Tag: Parnell Motley

What former Lions were selected in the XFL draft this week?

The XFL held its draft this week and some former Lions were among the players selected

The XFL is back for another go-around. The league is slated to play its second season in 2023 after the first season of the XFL reboot was crushed early by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The upstart league held its player draft this week. The XFL does things a little differently, with the quarterbacks all going first, followed by the rest of the offensive skill positions, then the defensive backs and pass rushers, followed by the linemen. It’s an eight-team league that uses a snake draft format like your typical fantasy football league.

There were quite a few players with ties to the Detroit Lions selected in the XFL draft. Most of them were from Lions training camp or preseason rosters.

These XFL players all have some Lions experience.

Arlington Renegades

QB Kyle Sloter

LB Jesse Lemonier

DT Bruce Hector

Their offensive coordinator is former Lions QB Chuck Long

D.C. Defenders

CB Parnell Motley

The Defenders head coach is one-time Lions coach Reggie Barlow

Houston Roughnecks

LB Tavante Beckett

Orlando Guardians

CB Dee Virgin

San Antonio Brahmas

TE Alize Mack

St. Louis Battlehawks

None

Seattle Sea Dragons

QB Steven Montez

Vegas Vipers

Former Browns DBs Channing Stribling, Parnell Motley taken in XFL Draft

Former Browns defensive backs Parnell Motley and Channing Stribling have come off the board in the XFL Draft.

Wide receiver Ja’Marcus Bradley was not the only player who has spent time with the Cleveland Browns who has ended up in the XFL today. As they continue to work through their reboot draft, two more players who have spent time with the Browns in training camp have been taken off the board in defensive backs Parnell Motley and Channing Stribling.

Motley spent this past summer with the Browns before failing to make the final-53 man roster. He has also spent time with the Denver Broncos and Tampa Buccaneers since going undrafted out of the University of Oklahoma in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Stribling signed with the Browns as an undrafted free agent after the 2017 NFL Draft but did not make the final-53 man roster. Bouncing from the Browns to the Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Chargers, and Washington Commanders in the NFL, Stribling has spent time in other leagues as well. From the Canadian Football League to the Alliance of American Football, then to the USFL, Stribling now checks off the XFL as well.

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Lions cut 5 players to make room for the UDFA class

Lions cut 5 players to make room for the UDFA class, including waiving one player with an injury settlement

No team carried more players on the 90-man roster than the Detroit Lions did entering the 2022 NFL draft weekend. As a result, the team has been limited in the pursuit of undrafted free agents. That has now been rectified.

The Lions waived five players on Tuesday.

  • LB Tavante Beckett
  • EDGE Rashod Berry
  • CB Parnell Motley
  • TE Matt Sokol
  • TE Jared Pinkney, who was waived with an injury settlement

None of the players who were waived were considered more than longshots to make the final 53-man roster. Beckett did show some ability on special teams as an undrafted rookie in 2021.

Creating those vacancies on the roster places the Lions at 85 players on the roster, counting the spots committed for the draft class.

Lions officially activate CB Ifeatu Melifonwu from IR

The Detroit Lions officially activate CB Ifeatu Melifonwu from injured reserve

One of the key building blocks in the young Detroit Lions secondary is back and ready for action. Rookie cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu has been activated from injured reserve and added to the active 53-man roster.

The Lions announced Melifonwu’s activation on Monday after the short Thanksgiving weekend break. Melifonwu has not played since suffering a hamstring injury in Week 2, a game that was his first NFL start as a replacement for injured Jeff Okudah.

Head coach Dan Campbell indicated in his press conference that Melifonwu will begin back as a reserve. Fellow rookie Jerry Jacobs has performed above expectations as the starter on the outside and has earned the right to stay in the starting lineup, per Campbell. With regular slot corner AJ Parker now on injured reserve, it opens the potential for Melifonwu to slide inside.

In another move, the Lions also re-signed cornerback Parnell Motley to the team’s practice squad. Motley has been on and off the squad in the last month and is now back on.

Lions activate CB/KR Corey Ballentine from IR

Lions activate CB/KR Corey Ballentine from injured reserve and released CB Parnell Motley from the practice squad

The Detroit Lions activated a player from injured reserve on Thursday, but it wasn’t necessarily the player most expected to make his return. Cornerback and return specialist Corey Ballentine was activated from the IR after earlier being designated to return.

Ballentine suffered a hamstring injury in the Week 5 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The third-year DB played exclusively on special teams prior to his injury.

Quarterback Tim Boyle remains on the IR/designated to return list even though he’s taken the first-team reps in practices this week with starting QB Jared Goff sidelined with an oblique injury. Boyle has not played since injuring his thumb in the preseason and has been on the IR all year. Boyle is expected to be activated but has not as of yet.

The Lions had a roster spot open after waiving wide receiver Geronimo Allison earlier this week. They will need to make another to activate Boyle.

On the practice squad front, the Lions released CB Parnell Motley. Allison rejoined the team’s practice squad on Wednesday.

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Lions bring back Darren Fells and Dean Marlowe among roster maneuvers

The Lions used a roster manipulation to create space and quickly brought back Fells and Marlowe. Detroit also made several changes to the practice squad.

Lions fans whose blood pressure surged with the odd news of the team releasing two prominent veterans on Wednesday can relax. The Lions quickly re-signed tight end Darren Fells and safety Dean Marlowe in a series of roster maneuvers on Thursday.

Fells and Marlowe were never going anywhere. The Lions exploited the NFL’s rules that require a player to be on the active roster for a day before being placed on injured reserve. Detroit had two players destined for I.R. in Tim Boyle and Da’Shawn Hand, but they needed to wait a day. After claiming WR KhaDarel Hodge and PK Austin Seibert off waivers, GM Brad Holmes needed two quick, temporary roster spots, and waived the vested veterans Fells and Marlowe to create the space.

The Lions also made a few changes to the team’s 16-man practice squad. Holmes brought in five players who spent the preseason on other rosters:

  • OLB Jessie Lemonier
  • QB Steven Montez
  • CB Parnell Motley
  • TE Jared Pinkney
  • TE Shane Zylstra

To make room for the newcomers, the Lions released four players from the initial practice squad. All were with the Lions throughout training camp:

  • LB Rashod Berry
  • DT Miles Brown
  • TE Alize Mack
  • RB Dedrick Mills

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Former Oklahoma CB Parnell Motley signs with Denver Broncos

Former Oklahoma cornerback Parnell Motley has signed a deal with the Denver Broncos.

Former Oklahoma cornerback Parnell Motley is getting a new NFL home as he is signing on to become a member of the Denver Broncos.

After a very solid senior season with Oklahoma in 2019, Motley went undrafted after not receiving an NFL Scouting Combine invite in the weeks leading up to the NFL Draft.

In April, Motley signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent and made the team’s 53-man roster. He appeared in two games prior to being waived in October.

He was then picked up by the San Francisco 49ers before being waived by them just a couple more weeks later and reassigned to the practice squad.

Now, he has found a new home with a Denver as the Broncos made the move to sign him to join their roster on Monday.

Due to COVID-19 protocols he won’t be available for this Saturday’s game against Buffalo, but if all goes well Motley could take the field for the first time as a Bronco on Dec. 27th on the road against former defensive teammate Kenneth Murray and the Los Angeles Chargers.

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49ers roster moves: CB Parnell Motley added, OL Ben Garland placed on IR

The 49ers placed Ben Garland on Injured Reserve as part of a trio of roster moves.

The 49ers on Tuesday made a trio of roster moves prior to the start of their Week 7 practices. Cornerback Parnell Motley was added to the roster. Center Ben Garland was placed on Injured Reserve with a calf injury and tight end Daniel Helm was waived.

San Francisco claimed Motley off waivers from the Buccaneers prior to Week 6. He was an undrafted rookie out of Oklahoma who saw action in two games for Tampa Bay as a special teams player. He cleared COVID-19 protocol and was allowed to officially join the 53-man roster.

Garland hurt his calf near the end of the 49ers’ Week 6 win over the Rams. Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday indicated Garland’s injury would land him on IR. The club made that move official and he’ll be out at least three weeks.

Helm was added after Jordan Reed went down with a knee injury, but only saw action in one game. That could be an indication the club intends to get Reed back soon, or it may mean another roster move is coming with a spot now open.

Former Oklahoma CB Parnell Motley picked up by San Francisco 49ers

After a hot start in Tampa Bay, former Oklahoma cornerback Parnell Motley is moving coasts. He was claimed off waivers by San Francisco.

After a hot start in Tampa Bay, former Oklahoma cornerback Parnell Motley is moving coasts.

Motley was signed by the Buccaneers after he didn’t get drafted in the 2020 NFL draft. He was one of the top undrafted free agents after a big 2019 season for the Sooners and then ended up making Tampa Bay’s 53-man roster out of training camp.

The Bucs would go on to put him on waivers, and Motley was acquired by the San Francisco 49ers off the wire.

Due to COVID-19 protocols, Motley isn’t allowed to enter the 49ers facility until Monday. San Francisco is dealing with injury issues across the board and the former Oklahoma corner could get a shot at some playing time whenever he gets up to speed.

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49ers claim rookie CB off waivers from Buccaneers

The 49ers scooped undrafted rookie CB Parnell Motley after the Buccaneers placed him on waivers.

The 49ers on Tuesday made a move to help their ailing secondary when they claimed cornerback Parnell Motley off waivers from Tampa Bay.

Motley signed with Tampa Bay as an undrafted rookie out of Oklahoma following this year’s draft. He landed on the 53-man roster out of camp and made two appearances for the Buccaneers in Weeks 3 and 4 before getting waived on October 12. All of his snaps in those games came on special teams.

The former Sooner had a productive four-year college career. He hauled in six interceptions, had 33 pass breakups, and racked up 130 tackles. He wasn’t invited to the combine, but is listed at 6-0, 180 pounds and clocked a reported 4.5-second 40-yard dash during his Pro Day.

Motley will need to pass COVID-19 protocols before joining the club. San Francisco’s secondary has been ravaged by injuries early in the season, with five different pairings starting each of the first five games. Last week a hamstring injury sidelined Ahkello Witherspoon early and forced the 49ers to start practice squad CB Brian Allen. It did not go well. Motley gives them an additional healthy player on the depth chart, although the 49ers will hope his services aren’t needed as their injury situation in the secondary improves.

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