Tag: Tommy Kraemer

Halapoulivaati Vaitai won’t be back in 2022, but what about 2023?

Dan Campbell ruled out Big V for the rest of 2022, but does the starting RG have a future in Detroit in 2023?

Lions head coach Dan Campbell delivered some sobering news on Friday. Campbell essentially ruled out any return from starting right guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai in 2022.

“Big V” has not played since injuring his back late in the preseason. He was placed on injured reserve prior to Week 1. It was a tough blow for the offensive line, the unquestioned projected strength of the team. Vaitai was coming off an impressive 2021 season after sliding inside from right tackle, where he struggled in his first season in Detroit after signing as a free agent from the Eagles prior to the 2020 season.

“He’s doing well. I would say that would be very slim to none as of right now, but the surgery went well and he’s doing great,” Campbell said of Vaitai. “It’s just – that’s one of those long-term (recoveries). It’ll be probably – if you’re asking me right now, I’d say it would be hard to get him back.”

Campbell was referring to getting his giant right guard back in 2022, but it’s fair to speculate on if Vaitai will be back in Detroit in 2023.

There are a number of factors at play, and some of those are unknown — most prominently Vaitai’s physical condition. Back surgery is no insignificant procedure. But there are a few factors we can evaluate and help ascertain if Vaitai will be given the chance to come back with the Lions in 2023.

The Lions have used a rotating cast of replacements for Vaitai. Some (Evan Brown, Dan Skipper) have been better than others (Logan Stenberg). The long and the short of it is, the line has not collapsed in Vaitai’s absence. The run blocking isn’t as consistent or powerful, but it’s at an acceptable level.

Given the revolving door and lack of continuity, getting capable play from both Brown and Skipper shows that the line can survive without Vaitai. Interestingly, the projected replacement at the beginning of the season hasn’t played yet either. Tommy Kraemer also went on IR just before the season with a back injury of his own.

Kraemer didn’t have surgery, however. In the very next breaths after ruling Vaitai out, Campbell shone an optimistic light on the chance for Kraemer to come back later this season.

“I do. I think – he’s another one that we’re just gauging his progress right now. I could see him being back at some point here over the next few weeks possibly,” Campbell said.

Kraemer showed real promise as an undrafted rookie out of Notre Dame in 2021 and had earned first-team reps in the preseason and training camp when Vaitai or Pro Bowl LG Jonah Jackson were not playing. Kraemer’s playing style is more akin to what Vaitai offers at right guard — a physical, aggressive, power-oriented blocker with more limited range and pass protection polish than Brown or Skipper offer.

The Lions already have viable replacement options in-house. None are quite what a healthy Vaitai offers, but 2022 has proven that it’s not a big step down. Offensive line coach Hank Fraley is one of the best in the business at developing talent and building a line, meaning it’s fair to believe Fraley can coax a higher level out of a healthy Kraemer. Or the continued growth of Skipper, who played well in emergency duty despite being a career tackle-only at 6-foot-10.

Then there are the finances. Vaitai isn’t cheap. Big V has big salaries in the two remaining seasons on his five-year, $45 million contract signed in 2020. After a recent restructuring, Vaitai’s deal will cost the Lions a salary of $9.4 million and a total cap hit of $12.448 million in both 2023 and 2024.

Detroit is on the hook for just under $5.9 million no matter if Vaitai plays for the Lions or not in 2023, the result of the restructures to free up cap room more immediately. Releasing Vaitai would add that $5.9 million figure to dead salary cap in 2023, but it would also free up $6.5 million to spend elsewhere. In 2024 the dead cap figure drops to $2.95 million and the total cap saving shoots up to $9.5 million.

Kraemer will be an exclusive rights free agent in 2023. The Lions can bring him back for the league minimum salary. Evan Brown will be a free agent and he earned $1.2 million in salary 2022. Skipper is earning the league minimum as a vet. Considering Fraley dramatically aided their careers, it’s fair to say at least one would willingly return for 2023 for significantly less than the $6.5 million it would cost to keep Vaitai.

With all that in mind, it seems like long odds for Vaitai to be back in a Lions uniform in 2023.

Lions place OL Tommy Kraemer on injured reserve

The Lions replaced Kraemer on the active roster with Kayode Owusika

The injuries keep piling up on the Lions offensive line. This time, it’s projected starting right guard Tommy Kraemer heading to injured reserve.

Kraemer missed the Week 1 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles with a back injury. He was slated to start in place of regular RG Halapoulivaati Vaitai, who was placed on IR with a back injury of his own. Vaitai had back surgery this week and could be out for the rest of the season.

Kraemer’s long-term prognosis is unknown. He has not practiced since training camp ended before the season.

Logan Stenberg earned the start in Week 1. The Lions signed Kayode Owusika from the Eagles practice squad to fill Kraemer’s roster spot.

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Lions injury report: Ragnow, Swift among 5 sitting out Wednesday’s practice

Frank Ragnow and D’Andre Swift were among 5 Lions sitting out Wednesday’s practice on the team’s injury report

The first practice injury report of the week from the Detroit Lions in advance of Sunday’s Week 2 matchup with the Washington Commanders could be a little scary for Lions fans.

Starting center Frank Ragnow and top running back D’Andre Swift both sat out Wednesday’s practice. So did starting left tackle Taylor Decker, as well as guard Tommy Kraemer and defensive tackle Michael Brockers.

Swift is coming off the best game of his career, a 144-yard rushing effort that has him nominated for the FedEx Ground Player of the Week.

Ragnow missed practice time last week with a groin injury. He played through the pain in Week 1, and his absence on Wednesday should be considered precautionary. Decker was spotted at practice with a compression sleeve on his lower leg. He did not have an injury status last week and played the entire game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Brockers has typically been given veteran off days in practices.

The full injury report from the Lions from Wednesday:

Okwara and Melifonwu both missed Week 1 with their ongoing injuries. Jackson played every snap on Sunday and played well.

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Lions final Week 1 injury report: 2 players ruled out, Frank Ragnow questionable

Levi Onwuzurike and Tommy Kraemer will not play against the Eagles due to injury

The final injury report and game status listing for the Detroit Lions ahead of the team’s Week 1 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles is now finalized.

Two Lions players, DT Levi Onwuzurike and RG Tommy Kraemer, have been ruled out with injuries. Neither player practiced at all during the week. Onwuzurike has not been on the field since the first padded practice of training camp with an ongoing back and hip injury.

Kraemer was projected to start at RG in place of Halapoulivaati Vaitai, who was placed on IR this week with a back injury of his own. With Kraemer out, the Lions’ next man up would be Logan Stenberg.

Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu is listed as doubtful with a hamstring injury. Melifonwu was limited in practices all week and has missed considerable time this summer.

Center Frank Ragnow and DE Julian Okwara are questionable for Sunday’s game. Ragnow was a limited participant on Friday after sitting out Thursday’s session with a groin injury. Okwara has been battling a hamstring injury since early in training camp.

Three other players who were listed on the injury report during the week carry no game-day designation, meaning they are expected to play. DL John Cominksy, LB, Chris Board and K Austin Seibert were all full participants in both Thursday and Friday practices.

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Campbell: Frank Ragnow will practice but Tommy Kraemer ‘looking grim’ for Week 1

Lions coach Dan Campbell indicates C Frank Ragnow will practice but RG Tommy Kraemer is “looking grim” for Week 1

The first question on everyone’s lips when Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell took the podium before Friday’s practice session was an obvious one. What’s the status of the offensive line?

Campbell, in his own patented way, offered up some optimism on center Frank Ragnow.

“He’s going to run around today,” Campbell said of the Pro Bowl center, who is dealing with a groin injury. Ragnow was limited in Wednesday’s practice and missed the Thursday session entirely. Campbell later clarified that Ragnow would be an active participant in Friday’s practice.

The tone got darker when Campbell addressed right guard Tommy Kraemer.

“It’s looking a little grim (for Kraemer to play)”, Campbell said solemnly. Kraemer was the expected replacement for regular starting RG Halapoulivaati Vaitai, who was placed on IR earlier this week with a back injury. Kraemer has missed all week with a back injury of his own.

Campbell indicated Logan Stenberg has “looked good out there”, but he did not commit to naming Stenberg as the starter.

The Lions will release the full injury report after the early afternoon practice.

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Frank Ragnow misses another practice, availability for Week 1 in doubt

The injuries to the offensive line are not getting better as Week 1 rapidly approaches

Already without starting right guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai with a back injury, the Detroit Lions could also be without Pro Bowl center when they open the 2022 regular season against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

Ragnow was not on the field during the open portion of Thursday’s practice session in Allen Park. No. 77 was limited in Wednesday’s practice with a groin injury.

Vaitai is on injured reserve and will miss the first four games, at minimum. Ragnow missed all but the first four games of 2021 with a toe injury that required surgery.

Further complicating the interior offensive line picture is Tommy Kraemer’s status. The presumptive replacement for Vaitai at RG in the starting lineup has missed both practices this week with a back injury of his own. Logan Stenberg is the next man up at guard.

If Ragnow can’t play, Evan Brown will fill in at center. Brown played well in Ragnow’s absence a year ago but doesn’t offer the high-end ability Ragnow brings. The Lions signed center Ross Pierschbacher to the practice squad as insurance; Kraemer is the only other Lions lineman who has taken reps at center and would normally be the emergency option in the pivot.

The Lions will release the Week 1 final injury report after Friday’s practice.

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Lions injury report: 3 players out, 5 more limited as team prepares for first game

Lions injury report: 3 players out, 5 more limited in practice as Detroit prepares for Week 1

The Detroit Lions have released their first injury report of the 2022 season while just days away from their first regular season matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Did not practice: DL John Cominsky (illness), OL Tommy Kraemer (back), DL Levi Onwuzurike (back)

While three players sat out of Wednesday’s practice, only one is of real concern at the moment.

Reserve offensive lineman Tommy Kraemer is currently held out of practice due to a back injury. This injury comes as starting right guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai was recently placed on injured reserve.

Kraemer is one of a few players who could fill in at right guard, especially since he did so several times last season as an undrafted rookie. He played well enough to stick around again this season and the coaches seem to have faith in the young versatile lineman. If this back injury is serious enough to hold him out, the team may have to rely on Logan Stenberg in his place.

Onwuzurike’s injury is old news and even coach Dan Campbell knows that it will take some time for him to be healthy. That said, it does bring up some concerns about the former second-round pick and his availability on game days.

Cominsky missed practice due to an illness and should be ready to go for Sunday, where he will surely be in the interior defensive line rotation.

Limited practice: LB Chris Board (knee), DB Ifeatu Melifonwu (hamstring), EDGE Julian Okwara (hamstring), OL Frank Ragnow (groin), K Austin Seibert (right groin)

While there’s no need to sound the alarms just yet, it is concerning that several of Detroit’s starters are already being limited in practice due to injuries.

To add on to the aforementioned injury to Vaitai, starting center Frank Ragnow is dealing with a groin injury at the moment. The former Pro Bowler missed a majority of games last season due to a toe injury and is now being held back by a groin issue. He isn’t ruled out for Sunday’s game, but the Lions can rest easy knowing they have reliable backup Evan Brown ready to go if needed.

Seibert’s groin injury comes after he too missed a large chunk of the 2021 season. While it hasn’t been reported on before, his injury may explain why the Lions re-signed Aldrick Rosas to the practice squad last week.

Linebacker Chris Board is dealing with a recent knee injury, but his limited status provides some hope that it isn’t too serious. Board should be in line for some reps at inside linebacker while playing predominantly on special teams.

Melifonwu and Okwara’s names appearing on this list inspire more optimism than concern as the two have missed many practices throughout camp and the preseason. This was Melifonwu’s first practice back in weeks and he may be sidelined for the game against Philadelphia. Okwara has been back at practice for a week now and is looking more and more likely to see the field in a limited capacity this Sunday.

Replacing Halapoulivaati Vaitai will not be easy for the Lions

Replacing injured RG Halapoulivaati Vaitai will not be easy for the Detroit Lions beyond just plugging in a replacement

Just when all the ducks were in a row for the Detroit Lions to have a fantastic offensive line, one of the big ducks couldn’t fly. When right guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai went onto the injured reserve with a back issue on Monday, the news clipped the wings of enthusiasm around the fanbase.

Vaitai will not be easy to replace. He was a great fit at right guard, displaying power and balance that didn’t always translate so well outside at tackle, where he was initially signed to play in Detroit. “Big V” did not allow a single sack in 2021 while playing between a rookie RT and a backup center. That’s impressive.

The Lions do have somewhat promising depth to plug in for the minimum four weeks Vaitai will be out. Tommy Kraemer had a decent summer in 2022 after playing almost 250 snaps as an undrafted rookie in 2021. Logan Stenberg rose from two-plus years at the bottom of the depth chart with a fantastic finish to the preseason. Then there’s newcomer Drew Forbes, claimed off waivers from the Browns to fill Vaitai’s roster spot.

Kraemer is a pass protection guy, Stenberg the run game mauler. Put them together and they’re the Vaitai the Lions got in 2021. We don’t yet know which way head coach Dan Campbell and OL coach Hank Fraley will lean in replacing Vaitai. Theoretically the Lions could test backup C Evan Brown there, but he’s repped almost exclusively at center and doesn’t bring the power element the offense needs at guard.

But beyond Vaitai’s physical presence, it’s a big blow to the Lions team. All offseason, the linemen themselves have talked up how high the potential is with the projected starting five all playing together. Injuries prevented that from happening in 2021. These Lions are built to win in the trenches. No, they have to win in the trenches if they hope to improve upon last year’s 3-win misery. The pride from having such a (potentially) great offensive line is now shaken. Injuries have again reared their ugly head and that bites into the psyche a little before the season has even started.

Moreover, Vaitai was invaluable as a mentor and immediate sounding board for right tackle Penei Sewell. The big first-rounder has a lot of physical gifts but had some struggles as a rookie, especially switching back to RT from the left side where he filled in for injured LT Taylor Decker to start the year.

Vaitai was the wise veteran who calmed Sewell, who kept him from losing confidence after bad reps on the left side and connected with him in a special way when Sewell moved to his natural RT spot. It was common in training camp this summer to see Vaitai explaining things to Sewell after drills, after reps, after mistakes. Losing Vaitai even for a month hurts Sewell’s development, too.

Hopefully it’s just a short-term injury and Vaitai is back no later than when the Lions return from the Week 6 bye. That would give the touted line 12 games together to prove worthy of the hype. Kraemer or Stenberg can be capable in filling in temporarily, but the Lions need Big V to thrive offensively.

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Every Notre Dame player currently on an NFL training camp roster

Lots of former Irish talent in the NFL

Part of being an alumnus of a supremely successful collegiate football is seeing them getting an opportunity at the next level. For Notre Dame, the list of former players getting their shot in the NFL is large, very large. Find out below every former Irish star (in alphabetical order) and which NFL team they are with in training camp.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Mike on Twitter: @MikeFChen

Rookie report: Lions 2021 class shines in season finale

Detroit Lions rookie report: The 2021 class shines in the season finale

The 2021 Detroit Lions rookie class ended the season on a high note with a 37-30 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

The Lions faced their fair share of adversity throughout the season, which in turn made them rely on many of their rookie players to take on larger roles.

This remained true for their season finale, as Detroit utilized 13 first-year players in their victory over Green Bay.

Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has become the focal point of the Lions’ offense. Not only did he make franchise history by recording the most receptions by a rookie, he put his name down in NFL history books as one of three rookie receivers to record the stats that he’s put up over this half of the season. His abilities on the field drew plenty of attention to himself, which benefitted Detroit on trick plays as well. Green Bay’s defenders assumed St. Brown would get the ball and hone in on him, allowing the offense to make some big scoring plays. St. Brown finished the game with eight catches for 109 yards and a touchdown along with one carry for 12 yards.

Cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu also had himself a day. Expectations were low for the rookie after a rough outing against Seattle the week prior. He was tasked with covering Davante Adams, one of the league’s top receivers, and managed to hold his own. Melifonwu managed to suppress Adams the best he could and allowed just two receptions for 17 yards when targeted. His most stunning play was a pass breakup against Adams that forced a fourth down by Green Bay. The rookie corner showed vast improvement and hopefully will be able to carry that momentum into next season. He had five tackles and a fumble recovery against Green Bay.

Melifonwu’s aforementioned fumble recovery was set off by fellow rookie cornerback AJ Parker, who knocked the ball out of the hands of Packers receiver Juwann Winfree. Parker has started at the nickel cornerback position for most of the year and has shown some great potential there. The undrafted rookie laid out several big hits in this game and proved he’s capable of holding a starting role next season. Parker also is credited with a pass breakup and three tackles in this game.

Rookie tight end Brock Wright returned after dealing with both injury and illness for the two weeks prior to this game and still managed to put on quite a show. While initially used as a blocking tight end, he was forced to become more of a receiving option after T.J. Hockenson was placed on injured reserve. Wright caught both passes thrown his way for 51 yards and a touchdown.

Another rookie who had a decent game was nose tackle Alim McNeill. The third-round pick only played a little over a third of the defensive snaps for Detroit, but was a dominant force as a pass rusher and run defender. McNeill bullied Green Bay’s offensive line, dropping down on them like the 330-pound anvil that he is.

Derrick Barnes finally earned a start at inside linebacker and made the most of it. Other than getting beat for one touchdown that he had no business covering in the first place, Barnes had a decent game. The rookie came away with five tackles and a sack, but still has plenty of room to improve. He has a long way to go before he can be a full-time starter, but the door is open with both Alex Anzalone and Jalen Reeves-Maybin set to hit free agency.

Defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike had a fairly quiet game. He saw more reps than usual but failed to make much of an impact on the game.

On the offensive line, Ryan McCollum was thrown into the action after Evan Brown suffered an injury just five snaps into the game. On his first snap, McCollum was easily beat and gave up a sack. He played 31 snaps before Detroit opted to shift left guard Jonah Jackson over to center and have Jared Goff take direct snaps from him instead. Undrafted rookie Tommy Kraemer took over for Jackson at left guard for the remainder of the game and didn’t allow any pressure on Goff.

Kicker Riley Patterson had another perfect day. The rookie attempted and made four extra points and three field goals. At this rate, he should be the heavy favorite for the kicker job next season.

Mark Gilbert, Brady Breeze, and Tavante Beckett only took the field for special teams plays. None of the three rookies recorded any stats.