The Detroit Lions have concluded the 2021 NFL draft and the panel will talk about how the Lions did, what needs to be done to get better, and what the regular season could look like. Darren Fells signed with the Detroit Lions, MicroMike will talk about the signing. Kerryon Johnson was released by the Detroit Lions and the panel will talk about that.

The Detroit Lions will be releasing running back Kerryon Johnson, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Johnson was drafted in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. His rookie season was initially very promising, having almost immediately put to bed Detroit’s embarrassingly long streak of games without a 100-yard rusher. However, his first season in the NFL was cut short due to a knee injury.

The following season played out in a similar fashion. A promising start only to suffer another knee injury that required surgery and ended his season on injured reserve again. Johnson’s knee issues would carry over into the following season, as he had to wear a brace following the surgery.

In 2020, the Lions opted to find a new solution to their running back problem by drafting D’Andre Swift in the second round. However, Johnson assumed—and thrived—in a new role as the team’s third-down back. Former running backs coach Kyle Caskey deemed Johnson the best pass-blocking back he’s ever worked with.

Which makes this waiving somewhat surprising in the grand scheme of things. New running backs coach Duce Staley has already mentioned how pass protecting is essential to the position, and Johnson was clearly the best player they had in that aspect of the game. However, the addition of Jamaal Williams in free agency plus the drafting of Jermar Jefferson in the seventh round may have made his spot on the roster more expendable than it appeared.

Less than 24 hours after it was reported that tight end Josh Hill would be retiring, the Detroit Lions flew in Darren Fells for a visit and per Dave Birkett of the Free Press, they have signed him to a new contract. Fells, who spent 2017 with the Lions, should immediately settle into a TE2 role in 2021.

The Lions made an effort to re-sign Fells in the 2018 offseason but he opted for a larger contract with the Cleveland Browns. He started 11 games for the Browns that season but only recorded 11 catches for 117 yards and three touchdowns.

He left Cleveland for Houston in 2019 and has been a starter for the Texans the last two seasons. Over that time, Fells started 28 games, recording 55 receptions for 653 yards and 11 touchdowns.


He’s not a dominating player, but he is a reliable weapon on offense because of his above-average blocking skills—both in the passing and run game—and as a red-zone target. He averages a touchdown every 4.71 receptions.

Fells—6-foot-7, 281 pounds—has the ability to play in-line, which will allow the Lions to put Pro Bowler T.J Hockenson into more advantageous situations where he can be utilized as an offensive weapon.

Adding Fells now brings the Lions roster total up to 87 players, meaning they can still add three more free agents before they hit the maximum 90 man roster limit.

Source:

Erik Schlitt, PrideOfDetroit
https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2021/5/5/22421405/report-detroit-lions-to-sign-te-darren-fells

Jeremy Reisman, PrideOfDetroit
https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2021/5/5/22422055/detroit-lions-waive-kerryon-johnson

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