Lions News

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Lions sign linebacker, Salem product Trevor Nowaske to active roster



Nolan Bianchi
The Detroit News



The Detroit Lions on Thursday signed linebacker and Canton native Trevor Nowaske to the active roster from the practice squad and waived running back Devine Ozigbo, according to an announcement from the team.

Trevor Nowaske signed to the Detroit Lions.jpg

It’s unclear what spawned the transaction, but it’s possible the move could speak to a confidence that injured running back David Montgomery is angling for a return when Detroit gets back from its bye week in Week 10 against the Los Angeles Chargers. Lions head coach Dan Campbell mentioned this week the team was hoping to get back a few players who’ve missed time while avoiding injured reserve, which includes Montgomery.

Nowaske, a Salem High School grad, played college ball at Saginaw Valley State before going undrafted and signing with the Lions. While he didn’t get an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine, he did have a few highly impressive workouts that saw him produce a Relative Athletic Score of 9.85, which ranked 38th out of 2,503 linebackers from 1987-2023.



The Lions also fixed their hole at long snapper after Scott Daly endured a season-ending knee injury. Detroit on Wednesday signed two-time Pro-Bowler Jake McQuaide, who signed with the Lions last spring but lost the camp battle to Daly.

Ozigbo was elevated to the active roster for recent games, including Monday’s 26-14 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, with Montgomery down and Jahmyr Gibbs and Craig Reynolds battling nagging injuries. He had three carries for five yards in a 20-6 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 6.



nbianchi@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @nolanbianchi

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions cut RB, sign another off practice squad; David Montgomery ready after bye?



Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press

Detroit Lions defenders line up vs. Las Vegas Raiders.jpg


With David Montgomery due back from his rib injury after the bye, the Detroit Lions made a change at the running back position Thursday.

The Lions cut veteran running back Devin Ozigbo and signed linebacker Trevor Nowaske from the practice squad to the 53-man roster.


Ozigbo had three carries for 5 yards in three games with the Lions this season, playing mostly as a practice squad call up. He played two offensive snaps and seven special teams snaps in Monday's win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

Nowaske signed with the Lions as an undrafted free agent out of Saginaw Valley State, where he earned first-team All-GLIAC honors in 2022.



Nowaske was one of the Lions' top special teams players in the preseason.

Montgomery has not played since injuring his ribs in the Lions' Week 6 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He told the Free Press last week he was dealing with multiple rib injuries but that this week's bye should help him return to action.



"We just trying to take it one day at a time," Montgomery said last Thursday. "We really don’t know right now, but right now we’re just trying to make sure I get back as healthy as I can. The bye week helps a lot, just have a little bit of time, but other than that, we get right."

Montgomery leads the Lions with 94 carries and is second on the team in rushing behind rookie Jahmyr Gibbs with 385 yards. Gibbs had a career-high 152 yards rushing against the Raiders.


Ozigbo could return on practice squad.


Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

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[edindetroit]

3:49 the game that moved from Buffalo to Detroit to escape the blizzard.

[whatever_gong82]

[dsred]

Gong: I love you man! Keep up the great work!

[Mainevent]

That reminds me, #1 the safety for the Raiders with some technically legal but shitty low hits on the Lions receivers, diving right into their knees and ankles as they catch the ball and look to turn up field. Had a really bad one on LaPorta and he got up a bit gimpy but was fine after.

[ghandi]

That reminds me, #1 the safety for the Raiders with some technically legal but shitty low hits on the Lions receivers, diving right into their knees and ankles as they catch the ball and look to turn up field. Had a really bad one on LaPorta and he got up a bit gimpy but was fine after.

LaPorta was limping noticeably after that hit, but he did seem to shake it off...IT reminded me of when Hutch made his INT and took the low hit.

[whatever_gong82]

Gong: I love you man! Keep up the great work!

Thanks.

My next post is something from today's Freep.

Enjoy!!

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions were right to pass on Jalen Carter and draft Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta



Shawn Windsor
Detroit Free Press



It’s never too early to relitigate an NFL draft. Shoot, we do it the minute a team makes a pick. And for those of you who still pine for Jalen Carter, the Philadelphia Eagles’ rookie defensive tackle who is a one-man wrecking crew and who was available to the Detroit Lions at No. 6 last spring, I give you Jahmyr Gibbs.

And Sam LaPorta.



The two players the Lions traded down in the draft to pick instead of Carter.

Oh, I can hear the scoffing: Gibbs had one good game! LaPorta wasn’t the only tight end in the draft!




Both are true. Gibbs gave little clue (to those outside the Lions) that he had a 157-yard performance in him, and when he sliced and rammed his way through the Raiders on Monday night, it looked like a revelation, though on second thought, it should not have.

As for the tight ends, yes, a few rookies are promising, including the Raiders' Michael Mayer, who was taken a pick after LaPorta at No. 35. Though the Lions wouldn’t have had a shot at Mayer either if they hadn’t made a move up in the draft.

Jahmyr Gibbs runs for TD vs. Las Vegas Raiders_10-30-2023.jpg

The tight ends available at No. 45 when the Lions used their regular second-round pick?

Luke Schoonmaker and Brenton Strange, a couple of solid Big Ten pass catchers who are nowhere near as promising as LaPorta. In fact, LaPorta looks like he’s the class of the draft at his position and is playing like one of the best tight ends in the NFL, regardless of class.


So, in effect, LaPorta was the only tight end in the draft, at least as far as the Lions were concerned. Besides, they used their pick at No. 45 to get Brian Branch, and he’s not too bad, either.



But back to Gibbs, because what he showed Monday didn’t come out of nowhere. He played well the week before in Baltimore, for one. Really, though, he offered a glimpse of his future self on opening night in Kansas City.

Mostly his acceleration. His shiftiness, too, along with his talent for changing speeds quickly and his fearlessness between the tackles — that was one of the worries about Gibbs coming into the league, right? His size?


Against Las Vegas, Gibbs put to rest the kind of yards he could grind out despite his 5-foot-9, 200-pound frame. He’s happy to lower his shoulder. And while that toughness is laudable and should help keep defenses honest because they can’t assume he’s hellbent on bouncing outside, that toughness inside isn’t solely what’s going to make him a difference-maker.



His elusiveness is. His hands are; he caught five passes for 37 yards to go with those 157 rushing yards. His top end speed is, as he showed when he ripped up the middle, cut to his right, and whipped around the edge and down the sideline for a 27-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter Monday night.

The Lions led by two before his TD. You think that run made a difference?

Sam LaPorta catches TD vs. Las Vegas Raiders_10-30-2023.jpg

His head coach sure does.

“You could tell he was feeling it,” said Dan Campbell. “Every week he’s just gotten a little bit better and a little bit better and I thought last week was his best game, and (Monday night) certainly surpassed that. And I think the more he gains his own confidence in his own abilities in this league, he’s just going to continue to grow, and I think this was kind of the tip of the iceberg if you will for what he is able to do and going to be able to do. So, really proud of him.”



The tip of the iceberg, eh?

Let's focus on that belief for a second, because it’s related not only to draft night back in April, when Brad Holmes drafted Gibbs, but to the league’s trade deadline earlier this week.



Holmes liked Gibbs more than any other back in the draft and, for that matter, he liked Gibbs at No. 12 more than any other offensive player on the board.

“When you come across a special player like that,” he said the night he drafted Gibbs, “you’re just convicted, and you just get them.”

And?



“We feel really confident about the work that we put in and what (our picks) are going to do on the field,” he said. “I think our fans are going to be really, really proud and really excited about what they see. I’m not saying like a year or two years, we believe that these guys are ready to go right now.”

This was most evident with LaPorta and Branch. They popped immediately. Gibbs did, too, just in small moments.



“I feel like in the beginning I was trying to like … I was playing too fast,” said Gibbs. “I was a little bit nervous and stuff. These two games helped me progress as a player and slow me down a little bit for my reads and all of that.”



It's not so easy to see when the nerves are acting up, no? And the process of settling those butterflies is different for everyone.

Now that he’s feeling more comfortable, he can see more clearly, which means he can read the defense more definitively and spot the creases as they open up. Being able to relax also offers more confidence, which provides more time, and though decisiveness is critical to a running back, so is patience.


The holes don’t always open up immediately. Sometimes they take a moment. Learning to relax and stay patient in that moment is key.



For Gibbs, it was just a matter of time.

“The more reps you get, you’re going to get more comfortable in the League,” he said. “So — I feel like going forward …"



And he changed direction again, leaving that thought hanging in the air for a moment:

Going forward.

It’s the mantra of Holmes and Campbell. It’s also the reason they didn’t make much of a splash before the trade deadline, because they think Gibbs isn’t the only one who is going to keep making noise as the season progresses.



A warm thought for Lions fans to think about where this could be headed, to consider that what Gibbs showed on the big stage Monday night is just the beginning if you believe Campbell, and that they’ve got more players who are coming.

As for the draft? And the players the Lions didn’t take? That’ll all settle in a few more seasons, for while relitigating the draft so soon makes for compelling theater over a beer, a draft’s success takes time, just like a player’s development.



Contact Shawn Windsor: 313-222-6487 or swindsor@freepress.com. Follow him@shawnwindsor.

[whatever_gong82]

[-Deborah-]

Herman Moore Suggests Improved Ways to Use Jameson Williams
Herman Moore believes Jameson Williams can be used better.
JOHN MAAKARON

The Detroit Lions are bringing along wide receiver Jameson Williams slowly.

Unfortunately, the speedy wideout is not as involved in the offense as many would like. A combination of inexperience, drops and not having a great rapport with Jared Goff has impacted the start to his 2023 season.

Former Lions wideout Herman Moore expressed, during an appearance on the Detroit Lions Podcast, how the team could utilize the former No. 12 overall pick better, to build his confidence and get more out of him.

“I think he can be fixed very, not quickly, but I think it’d be done very methodically. Here’s what I’d do if it were me, I would get him involved. I would move him to the slot. I’d take him from the outside. He’s too easy to defend as an outside guy," said Moore. "Bring him to the slot occasionally. I don’t think he’s gonna find his thing. If you put him and St. Brown into the slots and you go split sets and two receiver sets on each side and you mirror your routes, you have a person who will defeat the one-on-one."

Moore played for the Lions from 1991-2001, and finished his career with the New York Giants.

"I think he needs to get shorter routes, where you’re getting the ball in his hands really quickly," Moore noted. "You look at Amon-Ra St. Brown, he finds holes in the zones. You’re asking him to come out of his shell, to come out of the flatness that he’s in, only on big routes, big plays. That is the lowest-percentage completion that you can have. You’re not gonna build his confidence, you’re gonna continue to destroy it."

Detroit's coaching staff indicated that its goals for the talented wideout this season involve being able to execute the fundamentals of the position consistently.

Moore, like many, has noticed the team is not utilizing Williams like he was at Alabama, which has been detrimental to his confidence.

"Put the ball in his hands, give him the opportunity to make some moves in the open like he did when he was in college. But, also, he’s gonna get some catches under his belt. He’s got to touch the ball," said Moore. "If you’re not gonna let him touch the ball right now and be a part of beating a one-on-one, or having really quick routes where he can get in and out of cuts, he’s gonna be a story.

"I’m saying that because, I’m telling you, I can see where he’s lacking in his confidence. If his confidence is only gonna grow from deep balls and touchdowns, that’s awful," Moore continued. "That’s not who he is. So, that’s what I would be doing right now, treat him like I would treat a St. Brown and I think the effectiveness that we’ve seen with St. Brown, you’d get another person who’s just as good, who’s faster and who can make those type of plays happen. I would love to see what a combination of that would look like."

The former NFL wideout indicated he would love the opportunity to work with Detroit's coaching staff or have an opportunity to talk to the young wideouts on the roster regarding what it takes to succeed at the highest levels of football.

[whatever_gong82]

Herman Moore Suggests Improved Ways to Use Jameson Williams
Herman Moore believes Jameson Williams can be used better.
JOHN MAAKARON

The Detroit Lions are bringing along wide receiver Jameson Williams slowly.

Unfortunately, the speedy wideout is not as involved in the offense as many would like. A combination of inexperience, drops and not having a great rapport with Jared Goff has impacted the start to his 2023 season.

Former Lions wideout Herman Moore expressed, during an appearance on the Detroit Lions Podcast, how the team could utilize the former No. 12 overall pick better, to build his confidence and get more out of him.

“I think he can be fixed very, not quickly, but I think it’d be done very methodically. Here’s what I’d do if it were me, I would get him involved. I would move him to the slot. I’d take him from the outside. He’s too easy to defend as an outside guy," said Moore. "Bring him to the slot occasionally. I don’t think he’s gonna find his thing. If you put him and St. Brown into the slots and you go split sets and two receiver sets on each side and you mirror your routes, you have a person who will defeat the one-on-one."

Moore played for the Lions from 1991-2001, and finished his career with the New York Giants.

"I think he needs to get shorter routes, where you’re getting the ball in his hands really quickly," Moore noted. "You look at Amon-Ra St. Brown, he finds holes in the zones. You’re asking him to come out of his shell, to come out of the flatness that he’s in, only on big routes, big plays. That is the lowest-percentage completion that you can have. You’re not gonna build his confidence, you’re gonna continue to destroy it."

Detroit's coaching staff indicated that its goals for the talented wideout this season involve being able to execute the fundamentals of the position consistently.

Moore, like many, has noticed the team is not utilizing Williams like he was at Alabama, which has been detrimental to his confidence.

"Put the ball in his hands, give him the opportunity to make some moves in the open like he did when he was in college. But, also, he’s gonna get some catches under his belt. He’s got to touch the ball," said Moore. "If you’re not gonna let him touch the ball right now and be a part of beating a one-on-one, or having really quick routes where he can get in and out of cuts, he’s gonna be a story.

"I’m saying that because, I’m telling you, I can see where he’s lacking in his confidence. If his confidence is only gonna grow from deep balls and touchdowns, that’s awful," Moore continued. "That’s not who he is. So, that’s what I would be doing right now, treat him like I would treat a St. Brown and I think the effectiveness that we’ve seen with St. Brown, you’d get another person who’s just as good, who’s faster and who can make those type of plays happen. I would love to see what a combination of that would look like."

The former NFL wideout indicated he would love the opportunity to work with Detroit's coaching staff or have an opportunity to talk to the young wideouts on the roster regarding what it takes to succeed at the highest levels of football.

I'm surprised that the Lions didn't start with this in the first place with him.

He seems more comfortable with catching balls in the slot anyway.

He still needs to work with Amon-Ra St. Brown on his catching the ball, and to keep on being good at blocking as well.