Lions elevate Geronimo Allison and Nickell Robey-Coleman from the practice squad

Allison and Robey-Coleman provide some veteran presence to positions that sorely need it for Week 6

Veteran help is on the way for the Detroit Lions for Sunday’s home matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Lions elevated wide receiver Geronimo Allison and cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman from the practice squad for the Week 6 game.

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Both Allison and Robey-Coleman are standard elevations, which means they will revert back to the practice squad after the game. The NFL altered the rules to allow teams to activate a total of 55 players for game days. It’s the first elevation of the season for both vets.

Allison provides a more proven outside threat for QB Jared Goff, who has struggled to find downfield targets. Robey-Coleman has years of starting experience in the slot and bolsters an inexperienced secondary that starts two undrafted rookies in Jerry Jacobs and AJ Parker at CB.

New Lions receive their numbers amongst several jersey changes

KhaDarel Hodge and Austin Seibert picked out their numbers while several other Lions changed their jersey numbers

With plenty of options to choose from following roster cuts, the new members of the Detroit Lions were given their jersey numbers for the upcoming season.

Wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge will wear number 18, which was previously worn in Detroit by Geronimo Allison. Hodge was claimed off of waivers by the Lions just a day after he was cut by the Cleveland Browns.

After releasing both of their kickers, Detroit put in a claim for Austin Seibert to fill the void at the position. Seibert will wear number 4, which was just donned by his predecessor Randy Bullock. Seibert also wore that number during his time in Cleveland.

Acquired in a recent trade with the Denver Broncos, wide receiver Trinity Benson will sport the number 17 in Detroit.

On the practice squad, Steven Montez was given the number 19 — one that is seldom worn by quarterbacks. Cornerback Parnell Motley will wear 29 and edge rusher Jessie Lemonier will wear 52. Tight ends Jared Pinkney and Shane Zylstra were given numbers 82 and 84, respectively.

Two members on the 53-man roster also switched their jersey numbers.

Linebacker Austin Bryant, who has worn 94 in Detroit for the last two seasons, has moved into the single-digits and will now play with the number 2 on his jersey.

Defensive back Bobby Price switched his number to 27 after making the roster due to him and long snapper Scott Daly both sharing 47 during training camp.

Cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman, who was signed to the practice squad, will now wear the number 1 instead of 43, which he held for the last few weeks.

 

Nickell Robey-Coleman wants to leave his ‘footprint’ with the Lions

Nickell Robey-Coleman signed with the Detroit Lions due to the people and culture and wants to leave his footprint in Detroit

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The vibe surrounding the Detroit Lions lately is a different feel from last year. Either Coach Campbell’s energy or Jamaal Williams throwing balls with the fans; this is way different from the previous regime. Everyone involved looks to be having fun, which is what you need to do while playing this game at the end of the day. The coaches are getting the best out of the players, teaching them instead of directing them and making it easy to process versus overthinking.

The front office and the coaching staff have made tremendous strides in establishing a culture where individuals want to join the family culture building in Detroit. It might take a little bit for the word to get out, but it looks like one individual is already seeing is what is being built from the outside and wants to be part of the expansion of the culture that values people.

Nickell Robey-Coleman has been one of the better nickel backs in the league, who has been coveted this offseason from the like of the Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, and the Arizona Cardinals, amongst others. However, he ultimately chose Detroit, which is a change of pace because most of the time, the Lions are passed over because of the infamous history, but Robey-Coleman has a different viewpoint.

“This was the right opportunity for me because of the people that are here running things. I felt like I could come here, put a footprint in this organization, actually be a part of this leadership, and do something special, do something big. Not just win, but win big.”

Even though he is coming late into a new team, he has plenty of familiar faces within the organization. General Manager Brad Holmes and assistant general manager Ray Agnew were with the Rams where Robey-Coleman was during the 2017-2019 seasons. Coach Campbell doesn’t share a direct connection, but he was on the Saints staff during Robey-Colemans infamous passer interference no-call in the 2018 NFC championship game, which he has not discussed with him at this point.

 “It’s a mutual feeling between us two. We know how it is, how it went. It’s just something that happened, and we just moved on. But now I’m here ready to start something new, something different.”

Also, he will be reunited with his old Rams position coach, Aubrey Pleasant, who was brought to Detroit to serve as the defensive backs coach and has impressed with his work so far through camp.

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“Because he’s more than just a coach. He can teach. He knows how to teach. When I first met AP four years ago, five years ago, he was totally different than any other coach. He cared. He cared about his guys. He wants the best for his guys. He’s going to be a prick sometimes because he wants you to be great. He doesn’t want you to be mediocre and be OK with that. So if he sees you slipping, he’s going to let you know. But at the same time, he’s a coach. He lets you be a player, but when he sees it fit to come in and teach something, he’s going to do that. That’s what makes him so special and valuable to the DB room.”

Robey-Coleman walks into Detroit with a legit shot at making the team with Corn Elder’s hamstring injury and Mike Ford transitioning to the outside. Coach Campbell believes Robey-Coleman will provide a strong veteran presence and flexibility in a position he has succeeded in his career.

“I love slot. I’ve been playing slot since college. I played a little outside in college, too, but slot fits me. I take advantage of slot receivers in the slot with my size, speed, and quickness. It’s just a great fit for me.”

With his familiarization with the staff, Robey-Coleman should not have issues getting up to speed with the coaches’ scheme. In fact, the scheme the Lions will be running this season is strikingly similar to what he has run with in the past.

“This scheme got us to the Super Bowl, won an NFC championship, then before then we were making playoff appearances. We created a lot of turnovers on the front end, getting sacks, and on the back end, getting interceptions and forced fumbles. The D-line and the back end can work together, marry up together; it’ll look real good.”

Considering Robey-Coleman chose Detroit over legitimate contenders speaks volumes to the type of culture and atmosphere the Lions are bringing into Detroit. He can see what the front office and the coaching staff have done so far and what’s to be a part of the implementation to help bring it together. It has to feel good the Lions were able to grab a player who will make the defense better and the team as a whole and make this a memorable ride in the Motor City.

Nickell Robey-Coleman: What the Lions are getting in their new CB

Scouting report on new Lions CB Nickell Robey-Coleman

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There is a new cornerback in Detroit, one familiar to both fans and to defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant. The Lions signed veteran Nickell Robey-Coleman on Monday.

What are the Lions getting in Robey-Coleman?

The 29-year-old comes to Detroit after one year with the Philadelphia Eagles. He spent three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams prior to his stint in Philadelphia, playing under Pleasant, and four years before that with the Buffalo Bills.

Robey-Coleman had his best years in Los Angeles while almost exclusively playing inside in the slot. At 5-foot-8, it’s a natural fit for the USC product.

He’s best described as short-not-small as a corner. Robey-Coleman doesn’t have length or a lot of bulk at 180 pounds, but he’s not shy about being physical or attacking the ball. His willingness to throw his body around and hit in both the run and pass defense.

Pleasant knew how to utilize that well with the Rams. Robey-Coleman deployed more in Cover-6, meaning he dropped in the zone to keep the play in front of him by design. It allowed him to keep his eyes on the quarterback and use his quick acceleration to break on the ball.

Robey-Coleman played more man defense in Philadelphia, but also had less of an effective pass rush to help him out. It did not work well with the Eagles. Most notably, his tackling really fell off; Robey-Coleman missed 12 tackles and recorded just 44, a terrible ratio. He’s always had some issues with being more of a hitter than a wrapper as a tackler, but it got quite bad in 2020.

He’s not a lockdown type of cornerback in coverage. Robey-Coleman can mirror routes fairly well, but he’s better at closing on the receiver with the ball in the air and quickly terminating the play. He has seven career interceptions, none since 2018, and a pass defended rate of eight percent (PDs vs. targets), which is indicative of a corner that does not make a lot of plays on the ball.

The familiarity with Pleasant and with playing in front of a split safety look are assets Robey-Coleman can lean on to quickly stake a claim in the Lions’ unsettled secondary. Don’t be surprised if Robey-Coleman winds up starting in the slot at some point in 2021 as long as the tackling and positional responsibility awareness are on point.

Lions to sign veteran CB Nickell Robey-Coleman

Robey-Coleman played under Lions DBs coach Aubrey Pleasant with the Rams

The Detroit Lions are adding cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman to the roster after the veteran visited the team on Monday. Ian Rapoport from the NFL Network was the first to report the signing, which has been confirmed by local sources in Detroit.

Robey-Coleman has played almost exclusively in the slot in his eight-year NFL career. He spent 2020 with the Philadelphia Eagles, starting seven of 15 games and notching 44 total tackles and one PD. He has also played for the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams, where he worked under Lions GM Brad Holmes and DB coach Aubrey Pleasant.

The Lions are looking for help at slot corner. Free agent signee Corn Elder has not had a great camp, and veteran Mike Ford has been hit-and-miss. Undrafted rookie A.J. Parker has taken some first-team reps of late in the slot as well.

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Former Eagles CB Nickell Robey-Coleman agrees to a deal with the Lions

Former Eagles CB Nickell Robey-Coleman agrees to a deal with the Lions

After a Monday morning work out in Detroit, former Eagles cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman has a new home after agreeing to a deal with the Lions.

The move comes after Lions cornerback Corn Elder left Friday’s practice with a leg injury, forcing him to miss the team’s scrimmage at Ford Field. Quinton Dunbar has been away from the team as well due to a personal issue, so Robey-Coleman gives Detroit depth heading into their first preseason contest.

Once one of the top slot-cornerbacks in the league, Robey-Coleman started a career-high seven games last season for the Eagles but allowed 46 receptions on 56 targets for 533 yards and three touchdowns.

PFF ranked him 167th among 200 corners last season, the second-worst coverage grade of his career.

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Report: Lions will host free agent CB Nickell Robey-Coleman on Monday

Veteran free agent slot corner Nickell Robey-Coleman will visit the Lions on Monday

The Lions training camp competition at slot cornerback hasn’t exactly thrived through the first 10 practice sessions. The lack of a surefire winner of the ongoing trials could be leading the Lions to look outside Detroit for some help.

According to Josina Anderson, the Lions will host veteran slot CB Nickell Robey-Coleman for a free agent visit on Monday.

Robey-Coleman, 29, played for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020. He spent the three prior seasons as the primary slot corner for the Los Angeles Rams, where Lions GM Brad Holmes and assistant GM Ray Agnew both worked in the front office.

Detroit’s current slot corner situation is a little murky. Free agent Corn Elder signed this offseason, but he’s not off to a flying start in Detroit and has been getting some reps on the outside. Mike Ford has taken a lot of first-team reps in the slot with mixed results but some promise. In Friday’s practice session, undrafted rookie A.J. Parker even worked with the first-team defense as the nickel back.

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Alex Singleton led Eagles in performance-based pay, earned extra $464K

Alex Singleton led Philadelphia Eagles in performance-based pay, earned an extra $464K

Alex Singleton had a breakout season in Philadelphia, and the Eagles leading tackler landed a huge bonus for his efforts.

The NFLPA recently sent agents the numbers on performance-based pay for this past season, and Singleton led all Eagles with an extra $464,296 in compensation.

Nate Herbig ($414K), Greg Ward ($380K), Duke Riley ($365), Matt Pryor ($353K), and Jordan Mailata ($338K) landed the biggest bonuses.

Current Chiefs left tackle Prince Tega Wanogho landed the smallest bonus with $781.

Bucs offensive lineman Alex Cappa led all NFL players with a bonus of $622,056 after playing 99.7% of Tampa’s snaps this season.

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Free agent cornerbacks for the Browns to consider in 2021

Lots of slot corners and an old friend highlight the list

Cornerback is a definite need for the Cleveland Browns as the team approaches the beginning of the 2021 league year. Outside of Pro Bowler Denzel Ward, the team has a lot more questions than answers at CB.

A healthy return from Greedy Williams would certainly help, but the Browns are losing the No. 2 and No. 3 CBs from 2020 with Terrance Mitchell and Kevin Johnson each slated for free agency. Restricted free agent Tavierre Thomas, who saw action as a reserve, is not expected back as well.

It’s a decent free agent class of corners. The strength of the class appears to be inside with corners best-suited for slot duty, which is where Johnson manned the field in 2020. Here are a few choice candidates who should be affordable scheme fits for coach Kevin Stefanski and coordinator Joe Woods’ defense in Cleveland.

All players listed here are set to be unrestricted free agents as of March 17th or are already free agents.

Eagles to place CB Nickell Robey-Coleman on the Reserve/COVID-19 list

Eagles to place CB Nickell Robey-Coleman on the Reserve/COVID-19 list

The Eagles will be without slot cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman for Sunday night’s matchup against Washington after he and a practice squad player tested positive for COVID-19.

With the season set to end for the Eagles, Robey-Coleman will likely finish his season virtually and he’ll likely have an exit interview virtually as well.

Robey-Coleman could be out in Philadelphia after signing a one-year deal as a free agent after parting ways with the Rams.

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