Tracking former Lions

[Futureshock]

Texans activate Geron Christian off COVID-19, claim Drake Jackson

Posted by Charean Williams on August 10, 2021, 6:34 PM EDT

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The Texans have no players remaining on the COVID-19 reserve list after activating offensive tackle Geron Christian Sr. on Tuesday.

The team activated running back Buddy Howell and wide receiver Taywan Taylor on Monday. All three players went on the COVID-19 reserve list July 27.

The Texans claimed Christian off waivers from Washington in May. He started six games for Washington at left tackle last season.

Houston also announced it claimed offensive lineman Drake Jackson off waivers from the Lions on Tuesday, cutting long snapper Mitchell Fraboni in a corresponding move.

Jackson signed with Detroit as an undrafted free agent out of Kentucky in May.

The Texans also agreed to terms with running back Darius Jackson on Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of Sports Talk 790 reports.

The Cowboys made Darius Jackson a sixth-round choice in 2016, and he has played four career games — all in 2018. He has six career touches for 16 yards.

[Futureshock]

Vikings working out Everson Griffen

Posted by Charean Williams on August 17, 2021, 9:14 PM EDT

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Free agent defensive end Everson Griffen said last month he wanted to return to the Vikings. He could get that chance.

Griffen will work out for the Vikings on Wednesday, Chris Long and Darren Wolfson of KSTP report.

Griffen spent 10 years with the Vikings before signing a one-year deal with the Cowboys as a free agent last offseason. The Cowboys traded him to the Lions during the season.

Griffin, 33, made 74.5 sacks, 355 tackles, 190 quarterback hits and nine forced fumbles in his time in Minnesota. He totaled six sacks in 14 games last season.

In January, Griffen tweeted — and later deleted — “Kirk Cousins is ass” before adding coach Mike Zimmer never wanted Cousins. Griffen since has apologized, and the Vikings, it seems, are letting bygones be bygones.

[Futureshock]

Eagles waive Kerryon Johnson

Posted by Josh Alper on August 17, 2021, 3:29 PM EDT

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Running back Kerryon Johnson‘s bid to make the Eagles has come to an end.

The Eagles announced that they waived Johnson on Tuesday as they pruned their roster ahead of a 4 p.m. ET deadline to get down to 85 players. Johnson was waived with an injury designation, so he will revert to injured reserve if unclaimed unless or until he agrees to an injury settlement.

Johnson was a Lions second-round pick in 2018, but injuries limited him to 18 games his first two seasons and he fell down the depth chart last year. He was waived in May and the Eagles claimed him the next day.

Miles Sanders is the No. 1 back in Philly and Jordan Howard appears to be closing in on a backup job.

The Eagles also waived center Luke Juriga, and tackle Casey Tucker with injury designations.

[Futureshock]

RIP

Former Lions standout Leonard Thompson dies

Posted by Charean Williams on August 18, 2021, 9:48 PM EDT

USA TODAY Sports

Former Lions halfback/receiver Leonard Thompson died this week. He was 69 years old.

“We are saddened to learn this week of the passing of Lions legend Leonard Thompson, who played 12 seasons for the Lions from 1975-86,” the Lions posted on social media. “In Lions history, Thompson is tied for 10th in career games played (175) and tied for fourth in career touchdown receptions (35). We extend our sympathies to the Thompson family.”

The Lions used an eighth-round choice in 1975 to draft Thompson out of Oklahoma State. He missed only 11 games in his career, playing 175 and starting 82.

He caught 277 passes for 4,682 yards and 35 touchdowns in his career, while rushing 64 times for 327 yards and three touchdowns. Thompson also returned 12 punts for 136 yards and 36 kickoffs for 799 yards.

He played 12 seasons, retiring after the 1986 season.

[JGSpartan]

Kerryon on IR is the shocker of the year.

[Cody_Russell]

Feel bad for him.

The decision to release Kerryon was right for the Lions in perfect hindsight. I didn’t like it at the time. This knee issue is likely something that would have recurred if Kerryon was still with the Lions.
It’s allowed Jefferson, Mills, and Reynolds to have an opportunity to have a role.

[JGSpartan]

Yeah, he seems like a good guy and he was very talented but the injury he had was tough to come back from and is probably what's still nagging him though I don't know that for sure. The heart side wants him to succeed but the logical side shows its not the best decision for your team. If he was still here he's still only one guy so he doesn't take away everyone's opportunities but he does cut into them.

[edindetroit]

Jarrad Davis carted to Jets locker room

The Jets lost defensive end Carl Lawson for the season when he ruptured his Achilles during Thursday’s joint practice with the Packers and they saw another offseason addition to their defense go down in Saturday’s game at Lambeau Field.

Linebacker Jarrad Davis went down with an apparent left leg or foot injury in the second quarter of the matchup. He was able to walk slowly to the the blue medical tent on the sideline, but a cart was brought out to help take him back to the locker room a few moments later.

He had three tackles before getting hurt.

Davis signed with the Jets as a free agent in March. The 2017 first-round pick played his first four seasons with the Lions and was dropped to a reserve role in 2020, but he has been starting with C.J. Mosley at linebacker for the Jets in the preseason.

UPDATE 5:31 p.m. ET: The Jets announced Davis has an ankle injury.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/08/21/jarrad-davis-carted-to-jets-locker-room/

[edindetroit]

Giants' Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney are not meeting expectations

They filled the offseason with optimism. They have filled the preseason with trepidation, frustration and anxiety. What they fill the regular season with, especially in the early stages, likely will not be close to what was expected.
The two big offensive acquisitions for the Giants heading into the 2021 campaign, free-agent wide receiver Kenny Golladay and first-round pick Kadarius Toney, were supposed to be difference-makers. Instead, both already have missed the first two preseason games and almost certainly will miss the third and final one Sunday.

Though both could be ready to play in the Sept. 12 opener against Denver, it’s becoming more and more unlikely that they will be fully integrated in the timing and schemes of the offense in Week 1.

Giants wide receiver Kadarius Toney looks on during
Giants wide receiver Kadarius Toney looks on during Giants training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center on Wednesday, July 28, 2021. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Golladay has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since Aug. 3, relegated to catching passes from a stationary or walking position in the most recent practices. Toney began training camp with a bout of COVID-19 and has been dealing with another unspecified injury for a little more than a week that has kept him off the practice and game fields.

Joe Judge said he can’t evaluate what Toney will bring the Giants "until we see him physically when he is fully back 100% and then see him execute within the game plan for that week and how he operates. That’s the best view I can get to see what we can expect from him."

It isn’t a view he will be getting soon. Judge said Toney likely will be doing more individual drills this week in joint practices against the Patriots, and Golladay could be in the same phase of his return.

"I don’t think you can expect to see him in 11-on-11s this week," Judge said of Golladay, adding that the same goes for Toney.

Throw in receiver John Ross’ hamstring injury, tight end Kyle Rudolph still on PUP as he recovers from offseason foot surgery and the yet-to-be-cleared Saquon Barkley, and the supposedly revamped and rehabbed Giants offense the front office spent millions assembling in the spring has frittered away much of this month on the sideline.

The players who have been participating, and making the plays that raise the most eyebrows, are the holdovers: Sterling Shepard, Evan Engram and Darius Slayton.


The upgrades to the 2020 team have only been imagined thus far and, with less than three weeks until the opener, yet to be seen.

Judge said he is pleased with the improvements Golladay and Toney are making. Ross, Rudolph and Barkley also are inching closer to the field.

But even if all of those pieces are ready to face the Broncos, they’ll still need time to find their strides in the offense. Their timing with Daniel Jones or with the offensive line that was supposed to be built during the past month will have to be crammed into midweek practices during the regular season. Their comfort with executing what the playbook asks of them might not be achieved until September.

Judge said participation in these antipasto elements of the season-long meal don’t necessarily lead to success.

"There are a lot of guys who went through spring, training camp, played in multiple preseason games, but if they don’t execute on Sunday in the regular season, it’s not going to matter," he said.

But it can be almost impossible to dive into the regular season without an acclimation period.

The Giants may very well go into the 2021 season relying at first on many of the same players whose disappointing 2020 production left them next-to-last in scoring (17.5 points per game) and spurred the arrival of all of the new pieces.


Golladay and Toney were brought in to fix that. They may be healthy enough to play by Sept. 12, but the closer the Giants get to that date without integrating them into what they want to do with the ball, the deeper into the season they’ll have to wait before their impacts can truly be felt.

And before the Giants can know what they got.

https://www.newsday.com/sports/football/giants/kenny-golladay-kadarius-toney-giants-receivers-1.50341703

[JGSpartan]

Kind of a bummer to me on Davis. At least it appears he may still get a chance this year. Not that he was amazing here but dude was about ready to retire based on his time here. Thought he deserved a chance somewhere where he wasn't treated as useless because he's not fat and slow.

[Futureshock]

Report: Seahawks releasing Pierre Desir to make room for Luke Willson

Posted by Myles Simmons on August 24, 2021, 2:43 PM EDT

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The Seahawks are making a pair of moves to bring back a longtime contributor.

Per NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Seattle is releasing cornerback Pierre Desir in order to make room for tight end Luke Willson on the team’s roster. Willson was visiting with the franchise and earlier sent out a tweet alluding to his imminent return.

Desir signed with the Seahawks in April after splitting last season between the Jets and Ravens. Desir appeared in 12 games last year, recording three interceptions and eight passes defensed. He’s entering his eighth season, having also spent time with the Browns, Chargers, and Colts.

Willson started his career with the Seahawks as a fifth-round pick in 2013. He spent his first five years with the franchise before playing the 2018 season with Detroit. He’s since spent some time with the Raiders and Ravens but has come back to Seattle in each of the last two years.

Willson has 111 receptions for 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns in 102 career games.

[The King]

“Giants' Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney are not meeting expectations”

I think everyone saw this coming. There’s an epic Toney GIF out there during the pre-draft process where he roasts a corner and then drops the easy pass. That’s my lasting Toney memory.

[The King]

Golladay with a another soft tissue injury and it’s friggin August. He’s just not one of those players. Red flags!

[Futureshock]

LUKE WILLSONTE, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Seahawks agreed to terms with TE Luke Willson.


The signing is expected to become official Tuesday afternoon. It is Willson's third tour of duty with the team that drafted him in 2013. He will be on the outside looking in of a 53-man roster spot.

SOURCE: Ian Rapoport on Twitter
Aug 24, 2021, 2:09 PM

[Futureshock]

MICHAEL CARTERRB, NEW YORK JETS
The Athletic's Connor Hughes expects the Jets to deploy a "three headed attack" at running back.


Hughes compared the Jets backfield to the 2019 49ers, which split snaps fairly evenly between Tevin Coleman, Raheem Mostert and Matt Breida. Tevin Coleman, Ty Johnson and Michael Carter would be the Jets version of this trio, but Hughes also expects La'Michael Perine to work on the goal-line and in short-yardage. ESPN's Rich Cimini also listed Ty Johnson as one of the surprises of camp, reinforcing the idea that it will be difficult for any one player to consolidate running back snaps. The Jets backfield is shaping up as a headache for fantasy managers. However, this looming headache is keeping the draft cost of Tevin Coleman and Ty Johnson extremely low. Carter undoubtedly has the most upside as a player in this backfield, but given that he costs substantially more in drafts, the rookie may have a hard time paying off on ADP this season.

... See More
RELATED:

• Tevin Coleman
• , Ty Johnson
• , La'Mical Perine

SOURCE: Connor Hughes on Twitter
Aug 26, 2021, 2:01 PM