Tag: Kenny Wiggins

Detroit Lions place Joe Dahl on I.R., sign Kenny Wiggins off of practice squad

The Detroit Lions announced they have placed left guard Joe Dahl on injured reserve and signed Kenny Wiggins off of practice squad in a corresponding move.

The Detroit Lions announced they have placed left guard Joe Dahl on injured reserve and signed Kenny Wiggins off of practice squad in a corresponding move.

Dahl injured his groin in Thursday’s practice and like most mid-week injuries, there were some longterm implications. He will likely be replaced by Oday Aboushi in the starting lineup at left guard and Wiggins will fill in as a reserve alongside Logan Stenberg.

Dahl will be out for a minimum of three weeks, meaning he will be out through the Lions bye in Week 5, and could potentially return to the active roster for the Lions Week 6 game in Jacksonville.

Wiggins — who can play at both guard spots, as well as, at right tackle — has played in 31 games for the Lions over the last two-plus years, including starting 13 and being heavily involved in the guard rotation in 2019. He appears to be behind Aboushi in the pecking order in 2020, but it’s too early to tell if the Lions would lean on his veteran experience over the up and coming rookie Stenberg.

Lions elevate Kenny Wiggins, Jonathan Williams from practice squad for Week 1

The Lions take advantage of the new rule to add depth for Week 1

[jwplayer 65cExVRg]The Detroit Lions have taken advantage of the new practice squad and active roster rules to add two more players to the Week 1 active roster. Offensive lineman Kenny Wiggins and running back Jonathan Williams have been officially elevated from the team’s practice squad to the active roster for Sunday’s matchup with the Chicago Bears at Ford Field.

It’s part of the change allowing 55 active players for each game day, up from 53. The teams can elevate up to two players from their practice squad before 4 p.m. ET the day before a game. One of those players must be an offensive lineman. Both Wiggins and Williams will revert back to the practice squad following the game.

Wiggins has played in 30 games in the last two seasons for the Lions, starting 13. He primarily played right guard but can also play tackle. The 32-year-old was cut last weekend but stuck around Detroit thanks to the newly expanded and liberalized practice squad eligibility. With starting right tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai ruled out, it makes sense to add an experienced veteran like Wiggins for the weekend.

Williams will be the No. 5 running back behind Kerryon Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Ty Johnson and D’Andre Swift.

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No preseason is a big problem for the Lions’ rebuilt offensive line

Detroit will have at least two new starters on the offensive line in 2020

Every NFL team will lose some benefits by not having preseason games. The Detroit Lions continuity on the coaching staff and at the offensive skill position players puts the team in a better spot than many of their opponents.

The offensive line, however…

Detroit is breaking in two new starters on the right side. Rick Wagner and Graham Glasgow are both gone. Big-ticket free agent Halapoulivaati Vaitai will be the right tackle, a role he played with a limited degree of success as a reserve in Philadelphia. At least he’s a known commodity.

Right guard is a complete mystery right now. It was the only real open spot on the starting offense entering camp. Kenny Wiggins figured to have the best chance, and his chances are augmented by the lack of proving-ground competition that the preseason would have provided. It’s going to be that much harder for rookies Jonah Jackson and Logan Stenberg to try and crack the starting lineup.

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Left guard was poised for competition, too. I’ve often predicted Jackson, the team’s third-round pick from Ohio State, would win the starting left guard spot over holdover Joe Dahl, or Wiggins, or veteran Oday Aboushi, or newcomer Joshua Garnett. Now I can’t hold to that prediction with any sort of confidence. Even though I do expect the guard rotation experiment from last season to continue, there should be a first amongst equals. Jackson’s opportunity to earn that first status is severely hampered by the preseason cancelation.

The uncertainty at those spots negatively impacts the two established, quality starters up front in left tackle Taylor Decker and center Frank Ragnow. Don’t forget the Lions are breaking in a new offensive line coach in Hank Fraley, who takes over for Jeff Davidson after being an assistant last year. Fraley is familiar with the players and the blocking scheme is expected to remain essentially the same, but it’s still another card that can collapse the whole offensive house.

It’s a lot of moving parts that need to come together quickly to keep the Lions offense flying high with Matthew Stafford and his weapons. Losing the chance to play together in preseason is a major hit to the Detroit offensive line.

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PFF ranks Lions OL in the middle of the pack heading into 2020 season

Pro Football Focus ranked all the offensive lines in the NFL heading into the 2020 NFL seasons and the Detroit Lions checked in at 16.

Pro Football Focus ranked all 32 offensive lines heading into the 2020 NFL seasons and the Detroit Lions checked in the dead middle of the pack at 16th overall.

“The Lions finished with the No. 11 offensive line last season as they had two players finish in the top 10 at their respective positions — center Frank Ragnow finished sixth and right guard Graham Glasgow finished 10th — while left tackle Taylor Decker ranked 19th,” PFF’s Steve Palazzolo said. “There will be some turnover as Glasgow moves on in free agency and right tackle Rick Wagner also departs.”

The loss of Glasgow is a big enough blow for the Lions to drop in pre-season rankings but swapping out Wagner for Halapoulivaati Vaitai was an upgrade according to PFF’s end of year grades, where Wagner finished as the 61st ranked offensive tackle and Vaitai graded as the 22nd.

“At tackle, Decker enters the fifth year of his rookie contract, and he has ranked above the league average on true pass sets and run blocking grade on both gap and zone runs since 2016,” Palazzolo continued. “Left guard Joe Dahl performed well in his first year as a starter in 2019, though it was a bit lopsided as he ranked 23rd with a pass-blocking grade of 73.0, but he finished just 48th as a run blocker at 57.1. Ragnow had the No. 2 grade among centers in the run game at 78.2, showing off the skills that made him one of the best interior offensive line prospects of the PFF College era (since 2014).”

Decker, Ragnow, and Dahl give the Lions a trio of returning talent, solidifying the left tackle and center spots, while Dahl’s ability to play both guard spots — and center — gives the Lions flexibility to find the best player available at the other guard position.

“The questions are on the right side, where Halapoulivaati Vaitai signed for $45 million over five years to start at right tackle,” Palazzolo said. “Vaitai is coming off a career-high 76.2 run block grade, but his pass-blocking grade of just 55.2 since 2016 ranks 84 out of 94 qualifiers, so that remains a major question mark. At right guard, third-round pick Jonah Jackson was our favorite pass protecting guard in the draft, and he has the all-around game to step right in as a starter. He’ll compete with veteran Oday Aboushi, who hasn’t posted an overall grade above 62.7 since 2014. Keep an eye on fourth-rounder Logan Stenberg, who brings excellent power and size to the line and may be a solid starter down the road.”

Curiously missing from Palazzolo’s assessment is Kenny Wiggins, who finished last season as PFF’s 41st highest-rated guard. Last season he played ahead of Aboushi and figures to be the biggest challenger for Jonah Jackson at right guard in 2020. At worst, Wiggins is likely ticketed to be a big part of the guard rotation.

“Between Decker, Dahl and Ragnow, the Lions have a strong foundation up front,” Palazzolo summarized, “but the right side of the line will determine where the Lions finish in the end-of-the-season rankings.”

Based on the COVID-19 environment and lack of warm-up practices/preseason games, it wouldn’t be overly surprising to see the Lions turn to Wiggins at right guard to start the season. He has scheme experience and familiarity playing next to Ragnow which could give him an early edge over the rookies. How long Wiggins can hold Jackson/Stenberg off will be one of the more interesting storylines to follow during training camp and the early parts of the season.

Establishing the 53: Wrapping up the mailbag, part 3

Answering the reader’s mailbag questions after Erik Schlitt’s Establishing the 53 series of articles at Lions Wire.

After the conclusion of my “Establishing the 53” series of articles, I posed a question to the #OnePride fan base on Twitter asking for any mailbag questions surrounding my conclusions.

I answered the three most asked questions in Part 1 of the Mailbag, focused on the linebackers in Part 2, but there are still a few more great questions to answer. So let’s wrap up the mailbag here with Part 3.

Note: questions may have been edited for clarity.

I suspect the Lions really want a fulltime FB, they would fear losing Blough off the PS, and they lust for safeties — which would mean 1 more making the team. — @jhsthethird

I agree with all three of these concerns and even addressed the need for an extra safety in part 1 of the mailbag when I added C.J. Moore back into my 53-man projection.

As far as a fullback, Nick Bawden is the obvious front runner and his contributions on special teams surely help his cause, but at the end of the day the Lions would likely have to go light at another position — keeping only five wide receivers or eight offensive linemen — to make room for him. It’s possible that happens, but it would go a bit against the grain of previous rosters constructions.

Unfortunately, the same issue with roster space applies to Blough as well. He has shown he has the mental makeup and potential to develop with time, but if the Lions were truly all in on him making the 53, they probably wouldn’t have given Chase Daniel the type of contract they did. If the Lions are truly worried they may lose him off the practice squad, don’t be surprised if they give him salary close to what he is making now ($675,000) to encourage him to stick around.

It seems that you have all but one draft pick sticking on the roster. Does that mean you think the Lions really did well in the late rounds of the draft? — @IgorPetrinovic

The one draft pick I didn’t have making my 53-man projection was seventh-round pick defensive lineman Jashon Cornell (Ohio State), as I had him being edged out by last year’s UDFA gem Kevin Strong. My exclusion is less a knock on Cornell and more of a compliment to Strong who flashed last season. If Cornell impresses in camp, he surely has a shot to make it into the rotation.

One of the reasons I typically include a lot of rookies from the Lions draft class is based on the methodical nature of general manager Bob Quinn. He rarely veers from his offseason game plan and when he identifies a player and uses draft capital on him, it’s generally for an immediate purpose.

For example, in the four previous seasons, Quinn has only cut the following drafted rookies in training camp:

  • 2019: his final draft pick, PJ Johnson
  • 2018: none
  • 2017: final pick Pat O’Conner, and second to last pick Brad Kaaya
  • 2016: second to last pick Jimmy Landes

Will the Lions add more depth to the DL/pass rush before the season? Looks to be a weak spot again this season. — @thespartyabides

The interior defensive line surely has the potential to be a weak spot with concerns surrounding Da’Shawn Hand and Kevin Strong’s health, Nick Williams’ lack of scheme familiarity, unproven rookies in Cornell and John Penisini, and the struggles to create pressure from this group last season.

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But if the Lions are going to add a player in free agency, the top name on the market is a familiar one: Mike Daniels.

Adding Daniels on an incentive-laden deal would be wise — if the Lions can get him on board with it — as he loves the Lions organization and coaches, and when healthy has the upside to fill an interior pass-rushing role the team desperately needs.

You have the Lions keeping 9 OL and 3 are tackles. With 3 IOL that are rookies or 2nd-year players. How likely is it that they stick with that much youth and clustered in the interior vs trying to add/keep a vet? Do you think they are satisfied with their tackle depth? — @KuehnObserve

I do think they are satisfied with their tackle depth, and while it’s not overly sexy having Kenny Wiggins as a fourth option, I believe they would rather lean on him in an emergency option rather than keep a roster spot for a player who can only play at tackle, like Dan Skipper or free agents like Demar Dotson and Andre Smith who are the top right tackles on the market.

As far as the interior, having three veterans and three rookie/sophomores is livable, especially if they keep a player like Oday Aboushi on speed dial.

How Jonah Jackson shakes up the Lions’ offensive line depth chart

Examining how selecting Jonah Jackson in the third round will shake up the Detroit Lions’ offensive line depth chart.

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The Detroit Lions have a vacancy at their starting right guard position, and they currently have their fair share of linemen vying to take that role.

With the selection of Ohio State’ Jonah Jackson, that competition has gotten even more intense.

Jackson has lined up at left guard, center, and right guard throughout his college career, making him one of the more versatile linemen on the Lions roster. While the Lions have a hole open at right guard, they have been known to shake up the starting five, as they did with both Graham Glasgow and Frank Ragnow.

The drafting of Jackson may have offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell take a look at the entire interior offensive line and try to find the optimal position for each player.

As mentioned earlier, there are a lot of guys in the fight for a starting role. Joe Dahl was the starting left guard last season but will have to win that job again this year. Veterans Oday Aboushi and Kenny Wiggins, who both have multiple years of starting experience, will return to the Lions in hopes of making the first-team lineup. Former San Francisco first-round pick Joshua Garnett joins the team hoping for a fresh start and a chance to revive his career. Also in the fight is Russell Bodine, Beau Benzschawel, Caleb Benenoch, and Casey Tucker.

Ragnow’s job is safe, and he will likely return to play center, but he could go back to guard, a position he played during his rookie season. The Lions traded up to take Jackson, meaning that they want him to come in and contribute right away. While it’s unclear which guard spot he’ll take, his role seems well defined.

That leaves the remaining eight interior linemen to compete for the remaining spot on the line. Detroit usually keeps five interior linemen on their roster, so most of this group will be off the team come August.

Jonah Jackson’s arrival will force the Lions to rethink their offensive line situation. Regardless of where he lines up, one thing that is very clear is that he will be starting in Week 1.

Lions agree to terms with OL Kenny Wiggins

The Detroit Lions announced they have agreed to terms with offensive lineman Kenny Wiggins, bringing him back for the third consecutive year.

The Detroit Lions announced they have agreed to terms with offensive lineman Kenny Wiggins, bringing him back for the third consecutive year.

“Wiggins joined the Lions as an unrestricted free agent in 2018 and has previously spent time with the Los Angeles Chargers (2013-17),” the Lions said in a press release. “He also had stints on the practice squad with the San Francisco 49ers (2012) and Baltimore Ravens (2011). “Wiggins originally entered the NFL with the 49ers as an undrafted rookie free agent following the 2011 NFL Draft out of Fresno State. He has appeared in 75 career games (38 starts).”

The third member of the Lions three-guard rotation in 2019, Wiggins saw the field for 438 snaps typically seeing time at both right and left guard each game, before landing on injured reserve with a torn biceps mid-December.

Wiggins is a balanced player who is experienced at both guard spots and saw time at right tackle during his time with the Chargers. He is well-liked and respected by both players and coaches in the locker room and offers the Lions depth and stability on the interior offensive line — something they desperately need.

The addition of Wiggins won’t prevent the Lions from acquiring more competition in the draft — they will still likely consider taking an interior offensive lineman in the first 100 picks — but he gives them some much-needed positional insurance. Now the Lions can head into the draft without having to reach for a guard prospect.

Wiggins will likely enter training camp as the front-runner for his old position as the third guard, or potentially win the starting job outright — currently he probably the leader for the job.

Lions Week 13 injury designations: Matthew Stafford ruled out, Frank Ragnow in

The Detroit Lions have released their Week 13 injury designations and declared quarterback Matthew Stafford, while center Frank Ragnow has been cleared from the league’s concussion protocol.

The Detroit Lions (3-7-1) have announced their injury designations ahead of their Week 13 matchup with the Chicago Bears (5-6) on Thanksgiving day at Ford Field.

The Lions have 13 players listed on the injury report, with four being ruled out, another six listed as questionable and three not being listed with a designation.

Ruled out

QB Matthew Stafford (back, hip)
WR Marvin Hall (foot)
CB Rashaan Melvin (ribs)
RET. Jamal Agnew (ankle)

Stafford is working hard to return to the field but is still not medically cleared. Maybe the extra rest ahead of the next game will give him the time he needs to heal up, or maybe the team will look ahead to the future and shut him down for the season. Only time will tell.

Hall was in a walking boot after the last game and unsurprisingly won’t play in this game. The Lions only have three healthy wide receivers active right now, so a roster move may be made before tomorrow’s game.

Melvin was a game-time decision last Sunday, but his rib injury is apparently more significant than what was originally thought. Amani Oruwariye will most likely get the start as the third Lions corner in his place.

Agnew is still not ready to play, meaning the Lions will turn to Ty Johnson on kick returned and most likely Danny Amendola on punt returns — as Hall, the second in line on punt returns, is also out.

Questionable

QB Jeff Driskel (hamstring)
TE T.J. Hockenson (shoulder)
EDGE Trey Flowers (concussion)
DT Damon Harrison (groin)
DL Da’Shawn Hand (ankle)
S Tracy Walker (knee)

Driskel was limited in all three practices this week, nursing a hamstring injury, but expectations are he will give it a go on Thursday and start the game. If Driskel can’t play or aggravates his injury the Lions would turn to undrafted rookie David Blough.

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Hockenson was limited to start the week but was upgraded to full on Wednesday and is expected to be fine to play.

Flowers saw limited work on Tuesday and a full practice on Wednesday suggesting he only needs medical clearance from an independent doctor to pass the league’s concussion protocol. If he does, he will start.

Harrison is going through his standard limited week and expectations are he will be good to start. It’s possible he will see fewer snaps, but he should play.

Hand and Walker saw limited practices all week after not being able to practice the week prior. Both will likely be game-time decisions. If either play, it will be a big boost to the Lions defense.

Not listed with an injury designations

C Frank Ragnow (concussion)
OG Kenny Wiggins (knee)
P Sam Martin (abdomen)

Ragnow is not listed with an injury designation, meaning he is expected to start on Thursday. It has not yet been confirmed if he has passed the medical stage of the concussion protocol, but if he hasn’t, him being listed in this section suggests the team expects him to.

Wiggins’ knee doesn’t appear to be an issue as he was listed as having full practices all week.

Martin was upgraded to a full practice on Wednesday and does not carry an injury designation into the game. He’s good to go.

Lions Week 13 injury report: Frank Ragnow, Trey Flowers progressing through concussion protocol

Detroit Lions Week 13 injury report sees linemen Frank Ragnow and Trey Flowers progressing through concussion protocols.

The Detroit Lions (3-7-1) are hosting the Chicago Bears (5-6) for a Week 13 Thanksgiving day matchup at Ford Field.

The Lions did not hold a practice on Monday, so yesterday’s injury report was a estimations only. Today, the Lions only slightly increased their practice level, holding a walkthrough.

With the Lions eliminating the physical aspect of the first two practices of the week, they are allowing their players to rest up and heal, but at the same time, it limits the full understanding of player’s abilities to overcome their injuries.

Keeping in mind that things could change between now and tomorrow’s report, let’s take a look at where things stand on Tuesday.

Missed practice

QB Matthew Stafford (back, hip)
WR Marvin Hall (foot)
CB Rashaan Melvin (ribs)
RET. Jamal Agnew (ankle)

Maniacal efforts or not, Stafford doesn’t look like he is going to play this week.

Melvin, Agnew, and Hall being ruled out for a practice that was only a walkthrough is not a good sign for their status on Thursday.

If Melvin is unable to play it could mean more time for Amani Oruwariye at corner, while Agnew missing time means more Ty Johnson on kick returns. Hall would normally take over on punt return duties, but if he is also out, it likely means Danny Amendola will be back on punt return duties. Additionally, Hall’s absence may mean the Lions could be looking for a fourth wide receiver and that may mean the promotion of a practice squad player like Chris Lacy or Travis Fulgham.

Limited

QB Jeff Driskel (hamstring)
EDGE Trey Flowers (concussion) — upgraded
TE T.J. Hockenson (shoulder)
DT Damon Harrison (groin)
DL Da’Shawn Hand (ankle)
S Tracy Walker (knee)
P Sam Martin (abdomen)

Driskel is still very sore but improving according to Patricia. Most expect him to play on Thursday, including Bears defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano:

Flowers was upgraded on the injury report but is confirmed to still be in the NFL’s concussion protocol by coach Matt Patricia at his afternoon press conference. It’s unclear which stage he is currently at, but based on this designation he may be in the final stages. His status for Thursday is still very much an unknown but a full padded practice tomorrow would go a long way.

Hand and Walker have now had two practices where they were expected to be active (but limited) participants. This is a positive step in the right direction.

Hockenson is still dealing with a shoulder injury that popped up Saturday night but he managed to play last Sunday and expectations are he will see the field again on Thursday.

Harrison and Martin have been talking rest days for some time now, this isn’t overly concerning at this time.

Practiced in full

C Frank Ragnow (concussion) — upgraded
OL Kenny Wiggins (knee)

Ragnow is also still in concussion protocol, and with no contact during today’s practice, he likely was unable to pass the last few requirements. He will have a chance to do that tomorrow, which should help him continue moving through the process.

Wiggins was an expected full participant again, meaning the Lions are optimistic he will be available to play.

Lions Week 13 estimated injury report: Jeff Driskel limited, Matthew Stafford still out

The Detroit Lions Week 13 estimated injury report includes quarterbacks Jeff Driskel as a limited participant and Matthew Stafford as out.

The Detroit Lions (3-7-1) are hosting the Chicago Bears (5-6) for a Week 13 Thanksgiving day matchup at Ford Field.

The Lions are required to produce three injury reports a week, and with a Thursday game on the schedule, that means they must declare injuries on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Because they are coming off a game yesterday, they did not actually practice on Monday, so today’s injury report is only estimated listings.

Reminder: all participation levels are all estimates

Would have missed practice

QB Matthew Stafford (back, hip)
WR Marvin Hall (foot)
EDGE Trey Flowers (concussion)
CB Rashaan Melvin (ribs)
RET. Jamal Agnew (ankle)

Despite Stafford being maniacal in his efforts to return to the field, he is still not ready to practice, and on a short week, he is not expected to play.

Flowers still being listed as unable to practice due to a concussion is concerning for his potential to play on Thursday. He’ll need to get on the field tomorrow or he won’t be able to pass the league’s protocol this week.

Melvin and Agnew still unable to practice are concerning for their status for Thursday.

Hall was injured in yesterday’s game and was seen in the locker room in a walking boot and with crutches. Early expectations are he won’t be available for Thursday and the Lions will be on to their third punt returner — which has previously been veteran wide receiver Danny Amendola.

Upgraded to limited

QB Jeff Driskel (hamstring)
C Frank Ragnow (concussion)
TE T.J. Hockenson (shoulder)
DT Damon Harrison (groin)
DL Da’Shawn Hand (ankle)
S Tracy Walker (knee)
P Sam Martin (abdomen)

Driskel played every snap yesterday but may have overworked his hamstring in the process. Coach Matt Patricia said at today’s press conference, Driskel “ran a lot” yesterday and is a bit “tight”. This could provide some light on why the Lions were inquiring about current XFL quarterback Josh Johnson, as they could use another fully healthy quarterback for practice and as insurance.

Ragnow being an estimated limited participant speaks to him moving through the league’s concussion protocol. He still has a few more steps to move through but is headed in the right direction.

Hockenson was added to last week’s injury report late Saturday night and in yesterday’s game, he appeared to be limited on the field, both in snaps and performance.

Harrison has been nursing a groin injury for some time now but being limited isn’t unusual for him at this point in the week.

Hand and Walker being estimated as limited is an upgrade from where they have been in recent weeks. If either is able to play this week, it would be a major upgrade on defense — both in performance and schematic versatility.

Martin, since injuring his abdomen, has been limited on the first practice following a game. While this isn’t unusual, a short week could be mildly concerning.

Projected as a full participant

Kenny Wiggins (knee)

Wiggins missed seven snaps in yesterday’s game and a knee injury appears to be the cause. The Lions listing him as a full participant is a strong indicator they aren’t overly concerned about it limiting him this week.