Tag: Matt Nelson

Giants agree to terms with OL Matt Nelson

The New York Giants have agreed to terms with veteran offensive lineman Matt Nelson.

On Thursday evening, the New York Giants announced that they have agreed to terms with veteran offensive lineman Matt Nelson.

Nelson had visited the Giants earlier in the week but was not immediately signed.

The 28-year-old Nelson signed with the Lions as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Iowa in 2019. He’s appeared in 43 career games with 14 starts, primarily at right tackle.

The 6-foot-7, 315-pound Nelson entered the league as a defensive tackle but Detroit quickly moved him to the offensive line. He had earned an overall Pro Football Focus grade of 58.0 and a pass-blocking grade of 71.6 last season before landing on injured reserve (ankle) in late September.

With Matt Peart signing with the Denver Broncos, the Giants are in need of a swing tackle and Nelson is viewed as a potential option to fill that role.

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Ex-Lions OT Matt Nelson signs with the Giants as a free agent

Ex-Lions OT Matt Nelson signs with the Giants as a free agent

Matt Nelson won’t be back in Detroit. The free agent offensive tackle has signed with the New York Giants.

The Giants announced the move on Thursday night, agreeing to terms with the former Lions tackle. The move will be official once Nelson passes a physical with his new team.

Nelson has played his entire career with the Lions, beginning on the practice squad in 2019. He has been the team’s primary backup offensive tackle for most of the last four seasons, including 2023 when he started two games. Nelson finished the season on injured reserve after suffering an ankle injury. He started 14 games in four years in Detroit.

The Lions have yet to address the backup offensive tackle position this offseason beyond bringing back veteran Dan Skipper.

 

Giants held a free agent visit with OT Matt Nelson

The New York Giants hosted free agent offensive tackle Matt Nelson for a visit in East Rutherford on Wednesday.

The New York Giants entered free agency with a specific focus on repairing their offensive line. They’ve added a multitude of players but do not appear to be done yet.

Art Stapleton of USA TODAY reports that the Giants hosted free agent offensive tackle Matt Nelson for a visit in East Rutherford on Wednesday.

The 28-year-old Nelson signed with the Lions as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Iowa in 2019. He’s appeared in 43 career games with 14 starts, primarily at right tackle.

The 6-foot-7, 315-pound Nelson entered the league as a defensive tackle but Detroit quickly moved him to the offensive line. He had earned an overall Pro Football Focus grade of 58.0 and a pass-blocking grade of 71.6 last season before landing on injured reserve (ankle) in late September.

With Matt Peart signing with the Denver Broncos, the Giants are in need of a swing tackle and Nelson could be viewed as that guy. However, as of this writing, he has not been signed.

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Detroit Lions unrestricted free agents now that the 2023 season is completed

With the 2024 offseason looming, here is the master list of the Detroit Lions unrestricted free agents

The Detroit Lions had an impressive season, coming within one game of a Super Bowl berth despite their loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Looking ahead, the future seems promising for the Lions.

GM Brad Holmes and Coach Dan Campbell are likely already diligently evaluating the roster, identifying areas for improvement to overcome the challenges. From a personal perspective, they should have the trust of the fanbase to execute the necessary moves. As they enter the offseason, the Lions possess $58.6 million in cap space, ranking sixth in the NFL according to Over the Cap. This substantial amount will likely be essential to bolster the roster, especially with only 38 players currently under contract for the upcoming season.

Certain players demonstrated their value this season, earning a return to the roster, while others failed to meet expectations. The decisions on who to retain and who to release will be intriguing. Here’s the comprehensive list of the Lions’ unrestricted free agents.

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Lions make roster moves to reinforce the blocking for Week 4

Lions make roster moves ahead of Week 4, including Matt Nelson to I.R. and some practice squad elevations

The Detroit Lions made a series of roster moves ahead of Thursday’s matchup in Green Bay with the Packers. Injuries to the offensive line forced the changes.

As head coach Dan Campbell indicated would happen earlier in the week, reserve offensive tackle Matt Nelson was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury. He will be out a minimum of four weeks.

Replacing Nelson on the active 53-man roster is tight end Darrell Daniels. A blocking specialist, Daniels has been on the Lions practice squad. This move was previously reported by Daniels’ agent.

Finally, the Lions elevated two undrafted rookies from the practice squad to the active roster. Offensive tackle Connor Galvin and safety Brandon Joseph earned the promotions with injury issues on the roster.

 

 

 

Detroit Lions biggest key matchup vs. Green Bay Packers

Breaking down the Detroit Lions biggest key match-up vs. Green Bay Packers in Week 4

Coming off a big win against the Atlanta Falcons, the Detroit Lions travel to Lambeau Field to battle the Green Bay Packers on a short week. They’ve got a three-day turnaround to get right and be ready for Jordan Love and the Packers.

Fortunately, the Packers also have a short week and will have to be just as prepared as they’ve been all season. No doubt this is a pivotal match-up for both teams.

As the Lions prepare, they’ve got quite a few different players to focus on. For starters, rookie tight end Luke Musgrave has been a solid addition to the Packers passing attack. In Week 3, he had eight targets, and it turned into six receptions for 49 yards. So far this season, he has earned a 75-plus percent snap share each week, and he even had 29 snaps aligned in the slot last week.

Much of the production for Musgrave could be due to the fact that wide receiver Christian Watson has been out every game so far this season due to a hamstring injury. There’s speculation that Watson returns Thursday night against the Lions but that remains to be seen.

In addition to Musgrave, the Packers have started to see some efficient production from wide receiver Romeo Doubs. He’s the Packers highest rated wide receiver on PFF with a 74.7 receiving grade. So far this year, Doubs has 19 targets for 11 receptions and 129 yards. He’s also tallied three touchdowns and 9 first down receptions.

While it’s important to focus on the Packers offense, it’s important to note that it looks tough for them to get going if Jordan Love is off-the-mark on any drive. Meanwhile, this offense looks like it desperately needs running back Aaron Jones back into the starting lineup. Much like Watson, he’s also dealing with a hamstring injury.

As we wait for more updates on the health of the Packers offense, let’s focus on a player that is healthy for Green Bay. That’s edge rusher Rashan Gary. Through 3 games this season, Gary has 44 pas rushing snaps (per PFF) and it’s generated in one hit, 8 hurries and four sacks. According to their pass-rushing production metric, he’s the number one player right now.

If the Lions get left tackle Taylor Decker, that would be a huge plus as it looks like Gary is becoming the premier edge rusher he was expected to be coming out of Michigan.

Now, if Decker is out for Thursday night due to his ankle injury, I’d get ready to see Penei Sewell to stay busy with Gary for much of the night. Then again, the Packers could deploy Gary opposite of Sewell and have him match-up against fifth-round rookie Colby Sorsdal.

The simple move is for Decker to return and move back to left tackle so Sewell can play right tackle. If that doesn’t happen, it could be a long night for the rookie tackle out of William & Mary, who the Lions had been preparing to play guard. The Lions will need Sorsdal to step up and in at right tackle since Matt Nelson injured his ankle and it required surgery.

Whatever happens, will happen but look for Jared Goff to get rid of the ball quickly and for the rushing attack to run away from number 52 of the Packers defense on Thursday night.

In-game injuries force more OL shuffling for the Lions

Already down 2 starters on the OL, the Lions lost two right tackles in the first half against the Falcons

Already down two regular starters due to injuries, the Detroit Lions were forced to really reach into the depth chart with more injuries in the first half of Sunday’s game against the Falcons.

Matt Nelson started the game at right tackle but was injured in the first half. He left the field on a cart. He was initially ruled as questionable but quickly ruled out with a knee injury.

Nelson was replaced by Dan Skipper, who was signed to the practice squad this week. Skipper played well but was also forced from the game with a hamstring injury after just two drives.

He was replaced by fifth-round rookie Colby Sorsdal, making his NFL debut. Sorsdal played tackle in college but had almost exclusively played guard for the Lions in training camp and the preseason.

Regular right tackle Penei Sewell started at left tackle, moving due to the injury to Taylor Decker.

5 Lions who need to play well against the Seahawks

The Detroit Lions host the Seattle Seahawks at home for their Week 2 matchup. Here are 5 players who need to play well against the Seahawks

The Detroit Lions are looking to continue their momentum into Week 2 when they face off against the Seattle Seahawks, who lost their first game against the Los Angeles Rams.

The Lions made a statement in their season opener and are expected to bring the same energy to Ford Field. Meanwhile, the Seahawks are dealing with some injuries that the Lions can capitalize on to secure their second win in as many weeks. After reviewing their performance in the Kansas City game, the coaches and players have had time to prepare for the tough Seattle opponent during the mini-bye.

To secure their victory, the Lions will need to rely on the performance of several key players. Here are five Lions players who need to play well against the Seahawks.

What OL options do the Lions have if LT Taylor Decker can’t play?

The Lions have multiple options to replace LT Taylor Decker in the unlikely event he can’t play against the Seahawks.

The Detroit Lions came out of Kansas City in Week 1 without any serious injuries. That’s a cherry on top of the delicious victory sundae of beating the Chiefs. But there was one injury that popped up that could sour the Week 2 lineup against Seattle.

Left tackle Taylor Decker suffered an injury to his ankle in the win over the Chiefs. He didn’t miss any snaps in the game, but Decker was in a walking boot afterward. The veteran also missed practice on Tuesday due to the ankle.

Head coach Dan Campbell doesn’t seem too worried about not having Decker in Ford Field on Sunday. Here’s what Campbell said about his left tackle,

“He played the whole game with it and finished out, which man, that was outstanding. I mean, Deck’s a tough SOB, man. So, to watch him battle out there, it was impressive. So, look, we’ll know a lot more in a few days, but I’m encouraged because I know, there again, he finished out that game and we’re pretty good everywhere else.”

Replacing Decker — in the unlikely event he misses the Seahawks matchup — would not be easy. The Lions do have some moving pieces and parts that give Campbell and offensive line coach Hank Fraley some options, however…

5 hardest decisions to project from the Lions 53-man roster cutdown

Here are the five toughest cuts or decisions to project for the Lions final 53-man roster

The Lions held the final significant practices before Tuesday’s roster cutdown deadline this week. With Friday’s preseason finale in Charlotte against the Carolina Panthers the final chance to win or lose roster spots, the team is very close to finalizing the 53-man roster.

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There isn’t a ton of drama over the constitution of most of the roster. However, there are a few final spots up for grabs. They make for very difficult decisions for head coach Dan Campbell, GM Brad Holmes and the Lions braintrust.

Here are the five toughest cuts or decisions to project for the Lions’ final 53-man roster.