field for 17 reps. Undrafted rookie A.J. Parker, who started as the nickel corner, topped that with 23 on defense and another 12 on special teams. The Lions coaches clearly wanted to see what Parker could do in a game. He was out-repped third-round rookie Ifeatu Melifonwu, who played 30 and 13. Another undrafted corner, Jerry Jacobs, also played 23, while Bobby Price played 17 in his first action at CB after moving from safety.

Rookie LB Derrick Barnes played just eight reps on defense, though he was quite active and visible on those snaps. Veteran Jalen Reeves-Maybin also played just eight on defense, but he logged 11 special teams snaps. Jahlani Tavai matched the special teams reps and was on the field for 22 defensive snaps.

Of note, LB Shaun Dion Hamilton did not play on special teams. It’s generally thought that he, Tavai and Reeves-Maybin are competing for the same spots. Undrafted rookie Tavante Beckett took Hamilton’s 11 punt and kick team reps. Second-year DE Jashon Cornell, expected to be a roster bubble player for the final 53, also did not play on special teams while logging 20 reps on defense.

2020 Lions rookie report: 7th round pick Jashon Cornell

Cornell missed his rookie season with an injury and his future with the Lions is not secure

To help bolster their defensive line depth, the Detroit Lions selected Jashon Cornell out of Ohio State in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

While seventh-round picks have the luxury of being drafted, there is very little guarantee that they will even make the team’s practice squad come the start of the regular season.

The third Buckeye drafted by Detroit in 2020, Cornell was a versatile defensive tackle who would have been able to provide much needed depth behind Da’Shawn Hand and Nick Williams at the 3T and 5T positions.

Unfortunatley, the seventh-round pick never was able to make it to the regular season due to a torn Achilles’ tendon that he suffered during a practice in August.

Going into 2021, Cornell will have to compete with the likes of Kevin Strong, John Atkins and Joel Heath for a backup role. His smaller frame and ability to play both defensive tackle and defensive end could give him an edge, as long as he can bounce back from such a brutal injury.

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Lions Jashon Cornell confirms he has an Achilles injury

On Saturday, Detroit Lions rookie defensive lineman Jashon Cornell took to Instagram and confirmed he has an Achilles injury.

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During Tuesday’s training camp in Allen Park, Detroit Lions rookie defensive lineman Jashon Cornell was injured and required assistance leaving the field. After practice coach Matt Patricia called the injury “pretty severe” and later that day the Free Press’ Dave Birkett reported Cornell suffered an Achilles injury.

On Saturday, Cornell took to Instagram and confirmed Birkett’s report, and added the following message:

“Never regret anything in life,” Cornell said. “Everything happens for a reason & every season serves it’s purpose…even your biggest disappointments, failure and downfalls.. Tough times are nothing but a blessing in disguise. With this Achilles injury it will only make me work harder to get back to doing what I love . Belief, confidence, and with trust in the man above there will be no ceiling to what I can accomplish.”

Neither Cornell nor Birkett mentioned if Cornell would require surgery, but regardless of if he does or not, his rookie year appears to be over.

We at Lions Wire wish Cornell a speedy and safe recovery.