Tag: Tyrell Crosby

Tyrell Crosby lays out some harsh claims against the Lions

Former Detroit OT Tyrell Crosby lays out some harsh claims against the Lions in an interview with Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press

Tyrell Crosby went from starting right tackle of the Detroit Lions to a man who might never play football again in the span of 18 months. Now recovering from spinal fusion surgery that could end his NFL career, Crosby offered up some harsh accusations and claims against the Lions for how his time in Detroit came to a bitter end.

In an interview with Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Crosby lashes out at the Lions.

“I wouldn’t want to play for that organization just knowing what I know now and just how poorly they treat their players,” Crosby told Birkett after praising the Lions fans and their loyalty to both him and the team.

Crosby alleges the team’s medical staff didn’t heed his concerns about back pain in the 2021 training camp, a time when Crosby was sidelined with a hamstring injury. He also states the Lions forced him to play in a preseason game despite knowing his back was not healthy enough to handle the rigors of the game.

Complications from the initial surgery did not help Crosby in his quest to return. He says he now has serious limitations to movement, though Crosby still hopes to play in the NFL.

The harsh words Crosby levels against the organization and head coach Dan Campbell in particular go very much against the grain of what numerous other players have said about the new Lions regime. Crosby had lost his starting job when the Lions drafted Penei Sewell in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. After starting 18 games in three years in Detroit, the reality of being turned into a reserve was not something Crosby appreciated.

It’s an interesting side of the story Crosby gives to Birkett, one worth checking out. Hopefully he comes out healthy and is able to enjoy a post-football life.

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Lions injury tracker: All the players on injured reserve entering Week 6

The updated Detroit Lions injury tracker includes 8 players who would be starters currently on IR

It’s been a very rough season for the Detroit Lions. Winless through five weeks, the team has suffered through a nasty wave of injuries to key players. And the list keeps growing.

Last week’s sobering look at how many players are unavailable to the team due to either injury or dead cap has expanded, unfortunately. Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow will miss the rest of the season with a toe injury that required surgery. He was out for Week 5 as well but now officially joins the throng of Lions on the IR list.

Here’s the updated cadre of Lions either on the IR or non-football injury reserved lists as of October 13th:

  • Taylor Decker, starting left tackle
  • Frank Ragnow, starting center
  • Tyrell Williams, starting wide receiver
  • Quintez Cephus, starting wide receiver (in place of Williams)
  • Tyrell Crosby, offensive tackle (would start in place of Decker)
  • Tim Boyle, backup quarterback
  • Romeo Okwara, starting outside linebacker
  • Jeff Okudah, starting cornerback
  • Ifeatu Melifonwu, starting CB (in place of Okudah)
  • Da’Shawn Hand, defensive end
  • Kevin Strong, defensive end
  • Joel Heath, defensive end
  • Shaun Dion Hamilton, linebacker
  • Charlie Taumopeau, tight end (NFI)
  • Hunter Bryant, tight end (NFI)

That’s eight different players who would be starting right now, six of them regular projected starters. The list includes the team’s two best offensive linemen, the top wideout, the No. 1 and No. 2 cornerbacks and the WR leader in receiving yards after five games.

Broncos claim ex-Lions CB Mike Ford off waivers

Broncos claim ex-Lions CB Mike Ford off waivers, while two offensive tackles revert to the Lions’ I.R.

Of all the players the Detroit Lions waived this week, only one was claimed by another NFL team off the waiver wire. Cornerback Mike Ford is now a member of the Denver Broncos, who posted the successful waiver claim on Wednesday.

Ford joins the Broncos, who can use his speed on special teams and his ability to play both outside and slot CB. He spent the last three seasons in Detroit but did not play convincingly enough this summer to make the roster again.

Among the players the Lions waived but did not bring back to the practice squad, both Tyrell Crosby and Dan Skipper went unclaimed and reverted to Detroit’s injured reserve. They are eligible to accept an injury settlement and become eligible for signing with another team.

Why Chargers should be interested in recently released OT Tyrell Crosby

The Los Angeles Chargers would be wise to strengthen the depth of the offensive line.

Heading into the 2021 regular season, one of the biggest concerns for the Chargers is the lack of depth along the line, particularly at the tackle position.

As Los Angeles finalizes the 53-man roster, they are also looking at players that are currently on the market to see if they might be of assistance, and one of them who they could benefit from is Tyrell Crosby.

The Lions released Crosby on Monday. The 25-year old appeared in 38 games, 18 of which he started.

Crosby, a fifth-round pick of the 2018 NFL draft, has taken snaps at both left and right tackle. In three seasons, he has allowed only seven sacks, with his best performance in pass protection coming just last season.

Familiarity is an additional bonus when it comes to potentially bringing in a player, and it just so happens that Crosby protected quarterback Justin Herbert for two seasons at the University of Oregon (2016, 17).

Detroit did waive Crosby with an injury designation, so even if the Bolts want to claim him, the physical would be vital in determining his future with the team.

Nonetheless, Crosby has proven himself in a starting capacity, which means that he would bring plenty of value as a swing tackle.

The Chargers have the thirteenth-highest waiver priority, lessening their chances of grabbing him but the team would be wise to still put a claim in.

Lions waive-injured OT Tyrell Crosby among series of roster cuts

Offensive tackles Tyrell Crosby and Dan Skipper were each waived with injury status, ending their 2021 seasons in Detroit

The Detroit Lions got a sweeping start off on their roster cutdowns. The team made several moves on Monday in advance of the 4 p.m. Tuesday deadline to trim the active roster to 53.

After earlier releasing WR Breshad Perriman and CB Mike Ford, the Lions announced more cuts from head coach Dan Campbell prior to taking the practice field on Monday. The most notable is offensive tackle Tyrell Crosby, who was waived with injury designation.

Crosby was the team’s starting right tackle in 2020 and was projected to be the top reserve offensive lineman in 2021, but he’s battled an injury throughout training camp. He played poorly in the third preseason game, allowing an easy sack in the loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

Campbell did not mince words in talking about the decision to waive Crosby.

We didn’t feel like he was one of the best guys,” Campbell said.

The same fate befell offensive tackle Dan Skipper, who would have been the proverbial “next man up” behind Crosby. Skipper suffered a bad leg injury in Friday night’s preseason finale against Buffalo.

Both Crosby and Skipper will revert to the Lions’ injured reserve if they are not claimed by another team. They will not be eligible to return for Detroit in 2021.

The other players released on Monday:

  • WR Victor Bolden
  • DT Miles Brown
  • OL Evan Heim
  • WR Damion Ratley
  • S Alijah Holder

None of the players released are expected to be candidates for the Lions’ practice squad.

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Lions roster projection heading into training camp: Offense

Projecting who will make the Detroit Lions final offensive roster at the start of training camp

Detroit Lions training camp kicks off in less than two weeks. Footballs will be flying around the team’s practice facility in Allen Park with 90 players fighting for 53 final roster spots.

This is our first prediction on which players make the Lions roster after the final cutdowns.

To keep things more manageable, we’re splitting up the offense and the defensive projections, with the special teams sticking with the D. First up is the overhauled offense under new coordinator Anthony Lynn.

The projection here leaves the Lions with 25 offensive players, and that includes the return specialist and three quarterbacks.

In Detroit, Penei Sewell and Tyrell Crosby will compete for starting spot amidst trade rumors

After becoming friends while playing at Oregon, Tyler Crosby and Penei Sewell will now be competing for a starting spot on the line in Detroit.

Entering a contract season, fourth-year offensive lineman Tyrell Crosby could have been salty when the Detroit Lions drafted what seems to be his replacement on the offensive line. However, when the former Oregon Duck learned that his college teammate Penei Sewell would be joining him in the Motor City, there was nothing but smiles.

“Seeing him when he got drafted, I was probably one of the happiest people on Earth, because that was my friend who got drafted and I couldn’t be more proud of him,” Crosby said, via SB Nation’s Pride of Detroit.

However, that happiness could lead to turmoil for Crosby, who has now been involved in some trade rumors as the Lions look to fill out their offensive front. With Taylor Decker at the left tackle spot, there is a strong belief that Sewell will switch over to right tackle, taking the position from Crosby.

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Instead of taking it personally, Crosby is choosing to control what he can, and let it all play out on the field.

“Really haven’t heard much from the front office or anything about it,” Crosby said. “So I’m just here excited and thankful to be here and just compete.”

Crosby’s contract with Detroit is up after this season, and his future remains unknown. Whether he gets a chance to further prove his worth on the field this season is yet to be seen, but he is going to do whatever is asked of him, and enjoy the company of his close friend, in the meantime.

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Lions have some post-June 1st trade candidates

Don’t expect the Lions to be buyers, however

When the calendar flips to June 1st, it’s a big deal for the NFL. Even though it’s the heart of the offseason, the date looms large for teams and players.

The contractual language changes on June 1st. Teams can spread out salary cap hits on players released or traded after June 1st instead of taking the whole cap hit on the current season.

That’s one of the reasons why there are trade rumors flying around the league right now, including those with Atlanta WR Julio Jones, Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers, Vikings DE Danielle Hunter and Philadelphia TE Zach Ertz. Many of those players have problematic contracts for their teams strapped for cap room.

The Lions are in good shape cap-wise, but could free up more money to roll over into 2022 and do higher-end free agent shopping in the coming offseason by moving on from some vets now.

Don’t expect the rebuilding Lions to be buyers, certainly not for big-ticket veterans like Jones or Houston EDGE Whitney Mercilus. But Detroit does have a few players who are candidates to get moved after June 1st.

Jamie Collins: Prior to June 1st, moving on from Collins would cost the Lions over $4 million against the salary cap. After June 1st, the team would save $2 million.

Collins remains the top LB on the team and an impressive athlete for his age, but the 31-year-old’s contract is set up such that 2021 is almost certainly his last season in Detroit. With newcomers Alex Anzalone and rookie Derrick Barnes entering the mix and younger, cheaper Jahlani Tavai in much better shape after dropping significant weight, Collins could be more valuable to a contender looking for a boost than he is for the Lions in 2021.

Trey Flowers: Flowers is the highest-paid Lion entering 2021 and arguably the team’s best overall player. But he’s changing positions (from DE to OLB) in a new-look defense that might not suit his particular set of skills all that well. His cap figure jumps to over 10 percent of the team’s allocation in both 2022 and 2023, too. Read that as Flowers not being long for Detroit, barring an unexpected restructure.

After June 1st, the 2021 cap penalty for trading Flowers drops over $11 million for Detroit, down to just $1.675 million.

Tyrell Crosby: Crosby’s cap status doesn’t change after June 1st, but he’s still a good candidate to get traded. The Lions drafted Penei Sewell in the first round to take Crosby’s starting RT job, and he’s now entering the final year of his contract. Trading Crosby would free up over $2.1 million in cap room that the Lions could rollover.

Halapoulivaati Vaitai: Moving the projected starting right guard would be a stunner, especially after the resounding vote of confidence in “Big V” from the coaching staff during OTAs. But just for argument’s sake, the Lions would save $4.2 million in cap penalties by moving Vaitai post-June 1st. Again, do not expect any action here.

Report: Lions looking to trade right tackle Tyrell Crosby

Crosby is entering the final year of his rookie contract and lost his starting spot

After drafting Oregon left tackle Penei Sewell to become the team’s starting right tackle, the Detroit Lions are looking to trade the man he’s replacing in both roles, Tyrell Crosby.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler is the latest to note the Lions are efforting to deal Crosby, who is the odd man out after the Lions drafted Sewell in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. Crosby’s name came up during draft weekend as a possible trade candidate as well.

Crosby is entering the final year of his rookie contract and it’s clear the door has closed on his future as a starter in Detroit. Selecting Sewell, who took over his old role at Oregon when the Lions drafted Crosby in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL draft, ensures that the team’s primary starter at right tackle for the last two years will be a reserve at best in Detroit.

The Lions have Matt Nelson on the roster as a potential swing tackle, and the coaching staff appears high on the converted defensive end’s upside. Halapoulivaati Vaitai was originally signed to play right tackle before kicking inside to guard, and he provides an option as well if Sewell or left tackle Taylor Decker goes down with an injury.

https://duckswire.usatoday.com/

4 Lions who could be pushed off the roster by new additions

Which other holdover Lions could Kerryon Johnson in being pushed off the new-look roster?

Any time there is a regime change, there figures to be ample roster turnover. Most of it tends to happen quickly in the offseason. However, the draft and undrafted free agent signings can often serve as a catalyst for more roster churn.

This actually began as “five Lions”, but one of them is already gone. The Lions dumped running back Kerryon Johnson on Wednesday after three injury-marred seasons.

Which other holdover Lions could Johnson in being pushed off the new-look roster? Here are four leading candidates to not be with the team in 2021.