Panthers hosting 2023 USFL interception leader for workout on Tuesday

The Panthers are working out 2023 USFL interception king Mark Gilbert on Tuesday.

As first reported by Joe Person of The Athletic on late Tuesday afternoon, the Carolina Panthers are hosting cornerback Mark Gilbert for a workout. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound defender is the third known invitee of the day, with defensive tackle Khalil Davis and quarterback J’Mar Smith also getting a look.

Gilbert was born in Fayetteville, N.C. in 1997 and attended Terry Sanford High School—where he played both football and basketball. A three-star recruit for the Bulldogs, he chose to attend nearby Duke University beginning in 2016.

He played in 29 games for the Blue Devils—having recorded 65 total tackles (5.0 for a loss) and seven interceptions over four seasons. Six of those seven picks came in 2017, which helped him earn 2017 first team All-ACC honors.

After going undrafted in 2021, Gilbert signed on with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the first of two stints in the Steel City. He’d then be signed off the Steelers’ practice squad by the Detroit Lions in the middle of his rookie campaign and appeared in eight games.

Gilbert’s most recent ball was played as a member of the Pittsburgh Maulers of the United States Football League. He amassed a league-leading four interceptions during the 2023 season.

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USFL interceptions leader Mark Gilbert works out for Broncos

Mark Gilbert, who led the USFL with 4 interceptions this spring, worked out for the Broncos on Monday.

The Denver Broncos worked out USFL defensive back Mark Gilbert on Monday, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

Gilbert (6-1, 190 pounds) played college football at Duke, earning first-team All-ACC recognition in 2017 before injuries derailed his 2018, 2019 and 2020 seasons. Gilbert went undrafted in 2021 and signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a college free agent.

He began his rookie season on Pittsburgh’s practice squad before later being signed to the Detroit Lions’ active roster. After being cut by the Lions last October, Gilbert returned to the Steelers’ practice squad.

Gibert’s practice squad contract expired after the 2022 season and he spent this spring playing in the USFL for the Pittsburgh Maulers. He totaled 32 tackles and a league-high four interceptions in the USFL this season.

It’s unclear if the Broncos view Gilbert (26) primarily as a cornerback, safety or slot defensive back. Denver has a deep safety depth chart so Gilbert would make sense as a potential cornerback addition.

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Eagles worked out two players ahead of Week 3 matchup vs. Commanders

The Philadelphia Eagles worked out punter Michael Palardy and defensive back Mark Gilbert ahead of Week 3

The Philadelphia Eagles had two players in for tryouts on Thursday, just days before the Week 3 road matchup at Washington.

Philadelphia worked out punter Michael Palardy and defensive back Mark Gilbert. Palardy’s workout could signal some sort of injury for punter Arryn Siposs who was forced to make a tackle on Monday night after a blocked kick.

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Ex-Lions CB Mark Gilbert signs with Steelers practice squad

Cornerback Mark Gilbert has signed to the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad after being waived by the Detroit Lions

One of the players the Detroit Lions parted ways with during the roster cutdown process this week has found a new home. Cornerback Mark Gilbert has signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers to that team’s practice squad, per numerous sources.

Gilbert lost out on his job at CB in Detroit after playing in eight games for the Lions a year ago. Ironically, Gilbert arrived in Detroit after being signed off the Steelers’ practice squad last October. Now the 25-year-old Gilbert returns from whence he came.

While 13 players who were released this week have returned to Detroit’s practice squad, Gilbert joins a couple of players who will not be back. Kicker Riley Patterson was claimed off waivers by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Rookie WR Kalil Pimpleton has yet to sign elsewhere but visited with the New York Giants and continues to look around the league.

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Lions stock report after the 2nd preseason game

Which Detroit Lions players raised their stock in the 2nd preseason week and which saw their stock fall?

The second preseason game saw the Detroit Lions notch their first exhibition victory in a long time, a 27-26 win over the host Indianapolis Colts. Saturday’s game followed two days of intense joint practice sessions at the Colts training facility, physical practices that had the feel of something more than just practicing.

Several Lions helped themselves in the exhibition game and joint practices. Others did not.

Here’s who rose up and who sank in the second preseason week Detroit Lions roster stock report.

CB Mark Gilbert officially back with the Lions

Gilbert played in 8 games for the Lions in 2021

Cornerback Mark Gilbert is officially back with the Detroit Lions for a second season. Gilbert signed his exclusive rights free agent tender offer on Friday, per the NFL’s transaction wire.

Gilbert appeared in eight games for the Lions in 2021, playing sparingly on defense but a little more involved on special teams. The 24-year-old joined the Lions in October after being signed off the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad. He notched three total tackles.

As an exclusive rights free agent, or ERFA, Gilbert will earn the NFL minimum in 2022 and will become a restricted free agent after the season.

 

Lions place CBs Mark Gilbert and Ifeatu Melifonwu on reserve/COVID-19 list

The Lions now have 5 players on the reserve/COVID-19 list in addition to 12 players questionable with illness for Sunday’s game in Denver

The Detroit Lions are rapidly running out of healthy bodies for Sunday’s matchup with the Broncos in Denver. The team announced it has placed two more players on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Saturday.

Cornerbacks Mark Gilbert and Ifeatu Melifonwu join the growing crowd on the COVID list. Their appearance on the list comes less than 24 hours after the Lions placed RB Jamaal Williams and S Tracy Walker on the reserve list. Starting center Evan Brown was placed on the list earlier in the week.

All five will miss the Week 14 game against the Broncos.

The Lions have 12 more players who are questionable after suffering illness during the week. That does not count three players — LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin, OLB Julian Okwara and RB D’Andre Swift — who are out with injuries. Starting TE T.J. Hockenson is doubtful with a hand injury as well.

The Lions will have the ability to elevate players from the practice squad to fill in the roster spots for the quintet on the COVID-19 list.

Rookie Report: Penei Sewell exceeds expectations at right tackle

Our Max Gerber breaks down the hefty rookie contributions for the Lions in Week 10

While the 16-16 tie in Pittsburgh wasn’t very thrilling, the rookies of the Detroit Lions did find ways to impress.

Not only did four rookies crack the starting lineup, but players from the 2021 class played a collective 388 snaps throughout the game.

Here’s how each of those 10 rookies performed:

First-round pick Penei Sewell’s first game at right tackle went off without a hitch. Many believed that the rookie would struggle due to inexperience at the right side of the line, but the former Oregon Duck silenced all doubts. Against a top-10 pass rush, Sewell allowed no sacks on Jared Goff and did not commit a single penalty. It’s no coincidence either that the Lions run game was the most successful that it has been all season.

Rookie defensive linemen Levi Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill both played rotational roles on defense but made the most of their opportunities. The two combined for six tackles and McNeill has able to get his hand up to deflect one of Mason Rudolph’s passes.

With Goff’s performance at quarterback nowhere close to ideal, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown made the most out of a bad situation. The rookie lead the team in receiving yards with 61 and tied with Khalid Raymond for the most receptions, catching four out of his six targets.

Still unable to crack the starting lineup, linebacker Derrick Barnes showed he may need more time to develop before earning a bigger role on defense. Barnes took just 15 defensive snaps and came away with three tackles and a pass defense, but also failed to create any pressure on his two blitzes and whiffed badly on one tackle attempt.

Running back Jermar Jefferson was prepared to have quite the day before an ankle injury brought everything to a grinding halt. The rookie out of Oregon State had just three snaps on offense, of which he carried the ball three times for 41 yards. The injury, which caused him to get carted off the field, came right after he found the endzone on a 28-yard run. With the efficiency that he has shown on offense so far this year, let’s hope he can recover from his injury and return to the backfield quickly.

Undrafted rookie Brock Wright found himself with a much bigger role on offense after the release of Darren Fells last week. While he wasn’t much of a contributor to the box score, Wright’s run blocking helped pave the way for several big runs against Pittsburgh.

In the defensive secondary, three undrafted rookies saw their fair share of action. AJ Parker spent a strong majority of the game as the Lions’ starting nickel cornerback but had a rough time against Pittsburgh’s receiving corps. Parker allowed five of seven passes against him to be completed for 38 yards an a touchdown. To make matters worse, he missed two tackles.

Jerry Jacobs has been serviceable as a starting outside cornerback and played fairly well until an injury sidelined him late in the game. Jacobs was able to breakup two passes and only allow one reception for a gain of 20 yards.

Filling in for Jacobs late in the game was Mark Gilbert, who initially signed with Pittsburgh after going undrafted in April. Gilbert arguably had one of the best defensive plays of the game in which he initially missed a tackle on Diontae Johnson, but rallied back and punched the ball out of his hands to give Detroit possession once again. He also had a pass breakup on a third-down that forced Pittsburgh to punt.

Offensive lineman Ryan McCollum got into the game for four special teams snaps.

 

Lions vs. Steelers: Best and worst PFF grades from Week 10

Here are this week’s PFF best and worst performances for the Detroit Lions week 10 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers

It wasn’t exactly the performance the Detroit Lions were hoping for coming out their bye. Still, after one of the most unappealing, uncompetitive games you will ever watch, the Lions mustered out a 16-16 tie against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

If there was ever a game where neither team deserved to claim victory, it was most certainly this one where each team was doing everything in their power to lose this week. The Lions offense became predictable real quick, and once the Steelers were able to solve that issue, it was all over for them. On the flip side of the defense, they did put in a solid effort, but when you are facing Mason Rudolph on the other side, it can be difficult to judge how well the players are performing.

The performances speak for themselves, and with the latest PFF grades from this matchup, it almost lines up with how you would anticipate from this week.

Snap count notes: Lions leaned heavily on extra OL in Week 10

Snap count notes: Lions leaned heavily on using extra OL in the Week 10 tie with the Steelers

On a week where the Lions unceremoniously waived No. 2 tight end Darren Fells, the Detroit offense leaned heavily on replacing Fells’ old role in an unconventional way. Detroit used a sixth lineman as a de facto blocking tight end extensively in the Week 10 tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Between Matt Nelson (18 snaps) and Will Holden (10), the Lions leaned heavily on the “heavy” package. The 28 combined snaps were more than Fells played in any game through the first eight weeks. Nelson, the team’s starting right tackle the first eight games, left the game with an injury, which led to Holden’s reps.

With the starting offensive line all playing in each of the team’s 71 snaps, the Lions OL was busy. So was tight end T.J. Hockenson, who played in 67 reps. the new No. 2 TE, Brock Wright, was on the field for 36.

At running back, it was almost exclusively the D’Andre Swift show. Swift played a career-high 66 snaps. Without regular starter Jamaal Williams, the Lions gave three early reps to rookie Jermar Jefferson as the between-the-tackles runner. Jefferson suffered an injury of his own at the end of his 28-yard touchdown run and did not return. Godwin Igwebuike played just four snaps on offense, though he did play a season-high 27 special teams reps.

On defense, two Lions never left the field: LB Alex Anzalone and CB Amani Oruwariye. They both played all 87 snaps.

The cornerback reps after Oruwariye were jumbled by injuries. Jerry Jacobs left after playing all of the first 57 snaps. Former Steelers practice squad CB Mark Gilbert played the remaining 30 as the other outside CB opposite Oruwariye in his first defensive action in Detroit.

Along the defensive line, Da’Shawn Hand played the most. Hand played 68 reps. That’s significantly more than the next DEs on the list, Nick Williams (39) and Michael Brockers (38). Second-round rookie Levi Onwuzurike played just 26. Detroit didn’t use the nose tackle as much as normal vs. Pittsburgh, with third-round rookie Alim McNeill playing 15 and John Penisini in for 14.