Tag: Taylor Decker

Detroit Lions Week 8 injury designations: Taylor Decker, Desmond Trufant Questionable

The Detroit Lions (3-3) have declared their Week 8 injury designation for this week’s game against the Indianapolis Colts (4-2).

The Detroit Lions (3-3) have declared their Week 8 injury designation for this week’s game against the Indianapolis Colts (4-2) and four players, including three starters, are listed as questionable.

Here’s a look at the Lions’ injury report, with the updated changes in injury status listed in bold.

Injured reserve/PUP list

After releasing Elijah Lee yesterday, the Lions have an open spot on the 53-man roster, and with newly acquired Everson Griffen not able to join the team until at least Monday, there is a chance the plan is for Coleman or Bryant to be activated for this weekend’s game.

“No decision at the current moment, no,” coach Matt Patricia said about Coleman possibly returning this week. “We’re just going to get through practice today and then try to evaluate and make sure – see where everybody’s at.”

The Lions typically make these roster transactions on Saturday — roughy 4:00 pm EST — so keep an eye out for that tomorrow.

OUT

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Designation
NONE

No players are designated as out at this time.

Questionable

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Designation
Taylor Decker Shoulder  Not Listed Limited Practice No Practice Questionable
Desmond Trufant Hamstring No Practice Limited Practice Limited Practice Questionable
Darryl Roberts Groin/Hip  Not Listed Limited Practice Limited Practice Questionable
Jalen Reeves-Maybin Non-Injury related No Practice No Practice No Practice Questionable

Decker being listed as questionable is concerning, especially considering his practice trajectory is trending in the wrong direction and him being unable to practice on Friday. Decker will likely be re-evaluated on Saturday, but with the Lions hosting this week’s game, we likely won’t get an update on his status until Sunday during warmups.

If Decker is unable to play, expect Tyrell Crosby to shift from right tackle to left, Hal Vaitai from right guard to right tackle, and Joe Dahl to be promoted back into the starting lineup at guard.

Trufant getting back-to-back limited practices under his belt is encouraging, but he is by no means out of the woods yet, after being injured most of the season. If he plays, the Lions would likely prefer to work him in slowly with Amani Oruwariye and Jeff Okudah, but with questions surrounding both slot corners, they may not be able to wait.

In addition to Coleman still being on injured reserve, Roberts could also potentially miss this game. If he can play, it’s hard to say how much he will be able to handle as he is dealing with two separate injuries.

Reeves-Maybin missed the entire week with a non-COVID-19 personal issue. The level of concern surrounding his availability is unclear, but after the Lions released Lee yesterday, it’s fair to assume the Lions are hoping for him to return.

Not listed with an injury designation

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Designation
Adrian Peterson Abdomen Not Listed Limited Practice Full Practice No injury designation

Peterson gave his abdomen a little rest on Wednesday but was back in full on Friday and is good to go for Sunday.

Detroit Lions Thursday Week 8 injury report: Desmond Trufant practices for first time in three weeks

Updating the Detroit Lions Week 8 injury report after Thursday’s practice.

After a walk-through on Wednesday, the Detroit Lions (3-3) were back on the practice field on Thursday, preparing for their upcoming Week 8 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts (4-2).

Here’s a look at the Lions’ injury report, with the updated changes in injury status listed in bold.

Injured reserve/PUP list

No Practice

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Designation
Jalen Reeves-Maybin Non-Injury related No Practice No Practice

Reeves-Maybin continues to miss practices this week with an undisclosed, non-COVID-19 situation. If he returns to practice on Friday, he will likely be available on Sunday.

Limited Practice

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Designation
Adrian Peterson Abdomen Not Listed Limited Practice
Taylor Decker Shoulder  Not Listed Limited Practice
Desmond Trufant Hamstring No Practice Limited Practice
Darryl Roberts Groin/Hip  Not Listed Limited Practice

Trufant practiced for the first time since he re-injured his hamstring in Week 4. A limited practice on Thursday gives him a real chance to play on Sunday, as long as he doesn’t suffer a setback. If he does return, expect him to be on a snap count and the corners group to see a rotation of players.

Peterson, Decker, and Roberts were not listed on the injury report on Wednesday, which is not unusual for a walk-through, but limited practices for a player who was not previously injured leaves a bit of ambiguity surrounding their status.

Were they injured in last weekend’s game and this is just the team managing/monitoring their situation? Or did they suffer an injury in today’s practice and that is what limited them?

Last week the Lions gave several veterans who were managing minor injuries rest on Wednesday and Thursday, then ramped them back up on Friday and they were all available on Sunday. Let’s hope this is just that situation repeating itself.

Full Practice

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Designation
NONE Full Practice

No players qualify for this section at this time.

Colts Report

Detroit’s offensive line is suddenly the least of the Lions worries

The Lions might be 0-2 but don’t blame Frank Ragnow, Taylor Decker and the Detroit offensive line

[jwplayer M7kftA3f-ThvAeFxT]

The offensive line is always a sore spot for the Detroit Lions with their fans. In many years both distant past and recent vintage, it’s been a justified beef. The Lions have had some explosive skill position groups watered down by ineffective line play over the years.

Not this year. The Lions might be 0-2 and the offense sputtering, but don’t blame the guys up front. Through the first two weeks, the offensive line is the best part of the Detroit attack.

Left tackle Taylor Decker and center Frank Ragnow, both former first-round picks, have played very well. Decker had a so-so Week 1 against the Chicago Bears but looked dominant against the Green Bay Packers in Week 2. His run blocking was as good as it’s ever looked and he didn’t have any breakdowns in pass protection. His 80.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus topped celebrated Packers counterpart David Bakhtiari, who had the advantage of going against Detroit’s feckless defense.

Ragnow was the only Lion to grade higher than Decker in Week 2, and the PFF score reflected the eye-test excellence from the third-year center. He is PFF’s No. 2-graded center on the year and deservingly so.

Rookie right guard Jonah Jackson has also performed well. The third-round pick from Ohio State looks like he belongs, and he has nicely paired with Ragnow to create some huge holes in the run game. It’s not their fault the running backs aren’t consistently hitting them or that the tight ends have been dreadful in the blocking department. For a point of reference, Jackson has a higher PFF grade than the man he’s replacing, Graham Glasgow, has racked up in the Denver Broncos’ two losses. And he’s doing it for almost a 90% lower salary than what Glasgow got to leave Detroit.

Even Tyrell Crosby has performed acceptably at right tackle despite the fact he’s not supposed to be playing. With Halapoulivaati Vaitai missing the first two weeks, Crosby the backup has stepped up nicely. He’s right at the league average in overall PFF grade but only four right tackles have a better run blocking score.

Alas, there is still one other spot. Left guard is a massive hole with regular starter Joe Dahl on injured reserve. Oday Aboushi shouldn’t ever see the field again after his inept performance in Week 2 that included a crushing personal foul penalty that helped key the Packers huge surge. Dahl looked fine in Week 1 and he could return as soon as Week 5, thankfully. With rookie Logan Stenberg also in the mix, the Lions might have the answer in-house already.

Matthew Stafford has been sacked five times in the two games, but that’s more on the QB than it is on the line. Stafford took an awful sack late against Chicago that was 100% on him for not throwing the ball away. That was true twice in Green Bay, too; Stafford is on the hook for three of his own five sacks for holding the ball too long or not escaping avoidable pressure.

Football Outsiders ranks the Lions offensive line second overall in pass protection through two weeks. They adjust for difficultly of schedule and competition, something PFF does not account for. Based on what we’ve seen through two weeks, it’s deserved praise for coach Hank Fraley in his first years as the man in charge of the O-line.

Bob Quinn, Matt Patricia make statements on Taylor Decker extension

Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn and coach Matt Patricia made statements on left tackle Taylor Decker’s contract extension.

On Tuesday the Detroit Lions and Taylor Decker agreed to a contract extension that would keep the left tackle in Detroit through the 2024 season.

This morning, coach Matt Patricia spoke about Decker at his morning press conference and had the following to say:

I’ve just seen so much growth in him over the last couple years in his ability to get better at the position, just be more consistent, his technique, his leadership is outstanding, the way that he approaches every single day. He’s just been a really consistent guy for us on the offensive line. I would say his overall football knowledge has just really increased with the different types of looks and protections, blitz packages that they see on the offensive line, the run game, just overall improvement by him each year.

I think he’s having a great camp; I think he’s working really hard. He’s been the same guy every day. I just couldn’t be any happier for him in general with his development as a player and obviously everything that goes along with that for his future.

I think he’s just an intricate part of what we’re trying to do and what we’re trying to be about. Every day I get a chance to work with him (and) it’s been great. I’m really excited about that. I’m excited about all of it. But I would say that the improvement he’s made over the last couple years – and with the coaching changes and head coaching changes and all the rest of it, you just see the growth and development that he’s had.

You always want to do everything you can to raise your own and reward your own. Certainly, Taylor has done an awesome job for us.

Once the agreement became official, Quinn issued a statement:

Since the day we drafted him, Taylor has dedicated himself to our program and has developed into an important piece of our offense. As one of our team captains, he sets a great example for every player in our locker room. This extension is a reflection of all of Taylor’s hard work, and we are incredibly excited to come to this agreement and continue to work with Taylor for years to come. I also want to thank Taylor and his representatives for their work in making this extension a reality.

Report: Kenny Golladay and Lions closing in on contract extension

Golladay projects to earn more than $16 million per season

With Taylor Decker’s big new contract extension out of the way, Detroit Lions GM Bob Quinn can now turn his attention to the other prominent expiring contract on the team. And there are several reports that the Lions are doing just that with Pro Bowl wide receiver Kenny Golladay.

A report from Pro Football Talk, as well as a comment from The Athletic’s Chris Burke, indicate the Lions are close to having a contract extension done with Golladay before the season starts on Sept. 13th.

Golladay broke out in his third season, leading the NFL in touchdown receptions and averaging 18.3 yards per reception despite playing with three different QBs in 2019. He is in the final year of his rookie contract signed as the team’s third-round pick from Northern Illinois in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Golladay figures to get a healthy payday. Our Erik Schlitt projected a 4-year, $72 million deal that averages $18 million per year. That seems on par with the various reports, though nothing has been officially discussed publicly. The Lions have enough cap room to accommodate such a deal.

Taylor Decker contract extension: Breaking down the Lions left tackle’s new deal

The deal is more complex than initially reported

The Detroit Lions locked up left tackle Taylor Decker on Tuesday, agreeing to a contract extension that will keep Decker in Detroit through at least the 2024 season.

More details are emerging about the deal. Initially reported — by Decker’s representation — as a six-year, $85 million extension with $37.5 million fully guaranteed, it’s more of a four-year deal on top of the final year of Decker’s existing contract with a voidable year at the end for salary cap purposes.

Decker was due $10.35 million on the fifth-year option from his initial rookie contract as the No. 16 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. The new deal rolls that figure into the extension while also lowering Decker’s cap obligation for 2020 to just $8.35 million, per Spotrac.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com provided more specifics on Decker’s new deal, including a breakdown of the full guaranteed figures for each of the next four years.

https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1300929578773499911?s=20

Decker’s annual average salary of $15 million ranks seventh among offensive tackles. The $42.4 total guaranteed ranks fourth, behind Lane Johnson, Taylor Lewan and Laremy Tunsil, again per Spotrac. His total contract value is the 10th-highest for offensive tackles.

By way of comparison, the Lions signed right tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai for five years and $45 million, which ranks 18th overall in total contract value for OTs. The Lions are also paying Rick Wagner, the man Vaitai replaced, $5.8 million in cap room to not play for the team in 2020.

 

Former Buckeye Taylor Decker signs six-year, $85 million contract with Lions

The Detroit Lions signed former Ohio State OT Taylor Decker to a massive contract that’s worth $85 million over 6 years Tuesday.

Another former Ohio State football player just got paid a Brinks truck’s worth sum of money Tuesday. According to multiple reports, former Buckeye and current Detroit Lions’ offensive lineman Taylor Decker has agreed to a six-year, $85 million contract.

The deal includes a guaranteed $37.5 million signing bonus, the second-highest for any offensive tackle in the league. Only the Houston Texans’ Laremy Tunsil inked a deal that guaranteed him more with $40 million upfront.

Decker was originally drafted as a first-rounder as the No. 16 overall pick by Lions back in 2016 and quickly made an impact, starting every game his rookie season. He was named the team’s Rookie of the Year and has continued to shine since then.

The news comes after Detroit had already exercised the fifth-year of Decker’s rookie contract that was set to pay him $10.35 million this year.

This is just another example of a former Ohio State player having success in the NFL and receiving a massive contract. Sounds like a good recruiting pitch in the making to me.

 

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion.

We have a forum and message board now. Get in on the conversation about Ohio State athletics by joining the Buckeyes Wire Forum.

If you want to go to the NFL and get paid, go to Ohio State

News broke that former Ohio State lineman Taylor Decker got paid with an $85 million contract. It’s a great recruiting pitch for Ryan Day.

News around the NFL broke that former Ohio State Buckeye Taylor Decker got paid with an $85 million contract for the next six years from the Detroit Lions. While Ryan Day wasn’t the head coach then, he was on the staff and primed to take over for Urban Meyer. Decker’s contract is one of four from the 2014 Buckeyes national title run Day can bring up when talking to recruits.

There are some really good players making some exceptional money with scarlet and gray ties. Coaches may not always use salary from the professional league when recruiting, but it is certainly something kids and family would take notice of. How a player is not only drafted, but how they are paid and viewed by NFL executives is a huge draw.

Ben Axelrod tweeted this out today after the contract:

If Day adds in not only the salaries, but all of his draft picks, it shows that not only do players develop into better players at Ohio State, but they also are seen by the NFL as quality players coming out of college. There are still some players from that championship team and the subsequent years that will get paid over the next few years too.

In the last three drafts, Ohio State has had 26 picks. Many of those picks were in the first three rounds. With these 26 picks and the salary deals, Ryan Day can approach recruits sporting his championship ring, and instantly garner attention. It is obvious how the NFL views Buckeye players, now Ryan has some “data” to show it.

Lions sign Taylor Decker to a 6 year $85 M contract extension

The Detroit Lions have signed left tackle Taylor Decker to a massive six-year $85 million dollar contract extension per his agent.

The Detroit Lions have signed left tackle Taylor Decker to a massive six-year $85 million dollar contract extension per his agent AMDG Sports Maganagemt.

With a year left on his current deal, and a voidable sixth year worked in for salary cap purposes, the new money Decker is making $60 million in new money spread out over the four more years extending through the 2025 season.

This is a big win for both the Lions and Decker as it puts him in the Top-5 highest-paid on average for offensive tackles in the NFL, with the ninth most in guaranteed money.

Decker has steadily taken on a leadership role within the organization, stepping up on the field and in the locker room — including being one of four Lions’ player to speak out last Tuesday during the Lions’ social justice stand.

After a stellar rookie season, Decker’s labrum injury set him back during his sophomore season, but since then he has steadily improved and played his best football as a professional the back half of last season.

In training camp this season he has been remarkable and if his play carries over to the season, he will already have proven that investing Top-5 money at his position was a wise move by the organization.

Trey Flowers, D’Andre Swift among several Lions held out of Friday’s practice

Swift has barely practiced in the last 10 days

Friday’s practice session was moved indoors at the Detroit Lions training facility in Allen Park due to thunderstorms in the area. The move inside kept the media closed out from watching the session, as well as postponing the team’s live stream from camp for another day.

Several prominent Lions players sat out the practice with a varying range of injuries. Among the Detroit walking wounded who were held out of practice:

LT Taylor Decker – practiced Thursday but was “a little sore” according to head coach Matt Patricia.

DE Trey Flowers – the exact same status as Decker, soreness and more of a veteran day off than any real injury

RB D’Andre Swift – the unspecified lower-body injury that has kept Swift from practicing for most of the last 10 days continues to plague the rookie RB.

RB Bo Scarbrough 

FB Nick Bawden

DE Da’Shawn Hand

TE Hunter Bryant

Coach Patricia said of the latter foursome, “a day of rest, (they’re all) on kind of the same program.” Scarbrough has been in and out for most of camp.

The Lions will be back outside (weather permitting) on Saturday morning.

[lawrence-related id=49217]