Tag: Tre’quan Smith

Lions release injured WR, add safety to practice squad

The Lions made a couple of moves at the bottom of the roster on Tuesday

The Detroit Lions made a couple of tweaks to the bottom end of the roster on Tuesday.

Detroit released wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith from the injured reserve list. Smith was injured during the preseason and was placed on the I.R. prior to roster cutdowns. The veteran was trying to make the Lions after several injury-plagued years with the New Orleans Saints.

The Lions also tinkerer with the practice squad. Erick Hallett is back on the practice squad after being released from an earlier stint. The team had an opening, so no other move was needed.

Lions place 2 players on I.R., officially add LB Joel Iyiegbuniwe

The Detroit Lions placed WR Tre’Quan Smith and LB Malik Jefferson on I.R. and officially add LB Joel Iyiegbuniwe

A day after the addition was known to be coming, the Detroit Lions made it official. The team signed free agent linebacker Joel Iyiegbuniwe to a one-year contract ahead of the Lions’ final preseason game.

Iyiegbuniwe has years of considerable special teams experience in the NFL, though the one-time Bears fourth-round pick has barely played on defense in his six years in the league.

He fills the roster spot of linebacker Malik Jefferson, who was one of two players the Lions placed on injured reserve. Jefferson and veteran wideout Tre’Quan Smith had their Lions seasons ended with the move to I.R.

Detroit also reached injury settlements with two undrafted rookies who were previously waived, DB Morice Norris and LB DaRon Gilbert.

Drew Brees’ record-tying 21-yard TD pass is the Saints Play of the Day

Drew Brees’ record-tying 21-yard touchdown pass against the Colts is the Saints Play of the Day. It was an auspicious performance for No. 9:

We’re down to 21 days until the New Orleans Saints kick off their 2024 regular season, which makes Drew Brees’ record-tying 21-yard touchdown pass our pick for the Saints Play of the Day.

It was an auspicious performance for No. 9 on “Monday Night Football” against the Indianapolis Colts. Brees finished the game by completing 29 of 30 passes, an NFL record for single-game completion percentage (96.7%). But that wasn’t the only record Brees took that night.

Brees also tied (and later broke) Peyton Manning’s record for career touchdown passes. Tre’Quan Smith caught this 21-yard pass to fight through  two Colts defenders and break the plane at the goal line, scoring the record-tier. And he would’ve had the record-breaker later on a 5-yard touchdown pass, but it was called back for an offensive pass interference penalty.

Instead, Brees broke the record on the next drive with a 5-yard pass to tight end Josh Hill, shattering the career record Peyton Manning had set. He finished the game going 29-of-30 for 304 yards with four touchdown passes, without taking a sack or turning the ball over. It was a vintage performance from an all-time great.

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Dan Campbell worried the Lions lost a receiver ‘for a little while’ with injury

Head coach Dan Campbell indicated that Lions WR Tre’Quan Smith could be out ‘for a little while’ with injury after the Chiefs game

The Detroit Lions second preseason game wasn’t nearly as physically devastating as the debut weekend. Instead of losing several players to major injuries, as happened in the exhibition opener against the New York Giants, Dan Campbell’s Lions escaped Kansas City in relatively good shape on the injury front.

There was one unfortunate exception, however. Wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith injured his hand in the game, and Campbell indicated it could be a serious one for the veteran.

“Tre’Quan Smith is the one player that could be out for a little while,” Campbell said after the game. “He had a hand injury. Everything else, I think we’ll be OK long term.”

Smith, who wears No. 10, is trying to make the Lions after struggling with injuries in Denver in 2023. He had an up-and-down few seasons with the New Orleans Saints and was hoping to rekindle some spark.

The veteran has had some moments in camp, but he did not catch a pass in either preseason game and has repped mostly with the second-team or third-team offense throughout training camp.

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Breaking down the Lions battle for the No. 4 and No. 5 wide receiving spots

Breaking down the Lions battle for the No. 4 and No. 5 wide receiving spots, which are still up in the air ahead of the 2nd preseason game

The Detroit Lions have one elite wide receiver in All-Pro Amon-Ra St. Brown. They have a promising, though still unproven No. 2 wideout in Jameson Williams. Veteran Kalif Raymond is an undersized but speedy and physically strong No. 3 with years of experience in offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s system.

After that?

It’s an important training camp battle that nobody seems to want to win. At least that’s head coach Dan Campbell’s take on the wide receiver room ahead of the Lions’ second preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

“We’re waiting for somebody to step forward. We’re waiting for any one of those guys to step forward,” Campbell said before a recent practice. He then challenged a few of the top contenders by name,

“(Daurice) Fountain and Tre’Quan (Smith) and Kaden Davis, we’re dying for somebody to step up and say, ‘Hey man, I’m the guy. I’m the guy you can depend on. I’ll be the same consistent player every day and find a way to make the plays that come my way.”

There are several candidates to step up, even after the team lost second-year wideout Antoine Green to an injury.

Donovan Peoples-Jones

Peoples-Jones was brought back this offseason with the seeming intent of being the direct replacement for Josh Reynolds, who left in free agency for Denver. It has not played out that way, though Campbell was encouraged by what he has seen in the last couple of days.

“DPJ I felt like has been, since the game, much better. He’s playing faster and I notice it, we all notice it. So that’s encouraging,” Campbell said of Peoples-Jones, referring to him by his initials.

Peoples-Jones offers size and productive experience. As a full-time WR2 (to Amari Cooper as the No. 1) with the Browns in 2022, the 6-foot-2 Michigan grad caught 61 passes for 839 yards and three TDs. That’s almost exactly half of DPJ’s career production in four seasons, and it sure seems like the outlier instead of the expected norm.

Daurice Fountain

Fountain has been around a long time, even if he’s still relatively unfamiliar to many fans. A fifth-round pick by the Colts in 2018, injuries nearly pushed the 6-foot-2, 210-pounder from Northern Iowa out of football. He spent last season on Detroit’s practice squad, getting notice from coaches and teammates for catching everything thrown near him and his physical style.

Fountain played his way into considerable first-team reps in minicamp and early in training camp. As a big target who blocked well and had some long-striding speed, he was a seemingly strong fit into the old Josh Reynolds role. And at times Fountain looked like The Man for the job…

…and a little too often, Fountain just didn’t flow as expected. The consistency coach Campbell covets often runs dry for Fountain and his bouts of drops, long-legged routes that don’t always have the requisite quickness, and too-tall blocking in the run game.

Tre’Quan Smith

Smith was something of an afterthought as a free agent signing earlier this offseason. His career with the Saints never really materialized as hoped when New Orleans drafted him in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

Much like Fountain, injuries have dogged Smith. He does have a more polished and experienced résumé , including time playing with Dan Campbell on the Saints staff and Drew Brees as his quarterback. Smith started 35 games and caught 18 TD passes among his 131 career receptions as a mid-range threat with some size and physicality after the catch.

The consistency has been lacking throughout his career, and that’s also been true of Smith’s first training camp in Detroit. As was the case in New Orleans, the precision to his route running and burst off the line aren’t great, but they’re good enough that defenses still have to take him seriously. When given consistent second-team offense reps in training camp, Smith has connected nicely with Nate Sudfeld and Hendon Hooker; first-team reps, which have fluctuated, have not been as solid for Smith connecting with Jared Goff. A lack of proven ability on special teams doesn’t help Smith’s case.

Kaden Davis

Davis is in his third summer of trying to make an NFL team, starting with the Broncos in 2022 and the Cardinals in 2023. The 5-foot-10 Davis has stuck on practice squads, but hasn’t yet climbed the ladder into a spot on the active roster.

Davis offers impressive quickness off the line and better agility and footwork than any of the players he’s competing against. While he has a smallish catch radius, Davis has shown sticky hands and a quick ability to transition from receiver to runner. He has shown he can run effective routes from the slot and working outside, though he’s been more effective working inside-out in training camp.

The biggest questions with Davis are play strength in contested catch situations and his ability to catch the ball away from his body. Davis has short arms and small hands, even for his relatively smallish height. He’s had some solid special teams reps, notably on coverage units, and that could be a deciding factor in Davis’ favor.

Isaiah Williams

An undrafted rookie from Illinois, Williams has come on strongly in the last couple of weeks. He’s taken consistent reps as the second-team slot receiver and might be the best of the candidates here at running after the catch.

A former quarterback, Williams tends to run smart routes and understands how to leverage the coverage nicely. He’s got fast feet but they don’t always gain a lot of progress, something that hinders No. 83 as a route runner. Williams stands a better chance of making it as a return specialist than as a wideout, and that’s a very real chance based on how camp has played out.

Maurice Alexander

The equation is pretty simple for Alexander, now in his third season with the Lions. The 175-pounder needs to win the punt return or kick return job to make the team. He’s got some juice as a faster-than-quick slot receiver who has shown ability on screens and quick slants.

Alexander does a good job of looking the ball all the way into his hands and he can turn it up quickly as a receiver. His lack of strength and versatility to do much more than quick-hit, short passes really limit Alexander’s upside as a receiver, which is why it’s all about return specialist for No. 1. And yes, he can win one of the two kick return spots. A terrible preseason opener against the Giants, when he put the first two punts on the ground, might have ended any realistic shot for Alexander.

Tom Kennedy

Kennedy has earned renown for his prolific, proud training camp performances. He’s had a few shots with Detroit on the active roster since joining the team in 2019, playing in 20 total games and catching 14 passes.

A tough slot receiver, Kennedy’s lacrosse background is easy to see. He’s small but plucky and might have the fastest feet on the entire roster. The issue for Kennedy is that he is effectively the exact same guy he has been in each of the last five years, and that’s a player who is always bridging between being the No. 6 WR or on the practice squad. He’s now 28 and the upside just isn’t so high anymore. Yet at the same time, Kennedy is perhaps the most known commodity; he’ll give you everything he’s got out of the slot and on special teams on every play.

Jalon Calhoun

An undrafted rookie from Duke, Calhoun has had his moments in camp. Calhoun has strong hands and can reliably block on the outside. He’s not a dynamic athlete on the field, and No. 80 is far more realistically competing for a spot on the practice squad than making the active roster as a UDFA.

 

This WR is a good sleeper to make the Lions 53-man roster

Under-the-radar WR Tre’Quan Smith is a good sleeper to make the Lions 53-man roster

When looking at the Detroit Lions depth chart, there’s some uncertainty at wide receiver after Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown. Last season, the third receiver was Josh Reynolds but he signed with Denver this off-season.

This leads to a guessing game of who will step up. It could be Antoine Green, Donovan Peoples-Jones or Isaiah Williams. However, there’s one receiver that we’re not talking about and that player is Tre’Quan Smith.

Last summer, Smith underwent groin surgery and barely played in 2023 due to that injury. He only played 10 snaps in week 8 against the Chiefs. While there’s obvious concerns about the groin, there’s a chance for Smith to get a fresh start in Detroit.

It’s the same fresh start that was given to Josh Reynolds, Charles Harris, John Cominsky and others. These fresh starts in Detroit seemed to rejuvenate the careers of those players and the hope is that the same occurs for Smith.

When healthy in New Orleans, the results were positive for Smith. Oddly enough, the production was similar to what we saw from Josh Reynolds in Detroit. Let’s dive into some film from 2021 and 2022 on Tre’Quan Smith to see why he could be a surprise addition to the Lions 53-man roster.

When watching film on Tre’Quan Smith, one of the first things you’ll notice is the inconsistent quarterback play. During my film study on him, I noticed he had caught passes from Taysom Hill, Trevor Siemian and Jameis Winston. That said, he does a great job with running routes and getting open in the short and intermediate areas of the field.

Looking at the play above, you’ll see the Saints come out in a 2×2 set. In the slot on the left side of the formation (top), you’ll see Tre’Quan Smith (Saints WR #10). Once the ball is snapped, he chips the defensive end aligned on his inside shoulder. As he bounces off the defender, he runs a drag route over the middle of the field.

Despite it being 2nd and long, Smith finds an opening and secures the pass for a gain of 6 or 7 yards. This gain was enough to get back to the original line of scrimmage.

Moving to the next play, you’ll see another 2×2 set by the Saints. This time it’s against the Buccaneers. On this play, you can find Smith on the bottom or the screen and once the ball is snapped, he runs a quick out. With the defender in off-coverage, Smith is able to get open and this creates a clean passing window for the quarterback.

After securing the catch, Smith shakes off the initial tackler and runs downfield to gain additional yardage. In the 67 games he’s played in his career, Smith has been able to record 1,764 receiving yards and 541 yards have been gained after contact.

The next play I want to highlight is a corner route ran by Smith against the Titans. Looking at the play above, the Saints come out in a Twins Left formation. Condensed to the right side are the tight end and Smith. Once the ball is snapped, you’ll notice the tight end blocking in pass protection and most importantly, you’ll see Smith throttling down like he was going to crack block the linebacker.

This forces the safety to bite on the potential block and coming off play-action, the quarterback keeps the ball and fires it to Smith. Wide open, there’s plenty of room for him to make the catch and enter the end zone with ease. During his career with the Saints, he had 131 receptions on 196 targets and it led to 1764 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns.

Lastly, I want to focus on another out route by Smith. Looking at the play above, Smith is aligned in the slot to the right of the offensive line. On this play, he sets up as if he’s going to block for the run but then he cuts to the sideline and is open on the out route.

Coming off play-action, you’ll see Taysom Hill rolling to his right. He notices the window and delivers a good ball to Smith. Once he secures the catch, he turns upfield and stretches the ball out to try and pickup the first down.

When looking into the PFF stats for Smith, there’s a lot of similar production to what we saw from Josh Reynolds in Detroit. For example in 2022, Smith earned a 69.0 overall grade and Reynolds earned a 64.1 overall grade. In 2021, they were even more similar with Reynolds earning an overall grade of 65.9 and Smith had a 62.7 overall grade.

Much of what happens with Smith and his roster status will depend on if he can stay healthy. When he’s not injured, there’s a lot of positives to his game. For starters, he’s a bigger bodied receiver at 6’2″ and 203 pounds. Meanwhile, he does a really good job at getting open in the short and intermediate areas. He plays tough and is a consistent blocker when picking up second and third level defenders.

Expectations for Smith shouldn’t be sky high. But if the Lions are searching for a player to have similar contributions to what Josh Reynolds did in Detroit, they may be able to find it with Smith playing that role. As training camp gets underway, Smith is my surprise pick to make the 53-man roster for the Lions.

Lions place 4 players on NFI list to start training camp

Lions place 4 players on NFI list to start training camp, including two cornerbacks new to the team

Four players expected to be in the lineup on the first day of Detroit Lions training camp are instead sitting it out. The Lions placed four players on the non-football injury list to start camp on Wednesday.

Three of the four are newcomers to Detroit:

CB Carlton Davis

CB Amik Robertson

WR Tre’Quan Smith

Holdover wideout Donovan Peoples-Jones is the fourth to land on the NFI/active list.

The NFI is a designation for players who are unable to compete due to injuries or conditions not sustained in organized football. It could be something as simple as not passing the team’s rigorous conditioning test. All are able to be activated at any time.

All four were active participants in the team’s minicamp in June.

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Drew Brees’ historic 62-yard TD pass is Saints Play of the Day

Drew Brees’ historic 62-yard touchdown pass is the Saints Play of the Day. Peyton Manning had a great reaction to his rival taking another one of his records:

We’ve got 62 days to go until the start of the New Orleans Saints’ 2024 regular season, and that makes Drew Brees’ historic 62-yard touchdown pass the Saints Play of the Day.

This was the play on which Brees won the NFL’s all-time passing yards record in 2018 (taking it from his old rival Peyton Manning, who handled it well), but it was also the first career touchdown catch of Tre’Quan Smith’s career. The rookie wideout got open down the sideline during a coverage breakdown in the Washington secondary, and Brees wasted no time exploiting that opportunity.

Smith caught the pass at the visitors’ 37-yard line and wasn’t touched for about 30 yards into the end zone, having shrugged off a desperate shove from safety Montae Nicholson. It was a great moment for all involved in black and gold, with Brees mobbed by his celebrating teammates before he could even reach the Saints’ bench. The Saints won this one 43-19 in prime time in what became one of the best seasons in franchise history. What a moment. Tom Brady currently holds the passing yards record.

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Could Tre’Quan Smith be the hidden depth answer for the Lions at WR?

Unheralded veteran WR Tre’Quan Smith will get a chance to prove himself in Detroit Lions OTAs and minicamp of providing unexpected depth

One of the biggest uncertainties facing the Detroit Lions as the second week of OTAs commences is the depth at wide receiver. There’s a lot of unease amongst the Lions fan base about the wideouts after Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Kalif Raymond. Heck, there are many fans who have considerable doubts about Jamo, Raymond and fellow returnee Donovan Peoples-Jones as an entire group.

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Detroit opted to avoid chasing higher-profile wide receivers in free agency. They also eschewed drafting a wideout in the 2024 NFL Draft despite the class being widely perceived as very deep and very good.

However, the Lions did quietly sign an experienced wide receiver this offseason. One with 35 career starts and a two-TD game against Detroit on his NFL résumé, no less:

Tre’Quan Smith.

Now wearing No. 10 for the Lions, Smith spent five seasons (2018-2022) in New Orleans as a sometimes-starter who played over 66 percent of offensive snaps in his first four seasons. Smith was a third-round pick by the Saints in 2018 out of UCF after an impressive career as a deep threat with some savvy to his route-running.

Smith’s career with the Saints never quite panned out, though he did catch 131 passes in five seasons, scoring 18 touchdowns. By way of comparison, Smith caught a higher percentage of targets for more total yards, yards per reception and double the touchdowns than the man he’s hoping to replace in Detroit, Josh Reynolds, did in his first five years in the NFL (2017-2021).

To say he didn’t work out well in New Orleans is an understatement; check out this over-the-top celebration of Smith’s release from a Louisiana sports radio show. There were untimely drops, minor injury issues, missed blocking assignments, avoidable penalties and a general unreliability that Lions fans of a certain age might associate (outside of one great year) with Germaine Crowell.

Smith got a shot at redemption with the Denver Broncos in 2023 but managed just 10 offensive snaps while spending almost all year on the practice squad.

It’s a low-risk shot for the Lions to extend one last chance to Smith, who is very familiar for coach Dan Campbell from his Saints days. Smith is in Detroit on a future/reserve contract, the same basic status as an undrafted rookie — and a lesser commitment from the team than UDFA Isaiah Williams. Smith has no appreciable experience playing special teams, a general requisite for the bottom of the roster players.

It might amount to nothing. It wouldn’t surprise many, certainly none in Saints land, if Smith doesn’t even make it to training camp in July. But don’t write Tre’Quan Smith off just yet. If he’s got anything left to offer, Smith will have ample opportunity to show it over the upcoming OTAs and minicamp at a position where the Lions could really use an unexpected jolt of fresh optimism.

Saints aren’t tendering wide receiver Lynn Bowden Jr.

The Saints aren’t tendering Lynn Bowden Jr., which means only 3 of the 11 wide receivers who played for them last year are set to return for 2024:

Get ready for a new-look New Orleans Saints wide receiver corps in 2024. The Saints will not be tendering veteran wideout Lynn Bowden Jr., per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, which will make him a free agent when the new league year begins on March 13.

This isn’t too surprising in itself. Bowden primarily worked as a blocker and decoy for the Saints, only drawing 16 targets in 15 games last year while catching 11 passes for 83 yards, picking up a pair of first downs. He also recorded 5 rushing attempts for 32 yards on the ground, moving the chains three times. He was a serviceable emergency returns specialist, averaging 7.6 yards per punt return and 21.3 yards per kick return. That isn’t production teams pay top-dollar for.

But things are interesting under the surface. Fowler initially said that Bowden was an exclusive rights free agent, not a restricted free agent, which he later said was a mistake. Not tendering Bowden as a restricted free agent made sense because it costs at least $2,985,000. Re-signing Bowden at the league-minimum salary is an option.

Maybe he returns later as a minimum signing, but it’s possible that the Saints will be moving on as offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak revamps the receiving corps. Bowden is the latest wideout from New Orleans’ 2023 team to depart thus far. Let’s break it down:

  • Michael Thomas will enter free agency on Wednesday after being released from his contract
  • Marquez Callaway signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers after his practice squad deal expired
  • Shaquan Davis chose to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles in similar circumstances
  • Kirk Merritt is playing for the UFL’s Houston Roughnecks
  • Jontre Kirklin is with the UFL’s San Antonio Brahmas as well
  • Keith Kirkwood will be an unrestricted free agent, too
  • If you’re curious, the Detroit Lions signed Tre’Quan Smith

Which leaves Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and A.T. Perry as the only receivers returning for the 2024 season (so far). It’s possible Kirkwood and Bowden return at some point but Kubiak has a big opportunity to retool this depth chart. Stay tuned to learn what his plan for accomplishing that is.

Update: Fowler corrected his report, clarifying that Bowden was a restricted free agent (RFA), not an exclusive rights free agent (ERFA). So that confusion can be chalked up to a typo. Maybe the NFL can workshop some abbreviations which aren’t so easy to mistake for one another?

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