Tag: Quinton Bohanna

Titans sign DT Quinton Bohanna from the Lions practice squad

Titans sign DT Quinton Bohanna from the Lions practice squad to Tennessee’s active roster

The Quinton Bohanna experience in Detroit has come to an interesting conclusion. Bohanna is no longer on the Lions practice squad after being signed by the Tennessee Titans on Wednesday.

Bohanna was effectively out of options with Detroit. The beefy veteran DT had already reached the limit of game-day elevations from the practice squad after playing in Weeks 11-13 for the Lions. Had the Lions wanted to play him again, Bohanna would have needed to be signed to the team’s 53-man roster.

Now, that’s not an option with the Titans making the move. Bohanna heads to Nashville as an injury replacement for DT Kyle Peko, who went on Titans’ injured reserve.

Bohanna posted six tackles in his three games in Detroit.

Titans place Kristian Fulton, Kyle Peko on IR among 4 moves

The Titans made four roster moves on Wednesday, including placing CB Kristian Fulton and DL Kyle Peko on injured reserve.

The Tennessee Titans made four roster moves on Wednesday, which included the placement of two players on injured reserve.

The Titans announced they have placed cornerback Kristian Fulton and defensive lineman Kyle Peko on IR, which means they’ll miss the remaining four games of the 2023 season.

To fill those roster spots, the Titans poached defensive lineman Quinton Bohanna and Keondre Coburn off the practice squads of the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions, respectively.

With Fulton out for the season, we might have seen the last of him in the two-tone blue after what has been a disastrous season for the LSU product, who struggled mightily prior to his injury. He’ll hit free agency in 2024 and it’s highly unlikely the Titans bring him back.

The Titans are now even more shorthanded along the defensive line, as Jeffery Simmons is expected to miss at least one more game with a knee injury, hence Tennessee adding two defensive linemen.

Bohanna has appeared in three games for the Lions this season, tallying six tackles (two for loss). Coburn played in one game for the Chiefs, totaling one tackle (one for loss).

The Titans will return to action on Sunday when they host the Houston Texans at Nissan Stadium.

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10 potential DT additions Cowboys could look to if Jonathan Hankins misses time

Jonathan Hankins’s ankle injury must start the wheels turning in the Cowboys front office for potential replacements. @ArmyChiefW3 discusses the top possibilities.

The Dallas Cowboys suffered a potentially serious blow to their defensive group when they lost lineman Jonathan Hankins to an ankle injury in their 33-13 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Diagnosed as a high ankle sprain, there is hope it wasn’t the type of injury that would sit the starting nose tackle for the duration of the regular season and potentially into the playoffs.

Hankins was seen walking out of the locker room unassisted and without a limp, which is a ton of positive news after he was carted off the sideline with his shoe off during the third quarter.

That scare should activate the the team’s search for additional help at the position, even if Hankins avoids missing significant time.  Does the team leave the majority of the dirty work to rookie defensive tackle Mazi Smith, whom the Cowboys selected with their first-round pick? While Smith is seen as a vital piece to the defensive future, there are still nuances he must learn before he can be trusted with a larger role.

Dallas did sign mammoth defensive tackle Carl Davis to the practice squad in the middle of November and he could be elevated to help the team. If he’s not ideal, there are multiple free agent options available should the team opt to look elsewhere.

How do the Lions replace Alim McNeill?

How do the Lions replace injured defensive tackle Alim McNeill? They have options, but none are very appealing

Alim McNeill has been the Lions’ best defensive tackle all season. The third-year DT was second on the team in sacks (5), tackles-for-loss (6), QB hits (9) and PFF defensive grade (88.1), trailing only Aidan Hutchinson.

Now, the Lions defense is faced with the reality of playing without McNeill for at least the next four weeks. Detroit placed No. 54 on injured reserve on Tuesday after he suffered a knee injury in the Week 13 win in New Orleans.

How can the Lions replace McNeill?

The short answer is, unfortunately, not very well. McNeill has been the only real interior defensive line threat to do anything in the opposing backfield all season. Guys who weigh over 300 pounds and can move like McNeill does with graceful power aren’t easy to find.

That person isn’t on the roster now. Benito Jones, Isaiah Buggs, Levi Onwuzurike and rookie Brodric Martin constitute the current defensive tackle room. Combine them all in 2023 and the DT room as it exists entering Week 14 against Chicago, and the production is dismal:

29 tackles, one sack, three TFLs

Digging deeper into the practice squad, the Lions have elevated Quinton Bohanna for the last three games. The behemoth Bohanna has six tackles and two TFLs. However, he’s out of elevations; the Lions will need to add him to the active 53-man roster in order for Bohanna to play again. That the team signed CB Kindle Vildor from the practice squad instead of Bohanna throws some cold water on that idea.

Detroit added veteran Tyson Alualu in the immediate aftermath of the McNeill injury. Alualu, 36, notched 18 tackles and a half-sack in his last 19 games for the Pittsburgh Steelers over the 2021-2022 seasons. In other words, “desperation, thy name is Alulalu”…

Then there are two players who are primarily defensive ends but do occasionally kick inside in packages: John Cominsky and Josh Paschal. Cominsky is listed at 285 pounds, Paschal at 274. Cominsky has played just 12 percent of his nearly 400 snaps inside the 5T alignment, with Paschal — who is closer to 265 than 274 at this point — at seven percent. They’re not full-time DTs, plain and simple.

What is the goal?

Using the pieces on the roster, the Lions will need to commit to a more concrete goal from the interior defensive line. Do they want to emphasize gap control and run defense, or will Aaron Glenn and his scheme instead want the focus to be on pressure generation? Because without McNeill’s impressive talents, they can’t reasonably be expected to do both even if that’s what Dan Campbell stated on Wednesday,

“I don’t think as a whole we’ll need to change what we do. We’ll still be able to function and live in the world we lived in,” Campbell said while acknowledging different situations might force some deviation.

There might be a clue in the right direction from the PFF season grades. Of Detroit’s defenders with at least 10 snaps in run defense, Jones, Onwuzurike and Bohanna are the bottom three. Jones, at a grade of 40.1, is one of the worst run defenders in the NFL amongst DTs. Using bulk on the inside isn’t really helping, especially when none of the big guys generate any semblance of a pass rush. Alualu could make a better impact in run defense, but he’s proven over a 13-year NFL career he’s not a pass-rush asset.

It would make more sense to try and be more of a gap-attack up front. Trying Cominsky more often in a 4i (inside shoulder of the OT) role to get increased disruption is worth a try.

Playing Martin and dealing with the third-round rookie’s growing pains could also help in this area. Martin has been a healthy scratch for all but one game as the Lions work on his self-admitted pad-level issues. He’s almost certainly going to lose some reps, but having the potential disruption he showed in preseason and training camp could prove beneficial in the long term. At worst, the Lions will know if Martin can be expected to handle a bigger role in 2024 — an important revelation for a player drafted as a developmental project.

Then there’s Buggs. The veteran has not worked his way out of the coaching doghouse, where he landed after not impressing Campbell, Glenn, et al with his offseason work. Buggs is in a weird limbo status. He’s deemed too valuable to cut, but not trustworthy enough to play even in desperate times. Martin’s injury could be the catalyst to force the Lions’ hand in making a more definitive decision with Buggs, who did not play very well when given the opportunity this year, either. Perhaps being reunited with ex-Steelers linemate Alualu will help?

There’s a lot of talk about Ndamukong Suh. Until he actually signs in Detroit, consider him a theory and not at all a likely reality.

Lions elevate Bruce Irvin and Quinton Bohanna for Week 13

Irvin is set to make his Lions debut against New Orleans

Veteran pass rusher Bruce Irvin is set to make his debut in a Detroit Lions uniform in Week 13. The team elevated Irvin and defensive tackle Quinton Bohanna from the practice squad for Sunday’s matchup with the New Orleans Saints.

Irvin was signed to the practice squad in November but has not been elevated until this week. With the Lions pass rush struggling of late–only two sacks in three games–moving up Irvin is worth the try.

Bohanna has filled in capably in being elevated the last two games. If the Lions wish to play the big nose tackle again beyond Week 13, they’ll need to add him to the active roster.

The Lions also announced that injured LB Alex Anzalone did not travel with the team and was downgraded from doubtful to out, as was widely expected.

Lions inactives: Defensive line healthy scratches raise an eyebrow

Lions inactives: Defensive line healthy scratches raise an eyebrow with Levi Onwuzurike and Brodric Martin sitting and Isaiah Buggs ruled out

The Detroit Lions inactive player list for the Week 11 matchup with the Chicago Bears raises an eyebrow along the defensive line.

Two recent Day 2 draft picks, Levi Onwuzurike and Brodric Martin, are inactive for the game as healthy scratches. With Isaiah Buggs ruled out with an illness, it figured to be a good opportunity for one of them. They are sitting out while the Lions will play practice squad promotion Quinton Bohanna at defensive tackle instead. It will be Bohanna’s debut in a Lions uniform.

The other Lions inactives:

CB Steven Gilmore

WR Antoine Green

LG Jonah Jackson (injury)

LB Trevor Nowaske

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Jersey numbers for the Lions latest player additions

The latest player additions for the Detroit Lions have decided on their jersey numbers, as well as number switches from last season.

The Detroit Lions have finalized their 53-man roster and practice squad, but as we all know, this could change at any moment. The roster now includes a mix of new and old players, and we’re excited to see what jersey numbers they’ll be wearing this season. Some players have even decided to switch their numbers from last year.

Below is the list of jersey numbers for the new players, as well as the players who have switched their numbers for this season.

Teddy Bridgewater takes over No. 10, previously held by Nate Sudfeld

Jerry Jacobs previously was 39 but switched to No. 23.

Steven Gilmore switched to No. 24 after sporting 36 through the preseason

Michael Badgley goes back to No. 17, which he held last season.

David Blough will be No. 18 this year. He previously was 10 when he was with the Lions before.

Zonovan Knight will hold No. 28 after the departure of Jermar Jefferson

Raymond Johnson will be No. 52 after the release of Christian Covington

Michael Niese will take over No. 62 with the departure of Ryan Swoboda

Darice Fountain will hold No. 84, which was previously held by Avery Davis

Quinton Bohanna will be No. 90 after Cory Durden was waived

Detroit Lions practice squad tracker

The Lions are signing players to the practice squad to start the season. Here’s who has signed in Detroit.

With the 53-man active roster established, the Detroit Lions are now forming the 16-player practice squad for the start of the 2023 season.

All players who are not signed to another team are eligible for the practice squad, though there are limits on how many vested veterans can be on any practice squad.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell extolled the virtue and importance of the practice squad in his final press conference before the roster cutdowns.

“I understand it is, it’s a 53-man roster, but it’s really not. It’s a 60-man team. It’s a 69-man team is what it is, and that’s kind of how we view it. These guys are all on the same team. We all help each other out and every one of those guys, there’s a good chance they’re going to play for us,” Campbell said of the practice squad.

Knowing that context, here is who has signed with the Lions 16-man practice squad.

7 Cowboys veterans who could be on the trade block

A look at several veterans who could command a quality return in trade talks after this weekend’s exhibition finales. | From @KDDrummondNFL

Are the Dallas Cowboys a top-heavy team, or do they have the necessary depth to survive the regular-season gauntlet? It appears on paper the club has several positions where the talent is overflowing, but there are a handful where injuries could cause a major downgrade in performance. The loss of rookies DeMarvion Overshown and John Stephens in Saturday’s exhibition against Seattle proved that point.

Linebacker and tight end are two of the club’s unproven spots and thus losses there seem to be catastrophic to the club’s talent level. Still, other positions seem well prepared for the 17-week grind as long as calamity stays at bay. It feels like Dallas has the ability to move some pieces at certain positions and potentially get plug-and-play returns at other spots of need.

Dallas needs veteran depth on the offensive line, so maybe there’s a chance to flip an asset for a team looking to save cap space there and allow younger, cheaper options to ascend. Maybe there’s some veteran help for Dallas to have as a backup to the youngsters at tight end and linebacker as well. Dallas can use future draft capital to acquire said help, but player-for-player swaps can be more enticing when feasible.

Here’s a look at several players who could be on the trade block following this weekend’s preseason finale against the Raiders.

Is Quinton Bohanna’s breakout too little too late on this Cowboys roster?

Quinton Bohanna is having a solid preseason for the Cowboys but by the way the roster appears, he’ll have a hard time making the roster. | From @ReidDHanson

The Cowboys had relatively high hopes when they drafted Quinton Bohanna in the sixth round of the 2021 draft. The 6-foot-4, 360-pound mountain from Kentucky possessed both enormous mass and a shockingly quick step off the snap. Bohanna was the rare mix the Cowboys look for in a 1-tech defensive tackle. He was stout enough to 2-gap and hold up against double teams, yet agile enough to provide a little penetration. He was a late round pick, but with any luck could develop into a real player with a little time.

It turns out a little time might have been about all Bohanna had.

After struggling to make much of an impact in Year 1 and failing to take the next step early in Year 2, the Cowboys traded for veteran Johnathan Hankins in Week 8 of the 2022 season. Hankins quickly established himself as the top dog at the 1-tech and was then re-signed to maintain that role in 2023.

It appeared Bohanna’s ceiling for the near future would be as the rotational 1-tech behind Hankins. Such a role would ease some of the burden and allow the former sixth rounder to develop. But when Dallas drafted Mazi Smith with their first pick in the 2023 draft, that optimistic look at Bohanna’s future went right out the window.

Smith was Dallas’ highest drafted DT since Russell Maryland in 1991. Not only was he the clear future of the interior defensive line in Dallas, but at 337 pounds, he didn’t come with obvious position flex to play anywhere but the 1-tech. Conventional wisdom said, if anyone was getting snaps behind Hankins, it was the first-round pick, not the Day 3 kid from Kentucky.

As training camp in 2023 unfolded, Bohanna showed he wasn’t going to take a backseat quietly. He stepped up to have his best camp of his young career and flashed that quick first step and situational stoutness that excited folks in Dallas when he was first drafted.

The problem is, it might be too little too late for the 24-year-old DT.

The Cowboys don’t traditionally like to keep more than two 1-techs on their roster. 1-techs typically don’t offer much in the way pass-rush and Dallas prefers to load up on their more well-rounded and versatile brethren along the defensive line.

While hopes are high the rookie Smith will one day become a pass-rusher, at the moment he’s fairly one-dimensional. With Hankins and Smith virtual locks to claim the top-two spots at 1-tech, the Cowboys are going to have a hard time justifying a third run-stuffer on their roster – especially since they have such a talented and deep defensive line group competing for limited spots on the 53-man roster.

Similar to Neville Gallimore alongside him, it may come down to a numbers game for Bohanna. Gallimore too is having a career camp. But like Bohanna, better options may bump him off the roster.

If Bohanna can post a dominant effort down the final stretch, it’s possible he could carve out a role. The Cowboys obviously changed the way they view DT (as evidenced by the drafting of Smith) so it’s possible they lock in three 1-techs to solidify their defensive interior.

Anything can happen but based on the stage that’s been set, it looks like it could be too little too late for Bohanna.

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