Detroit Lions News

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Avonte Maddox • CB • Lions

Avonte Maddox Signs One-Year Deal With Lions

Free-agent defensive back Avonte Maddox signed an undisclosed one-year deal with the Detroit Lions on Friday, according to his agent, Jason Chayut. Maddox will head to the NFC North after spending the first seven years of his NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he racked up a total of 270 tackles (200 solo), three sacks, 13 tackles for loss, eight QB hits, four interceptions, 36 pass breakups, eight forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in 81 games (41 starts). The 28-year-old safety started the 2024 campaign as Philly's slot cornerback but was eventually benched in favor of impressive rookie Cooper DeJean. Maddox finished his last year with the Eagles with a Super Bowl ring but had only 20 tackles (nine solo) and five pass breakups in 17 regular-season games (three starts). Expect him to provide experienced depth for Detroit's secondary in 2025.

4 days ago

Khalil Dorsey • CB • Lions

Lions Re-Sign Khalil Dorsey

The Detroit Lions announced on Thursday that they re-signed cornerback Khalil Dorsey (ankle) to an undisclosed deal. Dorsey will return for his third season in Detroit. The 26-year-old defensive back played in a career-high 14 games (one start) in 2024 and had a career-high 14 tackles (eight solo) and two pass breakups before suffering a season-ending ankle injury late in the year. Dorsey basically split half of his snaps on defense and half on special teams and is likely to do so again in 2025 as long as he's over his ankle injury. The former undrafted free agent out of Northern Arizona began his NFL career with the Baltimore Ravens but then didn't resurface again until 2023 in Detroit. Dorsey has only 27 total tackles (17 solo) and three passes defensed in 33 games played (three starts). He will provide secondary depth for the Lions entering training camp.

5 days ago

Rock Ya-Sin • CB • Lions

Rock Ya-Sin Agrees To Terms With Lions

Veteran free-agent cornerback Rock Ya-Sin has agreed to terms to sign with the Detroit Lions, according to NFL insider Mike Garafolo. The 2019 second-round pick out of Temple by the Indianapolis Colts is set to join his fifth organization after three seasons with Indy and one season a piece with the Las Vegas Raiders, Baltimore Ravens, and San Francisco 49ers. Overall, the 28-year-old has compiled 199 tackles (166 solo), two interceptions, 31 pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries in 79 career games. He'll add depth to the Detroit secondary that continues to stack talent ahead of the 2025 campaign.

5 days ago

Al-Quadin Muhammad • DE • Lions

Lions Re-Sign Al-Quadin Muhammad To One-Year Deal

The Detroit Lions re-signed defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad to an undisclosed one-year deal on Wednesday, according to agents Drew Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey. Muhammad will return to the Motor City in 2025 to serve as a rotational defensive lineman once again, so he won't be worth a look at all in IDP fantasy formats. Last year in nine regular-season games (two starts), he produced just 11 tackles (eight solo), three sacks and five QB hits. The 29-year-old pass-rusher from the University of Miami (FL) entered the NFL in 2017 as a sixth-round pick (196th overall) by the New Orleans Saints. Muhammad spent just one year with the Saints before spending 2018-21 with the Indianapolis Colts. He has only 15 total sacks in his 93 games played (36 starts) over seven NFL seasons.

5 days ago

Pat O'Connor • DL • Lions

Lions Re-Sign Pat O'Connor

The Detroit Lions announced on Tuesday that they re-signed defensive lineman Pat O'Connor to an undisclosed deal. O'Connor will return to Detroit in 2025 for a second straight season. The 31-year-old veteran was originally drafted by Detroit in the seventh round (250th overall) in 2017 out of Eastern Michigan, but he debuted that same year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and stuck in Florida until rejoining the Lions organization last year. He had a career-high 18 tackles (five solo) and one sack in 12 regular-season games last year and will return as defensive-end depth for Detroit behind All-Pro Aidan Hutchinson (leg) and Josh Paschal. In O'Connor's seven years in the NFL, he has only compiled 42 tackles (19 solo), 2.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss and six QB hits in 80 games (no starts).

7 days ago

Shane Zylstra • TE • Lions

Shane Zylstra Heading Back To Detroit

Free-agent tight end Shane Zylstra is signing back with the Detroit Lions, according to NFL.com. The 2020 undrafted free agent out of Minnesota State began his NFL career with the Minnesota Vikings before being released ahead of his rookie campaign. He signed on with Detroit ahead of the 2021 season and has been on and off the active roster ever since. Overall, Zylstra has appeared in 29 games for Detroit (three starts) and has collected 15 receptions for 116 yards and four touchdowns. Even if he makes the team's active roster in 2025, he's a longshot to see significant playing time behind Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright.

7 days ago

Kenny Yeboah • TE • Lions

Kenny Yeboah Signs One-Year Deal With Lions

Former New York Jets tight end Kenny Yeboah signed an undisclosed one-year deal with the Detroit Lions on Friday, according to the Detroit Free Press' Dave Birkett. Yeboah heads to the NFC after spending the first four years of his career with the Jets, where he posted only nine receptions on 15 targets for 111 yards and one touchdown in 33 games played (two starts). The 26-year-old originally went undrafted out of Mississippi before joining the Jets for his rookie year in 2021. As things currently stand early in the offseason, Yeboah is third on the Lions' tight end depth chart behind Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright. Yeboah's best season did come last year in which he caught five of eight targets for 47 yards and his first career touchdown, but he will most likely continue to work as a special-teamer in 2025 in his new home in Detroit.

Mar 15

Tim Patrick • WR • Lions

Lions Re-Sign Tim Patrick

The Detroit Lions announced on Friday that they re-signed wide receiver Tim Patrick to an undisclosed deal, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. After missing all of the 2022 and 2023 seasons due to devastating injuries while with the Denver Broncos, Patrick latched on with Detroit's practice squad last fall and ended up playing in 16 regular-season games (nine starts) while contributing 33 catches on 44 targets for 394 yards and three touchdowns as the No. 3 wideout behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. The 31-year-old will return to a high-powered Lions offense that remains relatively unchained outside of a new offensive coordinator. Patrick could have some decent games again for the Lions in 2025, but unless St. Brown or Williams miss extended time due to injury, he'll be hard to justify as a flex option in standard 12-team fantasy leagues.

Mar 14

Kyle Allen • QB • Lions

Lions Add Kyle Allen For QB Depth

The Detroit Lions agreed to terms with veteran free-agent quarterback Kyle Allen on Thursday on an undisclosed deal, a source tells NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. Allen will head back to the NFC after spending the 2024 campaign as the No. 3 signal-caller for the Pittsburgh Steelers behind both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. The 29-year-old will now join a Lions quarterback room that already includes starter Jared Goff, Hendon Hooker and Jake Fromm. Allen will likely be competing with Hooker for the No. 2 role in training camp this summer. The former undrafted free agent is now on his sixth different team as he heads into his eighth NFL season. Allen began his career in 2018 with the Carolina Panthers and has completed 62.7% of his 705 career attempts for 4,753 yards, 26 touchdowns and 21 interceptions.

Mar 14

Craig Reynolds • RB • Lions

Craig Reynolds Returning To Lions

Detroit Lions running back Craig Reynolds has re-signed with the organization on Wednesday. The 28-year-old has agreed to a one-year deal with the Lions. Reynolds will now enter his fifth season as a backup option in Detroit. He has rushed for 650 yards with one touchdown over 48 games with the team. Reynolds would need a few injuries to happen before he would be someone worth considering in fantasy leagues, but this is a good depth move for Detroit.

Mar 12

Roy Lopez • DT • Lions

Roy Lopez Signing With Detroit

The Detroit Lions have signed former Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Roy Lopez to a one-year, $4.65 million deal. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported the news. Lopez, 27, spent his last two seasons in Arizona, racking up 70 tackles and one sack across 30 games played. The former sixth-round pick notched the second-most snaps of the Cardinals' interior defensive linemen, though he eclipsed 50% of snaps in just five of 16 appearances. Lopez projects to serve primarily as a depth piece for Detroit as they attempt to make the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance in 2025. He'll join a defense that let up the sixth-fewest rushing yards per game in 2024 (103).

Mar 12

D.J. Reed • CB • Lions

D.J. Reed Expected To Land With Lions

Former New York Jets and pending free-agent cornerback D.J. Reed is expected to sign a three-year, $48 million deal with the Detroit Lions when the new league year begins on March 12. Reed has been a standout defensive back for New York since signing with the team in 2022. The former fifth-round pick out of Kansas State in 2018 has totaled 414 tackles (326 solo), two sacks, four forced fumbles, six interceptions, and 50 pass deflections in 101 career games. The Lions just lost cornerback Carlton Davis III to the New England Patriots in free agency, so Reed will replace him opposite 2024 first-round pick Terrion Arnold in 2025 under new defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard.

Mar 10

Za'Darius Smith • DE • Lions

Detroit Letting Go Of Za'Darius Smith

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Detroit Lions are releasing veteran pass-rusher Za'Darius Smith after one season with the team. The 32-year-old kicked off the 2024 season with Cleveland and was traded to the Lions in mid-November in an effort to boost their pass rush after star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson (leg) went down with a season-ending injury. Smith recorded nine sacks and 35 tackles across 17 games played. While he may not be the disruptive force he once was in years past, many teams in the league could use veteran help on the defensive edge. The ten-year veteran will now join a long, impressive list of edge rushers in free agency. Smith is no stranger to changing teams and could very well find himself on another squad come the start of the free agency period on Monday.

Mar 9

Marcus Davenport • DL • Lions

Marcus Davenport Re-Signs With Detroit

The Detroit Lions are re-signing defensive end Marcus Davenport to a one-year deal worth up to $4.75 million. Davenport signed a one-year contract with the team last offseason but only appeared in two games due to a tricep injury he sustained in Week 3 against the Arizona Cardinals. The 28-year-old is reportedly precisely what Detroit is looking for across from superstar pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson. However, his most recent injury is the latest in a long list, as he's played in just six games over the prior two seasons. The former first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft is fast, physical, and violent as an edge-setter. Still, his propensity to miss time has hindered his ability to make an impact on the field.

Mar 8

Derrick Barnes • LB • Lions

Derrick Barnes Signs Three-Deal Extension

Detroit Lions linebacker Derrick Barnes has signed a new deal with the organization. The two sides have agreed on a three-year, $25.5 million contract extension. Barnes missed most of the 2024 season due to a season-ending knee injury in Week 3. Despite that, the Lions remain committed to Barnes and have locked him up for the next few seasons. Barnes put together a breakout campaign in 2023 when he recorded 81 tackles and five tackles for loss across 16 games with the Lions. It sounds like Barnes should be fully healed and ready to go for training camp

Mar 7

Michael Badgley • K • Lions

Michael Badgley Medically Cleared

The Detroit Lions recently cleared veteran kicker Michael Badgley (groin) from the torn groin that kept him out for all of last season, a source tells NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. While Badgley has made a full recovery, he's now set to become a free agent next week. With the 29-year-old out of commission all year, Jake Bates served as Detroit's regular kicker and was very reliable, missing only three of his 29 field-goal attempts in 17 regular-season games while missing three of his 67 extra-point attempts in his first year in the league. Because of how good Bates looked in 2024, it's likely that the Lions will let Badgley walk in free agency as he heads into his eighth year in the NFL. Badgley has a career 82.4 percent success rate on 119 field-goal attempts in 64 games played. In four games with Detroit in 2023, he made all four of his FGs and went 13-for-15 on extra points.

Mar 4

Tim Patrick • WR • Lions

Jets Expected To Target Tim Patrick In Free Agency

The New York Jets are expected to target Detroit Lions impending free-agent wide receiver Tim Patrick in free agency this offseason because of his ties to new Jets head coach Aaron Glenn, who was an assistant coach with the Lions last year, sources tell The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt. In addition to Patrick, Rosenblatt mentions Los Angeles Chargers impending free-agent receiver Joshua Palmer. The 31-year-old Patrick had a few injury-plagued seasons with the Denver Broncos before bouncing back with the Lions in 2024, when he caught 33 of 44 targets for 394 yards and three touchdowns in 16 regular-season games (nine starts). Palmer, 25, has averaged 15 yards per catch the last two seasons for the Bolts and is projected to receive a two-year, $13 million deal in free agency by PFF. Rosenblatt doesn't expect the Jets to go on a major spending spree in free agency.

Mar 4

Jalen Reeves-Maybin • LB • Lions

Lions To Release Jalen Reeves-Maybin

The Detroit Lions plan to release veteran linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin when the new league year begins in March, a source told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Reeves-Maybin, who is the NFL Players Association president, made his first career Pro Bowl and was a second-team All-Pro in 2023. The 30-year-old has been a long-time contributor and special teams standout for the Lions, but he'll be on the open market this spring. He was drafted in the fourth round (124th overall) by Detroit in the 2017 NFL draft out of the University of Tennessee and has spent all eight of his seasons with the Lions. A neck injury limited him to just 10 regular-season games (no starts), and he finished with just 14 tackles (10 solo) and a forced fumble. Reeves-Maybin is mostly useful for his prowess on special teams and should eventually latch on with another organization for the 2025 campaign.

Feb 28

Za'Darius Smith • DE • Lions

Lions May Be Forced To Cut Za'Darius Smith

The Detroit Lions have a lot of reasons to bring back edge rusher Za'Darius Smith after he proved to be a perfect fit for the team down the stretch last year -- he was the team's best pass-rusher after Aidan Hutchinson (leg) went down -- but The Athletic's Nick Baumgardner thinks it's hard to see Smith coming back on the contract the Lions inherited from the trade with the Cleveland Browns. Designating the 32-year-old as a pre-June 1 cut would save Detroit almost $6 million in 2025 salary cap savings with no dead-money penalties. If he's cut, the Lions would almost certainly then look to bring him back on a new friendlier cap deal. The Lions have the cap space to make a big-time edge-rush move this offseason (potentially trading for Myles Garrett), but that would be a little out of character for this franchise. In eight regular-season games for Detroit after being traded, Smith recorded four sacks.

Feb 21

Jameson Williams • WR • Lions

Jameson Williams Won't Face Discipline From NFL For Carrying Unlicensed Weapon

Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams will not face discipline from the NFL for carrying an unlicensed gun, according to NFL insider Adam Schefter. The 23-year-old avoided criminal charges after a gun was discovered by police during a traffic stop for speeding. Williams possessed a gun without a concealed pistol license to carry but later obtained one. Williams has been suspended by the NFL in the past for gambling, but he will not face any suspension for this incident. Williams, a former first-round pick, posted career highs in receptions (58), receiving yards (1,001), and receiving touchdowns (seven) in 2024.

Feb 19

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