Tag: Matt Wile

Philadelphia Eagles have free-agent punter in for a visit with Cam Johnston in concussion protocol

Philadelphia Eagles have punter Matt Wile in for a visit as punter Cameron Johnston, is in the concussion protocol

The Eagles injury woes have reached the special teams, as their talented punter, Cameron Johnston, is in the concussion protocol after suffering a head injury against the Cardinals on Sunday.

With the team in the fight for a playoff spot and field position playing a huge role in wins or losses, the Eagles had free-agent punter Matt Wile in for a visit per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.

Wile signed as an undrafted free agent with the Carolina Panthers after the 2015 NFL Draft.

Wile has spent time with the Cowboys, Falcons, Cardinals, Steelers, Vikings, and Lions.

In four years at Michigan, he had 91 punts for 3,658 yards, an average of 40.2 yards per punt. He converted 20 of 29 field-goal attempts and was successful on 33 of 33 extra-point attempts.

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Lions release 4 players to make room for UDFAs

The Detroit Lions announced they have released four players in order to create room for their 2020 unrestricted free agents.

The Detroit Lions announced they have released four players in order to create room for their 2020 unrestricted free agents: running back Tra Carson, guard Casey Tucker, punter Matt Wile, and long snapper James Fischer.

After drafting two running backs in the 2020 NFL Draft — D’Andre Swift in the second round and Jason Huntley in the fifth — Carson was sitting seventh on the Lions depth chart and was squeezed out of the 90-man roster.

The same fate fell true for Tucker, who saw his place on the depth chart compromised by the addition of two draft picks at his position — Jonah Jackson in the third round and Logan Stenberg in the fourth.

After signing UDFAs Aaron Siposs (punter) and Steve Wirtel (long snapper) the Lions had three punters and three long snappers on the roster, and with roster space at a premium, Wile and Fischer were casualties of a numbers game.

The Lions roster is now at 90-players as the veterans begin their virtual offseason programs today.

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Lions have several options at punter to replace free agent Sam Martin

Lions have several options at punter to replace free agent Sam Martin

Sam Martin has been a reliably above-average punter for most of his seven NFL seasons, all with the Detroit Lions. But Martin is a pending free agent and in all likelihood will not be back for an eighth year in Detroit.

The Lions will have several options to replace Martin, who ranks 10th all-time in average yards per punt at 46.0. In fact, the solution might already be in Detroit.

Earlier this offseason the Lions signed two free agent punters to reserve/future contracts. Jack Fox and Matt Wile deserve to compete for the job, and both are familiar with the team already. Fox and Wile both had stints on the team’s practice squad in 2019.

Fox gets a leg up (no pun intended) because, like Martin, he’s capable of also being the kickoff specialist. That’s important because placekicker Matt Prater does not handle kickoff duties all that well.

In free agency, veterans Britton Colquitt, Matt Bosher and Lac Edwards are all on the market with Martin. Edwards led the NFL in both punt attempts and yards in 2019 while booming kicks at a 45.9-yard average for the New York Jets. Colquitt, 35, spent last season with the Minnesota Vikings and has earned his reputation for being the best coffin-corner punter in the NFL over his long career.

It’s unlikely the Lions will draft a punter, though that was also said back in 2013 when then-GM Martin Mayhew tabbed Martin in the sixth round. Some of the top-rated punters in the 2020 NFL Draft include Joseph Charlton of South Carolina, Texas A&M’s Braden Mann and Arryn Siposs from Auburn, whom the Lions saw in person at the Tigers pro day last week.

Lions promote TE Isaac Nauta to active roster

The Detroit Lions announced that they have promoted tight end Isaac Nauta to the active roster, filling the vacated spot after releasing offensive tackle Dan Skipper.

The Detroit Lions announced that they have promoted tight end Isaac Nauta to the active roster, filling the vacated spot after releasing offensive tackle Dan Skipper on Thursday.

The Lions are dealing with a plethora of injuries — six players have already been ruled out for Sunday — so they waited to make this decision until they had a better understanding of their roster needs for this weekend’s game.

Punter Sam Martin has been dealing with an abdomen injury for the last several weeks, and while he has yet to miss a game, he has been limited in practice — so much so, that the Lions signed punter Matt Wile to the practice squad to give Martin rest.

If Martin was unable to play, the Lions likely would’ve needed to use the final remaining roster spot on Wile. Fortunately, the rest did Martin some good and he is not listed with an injury designation and is expected to play on Sunday.

With Martin good to go, the Lions decided to address another weak spot on their roster: fullback. Starter Nick Bawden was placed on injured reserve this week, and Nauta has been promoted to fill his roles.

Nauta has experience playing H-back in college, as well as with the Lions this offseason and could find himself lining up in the Lions backfield this Sunday. The bigger role Nauta is likely to fill though is on special teams where Bawden was averaging around 18 snaps a game.

The Lions seventh-round draft pick is a stout run blocker and a reliable option in the passing game, but lack of regular experience at fullback and long speed could limit his role.

Nauta has a lot of potential and the Lions have high hopes for him as a prospect — he could easily find himself on the Lions regular-season roster for the remainder of the season.

 

Lions promoted RB Bo Scarbrough, release RB Paul Perkins

The Detroit Lions announced they have promoted running back Bo Scarbrough to the active roster and released running back Paul Perkins in a corresponding move.

The Detroit Lions announced they have promoted running back Bo Scarbrough to the active roster and released running back Paul Perkins in a corresponding move. Additionally, the team has re-signed punter Matt Wile to the practice squad, filling the opening created after the Scarbrough move.

It’s fitting Scarbrough was promoted this week, as he will get a chance to play against the Dallas Cowboys, the team who drafted him in the seventh round (pick 236) of the 2018 NFL Draft.

Scarbrough is a power runner who plays to contact, something that is missing in the Lions’ current backfield. He can contribute in the passing game — he’s an excellent blocker — which will get him opportunities to see the field on Sunday, but it’s important to set your expectations for him accordingly.

Positives

  • Bruising back who runs behind his pads
  • Won’t shy away from contact and often falls forward
  • Creates extra yards with power in both short game and at the end of long runs
  • Terrific pass blocker

Negatives

  • He rarely makes defenders miss due to his upright running style
  • He is often injured as his running style forces his body to take a pounding
  • He won’t be a threat as a pass-catcher
  • He can be explosive but it takes him time to get up to speed

The Lions have a clear two options at the top of the running back rotation with Ty Johnson and J.D. McKissic. When Johnson left the game last week with an injury, third running back Paul Perkins only saw the field for 12 offensive snaps. When Johnson was healthy the week prior, Perkins only saw three snaps total.

With Johnson clearing the NFL’s concussion protocol today, both he and McKissic are fully healthy heading into tomorrow’s game. That should make snaps difficult for Scarbrough to come by and he may be relegated to situational work.

Wile being added back to the practice squad could be a preemptive move to give Sam Martin rest early in next week’s practices, but this is his second stint with the Lions in the last three weeks, indicating there’s something about his game that they like. With Martin in a contract year, Wile may be getting an extended try out for a contract this offseason.