Tag: Rashod Berry

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 re-sign Rashod Berry and Ryan McCollum

Lions re-sign EDGE Rashod Berry and OL Ryan McCollum a day after not tendering them as ERFAa

One day after not tendering them to qualifying contracts as exclusive rights free agents, the Detroit Lions have brought back two players. OLB Rashod Berry and offensive lineman Ryan McCollum have re-signed with the team.

Terms of the deals have not been disclosed, but based on the move to not tender them with the league minimum salaries, the deals figure to be higher than the mandated minimum.

Berry signed with the Lions last August after being released by the New England Patriots. He was a tight end as an undrafted rookie in New England in 2020 but switched full-time to defense in Detroit. Berry, 25, played in five games and accrued 62 total defensive snaps for the Lions.

McCollum returns after his rookie season out of Texas A&M. He came to Detroit in October after a stint with the Houston Texans and worked his way into a valuable role player for the injury-ravaged Lions, even starting a game at center. He can play both guard and center.

Lions place OLB Trey Flowers on IR, sign Rashod Berry among final Week 13 roster moves

Flowers was already ruled out for the third game in a row

The Trey Flowers era in Detroit could be coming to an end. The Lions placed the outside linebacker on the injured reserve list on Saturday.

Flowers had already missed the last two games with a shoulder injury and was ruled out for Sunday’s game against Minnesota. He has battled the injury all season, missing two games earlier on as well. The veteran has a hefty price tag for the coming season and has not lived up to the lofty contract. He ended last season on injured reserve. Technically Flowers will be eligible to return as soon as Week 16.

To replace Flowers on the active roster, the Lions signed OLB Rashod Berry from the practice squad. Berry played well in the preseason and has spent the 2021 campaign on the Detroit practice squad.

The Lions also elevated LB Tavante Beckett and DE Bruce Hector from the practice squad for the matchup with the Vikings.

 

Lions place Frank Ragnow on I.R. in flurry of roster moves

Ragnow will miss at least 3 weeks with his toe injury

The Detroit Lions kept the NFL’s transaction wire busy on Wednesday morning with a series of roster moves. The most significant of the moves is placing Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow on injured reserve with a toe injury suffered in the Week 4 loss to the Chicago Bears.

Ragnow will miss at least the next three weeks. He joins standout left tackle Taylor Decker on I.R., depriving the Lions of their top two offensive linemen.

In other active 53-man roster news, the Lions activated kicker Austin Seibert from the reserve/COVID-19 list and promoted OLB Jessie Lemonier from the practice squad. Lemonier takes the place of Romeo Okwara, who was placed on I.R. with a torn Achilles earlier this week.

Seibert missed the last two weeks after testing positive for COVID-19. Ryan Santoso filled in quite capably as a practice squad promotion for Weeks 3-4.

Detroit also tinkered with the practice squad, and yes it once again involves WR Javon McKinley. His on-again/off-again status is now off, with the Lions releasing the undrafted rookie from Notre Dame for the fourth time in five weeks. Detroit signed veteran OL Parker Ehinger and brought back OLB Rashod Berry to the practice squad.

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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Lions top performers from PFF vs Colts and preseason recap

With PFF’s grades released, here are the top performers for the Detroit Lions against the Colts as well as the preseasons top players

The Detroit Lions finished their preseason winless after dropping to the Indianapolis Colts 27-17. However, in a game where coach Dan Campbell decided to rest a fair amount of starters, it gave players fighting for a roster spot one last chance to make an impression.

Pro Football Focus has released grades for the top offensive and defensive performers for the Lions against the Colts. PFF gives you a general feel on how well some of the fringe roster players performed.

Offense:

  1. TE Darren Fells: 92.8
  2. OT Dan Skipper: 76.1
  3. WR Geronimo Allison: 74.4
  4. RB Dedrick Mills: 72.0
  5. OG Logan Stenberg: 69.2

It is nice to see a rebound from Fells after the debacle against the Steelers, considering how thin the Lions are at tight end with disappointing performances from Alize Mack and Brock Wright. It was unfortunate to see Skipper (wish him well) carted off because he had a solid game especially run blocking. It might be too late for Allison, but you can’t say he is not putting up a fight. Stenberg should slot in as a reserve guard, but his status is up in the air without knowing the severity of his injury.

Defense:

  1. CB Corn Elder: 95.3
  2. DT Bruce Hector: 90.3
  3. EDGE Austin Bryant: 90.1
  4. OLB Rashod Berry: 81.5
  5. S Dean Marlowe: 80.1

Elder saw his roster chances diminish after getting pushed down the depth chart. Still, he made the most of his last opportunity to make an impression by securing the only Lions interception this preseason. Hector was thought of as nothing more than a camp body, but he has made a chances count and put his name into considering as a depth defensive tackle. Bryant has been a force on the edge, and if he can stay healthy, he will give the Lions good depth on the outside. Berry provided good pressure against the Colts, but it is hard to see him slotting out a role as a late addition. With the safety group questionable, it is good to see Marlowe performing well in hopes of providing a solid presence down the field.

Noteworthy players:

Penei Sewell is not having a preseason as he hoped for, finishing as the lowest graded offensive player vs. the Colts and near the bottom for the entire preseason. With the transition to right tackle and not having seen a lick of football in nearly two years, he is obviously still getting his feet under him.

Thankfully the Lions got ahold of Derrick Barnes or talked about how bad the inside linebacker corps is. Once again, Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Jahlani Tavai finish as the two worst defensive players against the Colts. It’s hard to see Tavai making the team, and if it weren’t for Reeves-Maybin’s special team’s abilities, it could see that fate as well.

Also, for your viewing pleasure, here are the top performers over the entire preseason.

Offense:

  1. RB Craig Reynolds: 86.0
  2. RB Dedrick Mills: 81.7
  3. QB Jared Goff: 80.1
  4. TE Darren Fells: 79.5
  5. WR Javon McKinley: 79.2

In one of the most heated battles this preseason, Reynold and Mills finish as the top two offensive performers. They have given the coaching staff plenty to think about in the roster construction. Goff finishing this high should tell you how well the Lions backup quarterback position has gone this preseason.

Fells did have a hiccup against the Steelers, but other than that, he has been solid as the second tight end behind T.J. Hockenson. McKinley has had a rollercoaster of a preseason, and he may fall short for a roster spot, but he should be destined for the practice squad.

Defense:

  1. CB Corn Elder: 95.3
  2. S Dean Marlowe: 84.7
  3. DL Levi Onwuzurike: 84.5
  4. LB Derrick Barnes: 83.8
  5. DL Miles Brown: 82.4

Elder only played one game this preseason, but he did make it count and could provide a veteran presence behind A.J. Parker. Marlowe has been the lone bright spot in the safety group and should look on as a steady contributor meaning the deep part of the field.

Onwuzurike proved to be as advertised after returning from his injury as a powerful force on the defensive line and gave the offense a nice punch in the mouth. Barnes has been the single biggest breath of fresh air with the linebacker corps and should look to contribute immediately behind Jamie Collins and Alex Anzalone. With the hype surrounding Bruce Hector and Kevin Strong, Brown has flown under the radar providing a stable body up the middle. With the number of injuries surrounding a few players on the defensive line, he could be a sneaky addition.

Lions sign free agent LB Rashod Berry

Berry is a pass-rushing OLB but also has experience playing tight end

The flurry of roster moves continues from Detroit Lions headquarters in Allen Park. A day after making several moves with players coming and going, the Lions added another free agent in linebacker Rashod Berry.

Berry comes to the Lions after a stint with the New England Patriots. Now in his second NFL season, Berry spent most of his rookie campaign on the Patriots’ practice squad but was elevated to the active roster on a few occasions. He was waived earlier this week.

He is a pass-rushing outside linebacker who played collegiately at Ohio State. Berry also has experience at tight end.

The Lions are now once again at the allowed 85-man roster limit.

Patriots make a flurry of roster moves in preparation for Week 17

The New England Patriots’ biggest decision ahead of Week 17 was to keep receiver Julian Edelman from returning to action for 2020. They placed him on injured reserve after playing six games with a knee issue. But he couldn’t make a return to the …

The New England Patriots’ biggest decision ahead of Week 17 was to keep receiver Julian Edelman from returning to action for 2020. They placed him on injured reserve after playing six games with a knee issue. But he couldn’t make a return to the field, perhaps in part because the Patriots were out of playoff contention.

But that non-transaction, with Edelman reverting back to injured reserve after briefly returning to practice with the IR-return label, isn’t the only move the Patriots made this weekend. They made a flurry of transactions in preparation for the Week 17 — and some of them could impact the 2020 offseason, too.

Here’s a look at those roster moves ahead of the Patriots’ Week 17 tilt with the New York Jets.

Report: Patriots to host 2018 6th-round tight end for workout

The Patriots are desperate for depth at the position.

The New England Patriots are scheduled to host free agent tight end Dylan Cantrell for COVID-19 testing and a workout, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

New England deployed only one tight end in Week 8 (Ryan Izzo), with the potential of bringing practice squad edge rusher Rashod Berry into the role in Week 9. Izzo’s dealing with an injury and the Patriots don’t have many choices at tight end currently. Rookies Dalton Keene, Devin Asiasi and Jake Burt are all dealing with injuries as well.

Cantrell was drafted out of Texas Tech in the sixth round in 2018 and he’s spent time on the Los Angeles Chargers and Arizona Cardinal’s rosters. He hasn’t played an NFL snap yet, but he had 1,873 receiving yards and 18 receiving touchdowns over four seasons in college.

The struggling 2-5 Patriots take on the New York Jets on Monday night.

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Bill Belichick says converted DE Rashod Berry could ‘definitely’ fill in at TE

The tight end situation is getting murky in New England.

Ever since the retirement of Rob Gronkowski, the tight end position has been a headache for Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.

The Patriots went from dominating in two tight end sets, to a team that hasn’t had a decent pass-catcher at the position for two seasons. During the 2020 season, things are much worse. Ryan Izzo was the only active tight end in Week 8 and that was due to injuries across the board.

Dalton Keene is limited with a knee injury, Devin Asiasi and Jake Burt both are on the injured reserve list right now. The only other available player to be activated on the roster is Rashod Berry, who was converted to a defensive end in the NFL. Berry played primarily tight end and some defense during his time at Ohio State, giving the Patriots flexibility.

If activated as a tight end in Week 9 against the New York Jets, he’d likely just act as a blocker.

Izzo and Keene still could potentially hit the field on Sunday, but time’s running out for the Patriots to make the decision.

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