Tag: Mitchell Agude

Dan Campbell talks up the progress of the practice squad pass rushers

Dan Campbell talks up the progress of the practice squad pass rushers Mitchell Agude and Isaac Ukwu

Throughout training camp and preseason, two Detroit Lions defenders in particular stood out as potential pass rushers who could make the 53-man roster. Mitchell Agude and Isaac Ukwu each impressed enough to merit serious consideration to make the team.

Ultimately, neither Agude nor Ukwu landed on the active roster. Both have spent the season thus far on Detroit’s practice squad. Based on how head coach Dan Campbell talked them up in a press conference, it sure sounds like Agude and Ukwu are still competing hard to get playing time.

“Yeah, I think both of them very nicely,” Campbell said on Friday. “I think both of those guys because they’ve been here the longest. Talk about these D-ends, edge guys, and both of those guys have done a really good job for us and honestly, I would have no problem playing either one of those guys if we need them.”

Agude is now in his second season in Detroit. He’s played both EDGE and also some SAM backer, and the latter role has a need for depth with the loss of starter Derrick Barnes. Ukwu, an undrafted rookie from Ole Miss, offers speed and bend on the edge–something the team lacks opposite Aidan Hutchinson.

We might not see them in Week 6 against the Dallas Cowboys, but it’s good to hear Campbell remains high on both Agude and Ukwu.

Detroit Lions initial 2024 practice squad tracker

Tracking all the players heading to the 16-man Detroit Lions practice squad

Like all NFL teams, the Detroit Lions get to create a 16-person practice squad as soon as the initial waiver claims from the roster cutdowns are processed at 12 p.m ET on Wednesday, August 28th.

Of those 16 players, six can be veterans who have at least four years of NFL service. Those would be players who were “released” in recent days. The other 10 can come from players who were “waived” or were street free agents before cutdowns without four years of service.

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We’ll keep track of the names as they flow in, and that leads off with an eminently expected return for Mitchell Agude:

Of course, Tim Patrick to the Lions practice squad was reported yesterday.

We have a quarterback now, too.

This one is a little surprising, but the Lions appear to have brought back WR Donovan Peoples-Jones to the practice squad.

Update: Peoples-Jones did not appear on the Lions official transaction list.

The practice squad

OLB Mitchell Agude

OL Kingsley Eguakun

QB Jake Fromm

RB Jermar Jefferson

OT Jamarco Jones

WR Tom Kennedy

TE James Mitchell

S CJ Moore

DL Pat O’Connor

WR Tim Patrick

DT Kyle Peko

WR Allen Robinson

DT Chris Smith

EDGE Isaac Ukwu

TE Shane Zylstra

Detroit Lions roster cutdown deadline tracker

Detroit Lions roster cutdown deadline tracker ahead of Tuesday’s 53-man limit

The Detroit Lions must reduce the roster down to the 53-man limit before the deadline at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, August 27th. It’s a tough time with a quick turnaround from the final preseason game.

The Lions haven’t made any official transactions yet, but several moves are already reported as of Monday evening.

Most notable among those is the reported release of wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones. He and fellow WR Kaden Davis were the first two cuts to leak out.

We will keep posting reported cuts as we find them. Keep in mind they are unofficial unless posted by the Lions themselves.

No real surprise with either Zylstra or Knight, though Zylstra did have some legit potential to stick as a receiving TE.

We have our first surprise with Mitchell Agude, who was the only backup to Derrick Barnes at the SAM position.

This one comes directly sourced: The Lions are releasing LB Ty Summers.

Also confirmed by me via a team source: Hogan Hatten has won the long snapper battle and the Lions are releasing LS Scott Daly. Hatten keeps the streak of undrafted rookies making the initial 53-man roster rolling to 14 years.

Last year’s UDFA to make it, Steven Gilmore, did not make the cut in 2024.

The biggest surprise thus far…

Beauplan led the Lions in tackles in the preseason win over the Chiefs:

Numerous sources have also reported the Lions are cutting WR Daurice Fountain, who was the leading candidate for the No. 4 WR spot after the first week of training camp.

CFL star Mathieu Betts fell short of making the team.

And now, the official list from the Lions:

5 key players to watch in Lions preseason finale

5 key players to watch in Lions preseason finale, from Hendon Hooker to Brandon Joseph

The final preseason game is all about sorting out the Detroit Lions depth. Very few of the players who will ever matter in a regular season game–unless necessitated by injury–will play in the Lions exhibition finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

For those battling for the bottom of the roster spots, practice squad berths or auditioning for their next football destination, it’s a very big day. There’s still a ton to play for and take away for so many players.

These five stand out as ones to really watch in Detroit’s matchup with Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon.

Hendon Hooker

Hooker is efforting to prove he can be the No. 2 quarterback, earning the trust from the coaching staff to take over for Nate Sudfeld in the primary reserve role behind Jared Goff. He had a very strong performance in leading Detroit’s comeback win over the Chiefs a week ago, and another game full of good decisions, accurate passes and timely runs would go a long way for Hooker.

Giovanni Manu

Manu, like Hooker, is in no danger of being cut. But the raw rookie offensive tackle desperately needs reps to get up to as fast of a speed as he can. The message from the team has been consistent from the second the Lions drafted Manu: 2024 is a redshirt season for the giant Tongan who played Canadian college basketball until discovering football.

Manu had a very solid performance in Kansas City, and he’s shown technical improvement in practices. He’s still incredibly green, but the progress could be enough that Manu can at least be active in a game and play as an extra tackle in packages in the regular season. Continued growth and confidence against the Steelers would be great to see.

Mitchell Agude

Dan Campbell brought up Agude during the week, and it’s important to heed the coach’s words:

“I see growth. We like Mitch. Mitch, he’s another guy, just busts his rear, he gives you everything he’s got out there, and he’s got some rush ability. He’s strong, quick off the edge. And look, we moved him to SAM linebacker last week, so we kind of made that change. ‘Let’s put him at SAM and move (Lions LB James) Houston to more D-end.’ So, we flopped those two. And it’s not necessarily the perfect position for Mitch, but he’s made the most of it, and he’s trying to make it work, and that’s a credit to him. But he still has enough of that where he can play the D-end position and really excel at what he does best, so he’s doing a good job. We like Mitch.”

Agude is fighting for one of those very last spots on the roster. He’s outplayed James Houston and Mathieu Betts all summer — rather emphatically in my eyes. If Agude proves he can handle his business at a new spot after a crash course week of practice, it’s a big feather in his cap. That reserve SAM spot behind Derrick Barnes is Agude’s for the taking.

Donovan Peoples-Jones

Despite repeated challenges to “step up,” it just hasn’t happened for Peoples-Jones in his quest to earn the No. 4 receiving job. The Lions have invested the most in making No. 19 win that spot, both in terms of money and time. I still believe that one big game can reward Detroit’s tested patience in Peoples-Jones and keep him on the roster.

Brandon Joseph

The second-year safety has shown considerable all-around improvement this summer. Joseph has been rewarded by earning first-team reps at safety ahead of Ifeatu Melifonwu when both have been healthy (Melifonwu is currently dealing with another injury), and No. 40 keeps picking off passes and blowing up quick slants. The Steelers bring a very different type of offensive dynamic to Detroit. If Joseph plays well against the different look, it’s going to be hard to knock him from that No. 3 safety role. But if he struggles–notably in decision-making in space–that role swings right back to a healthy Melinfowu, who is a better tackler and blitzer.

Breaking down the Lions depth chart vs. Steelers in the preseason finale

Breaking down the Lions depth chart vs. Steelers in the preseason finale and where practice reps don’t match what’s listed

The final offseason depth chart is now out for the Detroit Lions. This week’s unofficial edition of the Lions roster and how it stacks up was prepped for the final preseason game, Saturday’s home date with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Ford Field.

The starters are pretty well-established on both sides of the ball, and it’s almost certain none of them will see the field against Pittsburgh. Behind that first line, there are a few interesting placements.

It starts at wide receiver, where Donovan Peoples-Jones is listed on the third team offense. Tom Kennedy, Daurice Fountain and Maurice Alexander are all on the second unit ahead of Peoples-Jones, who was expected to earn the No. 4 WR job at the start of training camp.

Kaden Davis, who scored an impressive touchdown in the exhibition win over the Chiefs, is behind Peoples-Jones on the fourth line. Undrafted rookies Isaiah Williams and Jalon Calhoun are listed ahead of Davis, though practice reps throughout the week would place Davis over the entire second-team line at wide receiver. The same is true for Williams, who saw some first-team reps in Tuesday’s session.

Injuries have really shaken up the practice participation for the offensive line lately, with starting RG Kevin Zeitler and reserve tackles Dan Skipper and Giovanni Manu missing practices, plus rookie guard Christian Mahogany still inactive on the non-football illness list. Seeing Skipper listed as the second-team left tackle over Jamarco Jones could be an indication the team still sees Skipper that highly. That’s one to watch in the Steelers game.

Defensively, the depth chart here looks very representative of what we’ve seen in practice when the Lions are in a base nickel package. When they go three LBs, it’s Amik Robertson (or Ennis Rakestraw) in the slot who comes off and Derrick Barnes playing the SAM role. Mitchell Agude has quickly ascended to the second line at SAM while also getting reps that are consistent with Isaac Ukwu and James Houston at end.

One point of contention comes on special teams, specifically the return specialists. Kalif Raymond is the first-team punt returner, but I’ve not seen Peoples-Jones even queue up for reps at punt returner behind him. It’s Isaiah Williams and Maurice Alexander, in that order.

Kick returner also features Williams, Alexander and rookie RB Sione Vaki all getting substantially more reps than either Craig Reynolds or Khalil Dorsey. That’s one of the biggest remaining battles–seeing who earns the jobs (there are two full-time now) as the kick returners.

Defensive end Mitchell Agude has a real chance of making the Lions 53-man roster

Defensive end Mitchell Agude has a real chance of making the Lions 53-man roster after adding SAM duty to his resume

Who doesn’t love a good story? Especially when it’s an athlete and their journey to the league. In this case, we could be on the verge of seeing dreams come true for Detroit Lions defensive end Mitchell Agude. We’re six days away from finding out what each teams 53-man roster will look like in the NFL. The question for Agude will be if he makes the Lions roster or not.

In 2023, Agude was undrafted out of Miami (FL) and he ended up signing with the Miami Dolphins. Part of the final roster cuts last summer, he was waived and about a month later, he signed to the practice squad of the Lions.

Prior to the NFL, Agude spent a season at Miami (FL) and two seasons at UCLA. With the Hurricanes, he was able to record 39 tackles, 7 tackles for loss and four sacks. During his career with the Bruins, he had 78 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.

Some will say that it’s “just good” but for Agude, it’s remarkable. Reason being is that Agude is lucky to be alive. When he was 9-years old, he was skateboarding at Santana Park in Corona, California and suffered a near-death experience. He fell off his skateboard and hit his head on the concrete. This forced him into a coma and for one and a half days, doctors drained fluid from his head. The fall caused a severe brain bleed and seizure.

After three days of the doctors trying to figure out a way to save his life and essentially telling his family that he’ll be in a vegetative state for the rest of his life, Agude woke up. From there, everything kind of went back to normal in his life. It was a miracle for him and his family.

The only hiccup he had after the accident was trying to convince his mother, Grace Agude, to let him play football. He wanted to follow in his big brothers footsteps and play the game. Despite years of his mother not allowing him to play contact sports, she finally let him in the 7th grade. From there, the rest is history.

Now, Agude is on the brink of making the Detroit Lions 53-man roster. Up to this point, he’s had a very strong summer with the Lions. He’s recorded 8 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. Let’s dive into some film and see what Agude is doing so well for the Lions defense!

The first play I want to highlight is how Agude (DE #50) reads and reacts well to a screen pass to the running back. Looking at the play above, you’ll see Agude aligned in a tilt-7 technique against the Chiefs right tackle.

Once the ball is snapped, the Lions call for a E/T Stunt with Agude and Mekhi Wingo (DT #94). This is where the defensive tackle loops around outside and the defensive end crashes inside to the B-gap. This normally frees up the tackle to get a much clearer path to the quarterback.

However, you’ll see the running back check release on Wingo and in the process, he turns around and catches the screen pass. Fortunately, Agude doesn’t get too deep into the backfield and he actually does a pretty good job reading the offensive lineman releasing up field. He reacts quickly to the running back getting the ball and he makes great effort tracking this down for a minimal gain.

Next up is a rep from Agude where he shows off his pass-rush ability. You’ll see him highlighted on the play above as he works against the Chiefs right tackle. Once the ball is snapped, he shows a quick get-off but most importantly, watch his hands and pad level.

Once the right tackle throws his punch, Agude does a great job chopping the hands of the offensive tackle with his inside arm. Following it up, he rips underneath while dropping his pad level. As he begins to turn the corner, he takes it a bit wide and this allows the right guard to pick him up.

Which, keep in mind, is a great play by Chiefs right guard Trey Smith. This gives Patrick Mahomes enough time to step up in the pocket and get rid of the ball. Overall, this rep from Agude is encouraging as the Lions look for a pass-rusher opposite of Aidan Hutchinson.

Lastly, I want to focus on Agude playing off-the-ball and aligned in a ’30’ alignment for linebackers. Teams searching for a SAM linebacker will need them to play on and off the line-of-scrimmage consistently. They’ll need to play in coverage, stop the run and rush the passer. Through two preseason games, we’re seeing Agude being able to do that.

The play above highlights just that. As I mentioned, Agude is aligned in a ’30’ and while it’s unclear what pass coverage drop he would have, if any, it’s promising to see him play well against the run. Watch how fluid he is with his lower half while being able to locate the ball carrier. In the process, he attacks up field with a good angle and good play speed to make this tackle for a minimal gain.

Overall, it’s been very encouraging to see Mitchell Agude playing well for the Detroit Lions defense. Coming into this season, it felt like James Houston was somewhat on the hot seat. Houston needs to stay healthy, get on the field and produce.

Fortunately for the Lions, they’ve got a player waiting in the wings and potentially pushing Houston out of his spot. Looking like a more natural fit for that SAM linebacker position, it wouldn’t be surprising if Agude ended up making the 53-man roster over Houston and other defensive players.

Right now, Agude is doing all of the little things right. He does a good job with his run fits, flashes the ability to rush the passer and shows great effort on just about every single play. As he looks to live out his dream, he could be causing nightmares for the decision makers on the Lions roster. Over the next week or so, we’ll see if he can make his dream come true.

Tom Kennedy among 11 players signed to reserve/future deals by the Lions

The Detroit Lions signed 11 players to reserve/future contracts, including WR Tom Kennedy and OT Connor Galvin

One of the first orders of business for all teams in the offseason is to sign players to reserve/future contracts. With the Lions season not ending until after the NFC Championship game, it took longer than other years.

The Lions added 11 players to reserve/future deals on Tuesday. A reserve/future contract is a commitment by the team to bring the players back with a chance to compete for spots in the coming season. Typically, they are players coming off the practice squad or unsigned street free agents who had some connection to the team.

The biggest name is wide receiver Tom Kennedy, who has been on and off the Lions roster since the 2019 season.

The full list:

  • LB Mitchell Agude
  • WR Maurice Alexander
  • OL Matt Farniok
  • RB Jake Funk
  • OT Connor Galvin
  • CB Craig James
  • S Brandon Joseph
  • WR Tom Kennedy
  • OL Michael Niese
  • DT Chris Smith

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Rams, Lions have 4 former Dolphins in wild-card matchup

Former Dolphins who will play in Rams-Lions wild-card game.

The Miami Dolphins have been eliminated from the postseason following their 27-6 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday night.

So, while Dolphins fans prepare for the offseason, there are a number of former Dolphins who are still playing for a Super Bowl championship that they can support.

On Sunday, the Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions are set to battle in a wild-card matchup of their own, and there are four former Dolphins on their rosters and practice squads.

Here’s a look at which players who once donned the aqua and orange will play in this one:

Dolphins UDFA making Jaelan Phillips his role model

He’s setting a pretty solid example for the rookie.

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Following the conclusion of the 2023 NFL draft, the Miami Dolphins brought in over 20 undrafted free agents for opportunities to impress coaches and make the team at the end of training camp.

One undrafted free agent, linebacker Mitchell Agude, is ready to make an impact and earn a spot on the practice squad or active roster for the regular season.

Agude’s collegiate journey saw him transfer from UCLA to Miami for his final season before signing with the Dolphins post-draft. That path probably sounds pretty familiar to Dolphins fans, as Jaelan Phillips did the exact same thing.

In fact, Phillips is someone that Agude is going to be following as he makes his transition to the NFL.

“I’m just going to have [Phillips] as my role model,” Agude said earlier in the month (transcribed by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel). “Just make sure that everything he’s doing I’m doing times two, just to make sure I’m on his level, trying to be one of the greats.”

That’s not a bad idea for an undrafted rookie. Phillips, the 18th overall pick in 2021, set the franchise record for sacks by a rookie (8.5) and followed that up with a strong second season where he saw a big jump in snaps from 54% to 73%.

While Phillips has a good mix of strength and speed, Agude seems to rely on his aggression.

“My physicality is one thing that I harp on, that I think coaches really like about me,” Agude said. “Just being able to be aggressive coming off the ball, smack someone if the pull is coming, dent in his facemask. Just being able to make someone not want to play. I want to put fear in someone’s head. When the ball is snapped, he knows he has to go against Mitchell Agude.”

With all of the talent that Miami has on the edge this season, it will be tough for Agude to crack a roster spot, but he may be able to snag a practice squad spot from someone like fellow linebacker Cameron Goode, last year’s seventh-round selection.

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Dolphins Wire UDFA Player Profile: LB Mitchell Agude

Making the transition to the NFL but playing at the same stadium.

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Included in the Miami Dolphins 20-plus undrafted free agents, a local prospect may be familiar to South Florida football fans. Next up in the Dolphins Wire undrafted player profile series is Miami Hurricanes linebacker Mitchell Agude.

Agude had a few stops prior to his time as a Hurricane, as he began his collegiate career at Riverside Community College in California, playing two seasons in 2018 and 2019. He was a three-star junior college recruit and a top-10 prospect at that level.

Staying in his home state of California, in 2020 and 2021 Agude had success at UCLA, and he was named a second-team All-Pac 12 honoree. In 2021 Agude finished with 54 tackles (6.5 for a loss), four forced fumbles and a pair of sacks.

Following his stint as a Bruin, Agude transferred across the country to Miami, where he finished his college football career as a Redshirt senior. He ended the 2022 season with 39 total tackles (seven for a loss), four sacks and a forced fumble.

Agude has edge rushing ability from his outside linebacker spot, attacks blockers well and has excellent balance and agility. Stamina is never an issue as Agude has a non-stop motor.

Sitting at 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds, Agude could stand to put on some weight and strength to battle NFL tackles off the edge. Still a relative project with his years outside of Division I competition, he can be coached up and with a linebacking core searching for backend depth after the top-end talent for Miami. He’ll battle multiple other undrafted rookie linebackers to earn a stop on either the practice squad or perhaps the 53-man roster.

He will need to work on his repertoire of rush moves and not just rely on his outside quickness, but he can be molded and worked with during organized team activities as well as during training camp.

“Mitchell Agude has the kind of build that suggests you can continue to stack up weight on his frame, and he showcases the kind of initial quickness to suggest that he can win off the edge with more refinement as a player,” Kyle Crabbs wrote about Agude for The Draft Network.

Entering a professional roster with quality edge rushing linebackers such as Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips and Andrew Van Ginkel, Agude has several excellent tutors and a professor in new Dolphins defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

Agude seems to be an individual who won’t shy away from the challenge of earning a role on a football team, as he’s dealt with and experienced tough trials in his life. As a nine-year-old, he suffered a brain injury that, thankfully, he was able to make a full recovery from, which was nothing short of a miracle.

Agude’s skill set, endless effort and determination make him one to root for and watch this summer, especially in the local and friendly confines of Miami for the Hurricane prospect.

As Crabbs added in his report prior to this past April’s NFL draft, “based on the adversity he’s overcome in his life to get to this point, he’s definitely someone I’d want to bet on finding a role in the NFL.”

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