The Detroit Lions are bringing some help to their injury-plagued tight end room, signing a pair of players including a USFL standout.
As MLive.com’s Kyle Meikne reported, the Lions announced that they signed tight ends signing tight ends Daniel Helm and Darrell Daniels after what could be a season-ending injury to Shane Zylstra. While second-round pick Sam LaPorta appears to have solidified his place as starter, Zylstra was a strong candidate for the final 53-man roster after showing some promise with the Lions in his second season.
Daniel Helm Shined in USFL
As Meike noted, Helm has bounced around the NFL since going undrafted out of Duke in 2019, spending time with six different teams but making little impact on the field during that time. For his career, Helm has just one catch for minus-1 yard.
He played last season for the USFL’s Memphis Showboats, becoming one of the league’s top tight ends as he made 20 catches for 205 yards. As Meike noted, he will likely still be a marginal candidate to make the final roster.
“Helm will be a long shot to make the roster, but should be able to at least eat some snaps in camp while trying to impress the coaching staff,” Meikne wrote.
The Lions have found a number of candidates from the two emerging football leagues, the USFL and XFL. They also landed kicking standout Parker Romo from the XFL and wide receiver Trey Quinn from the USFL.
Daniels also has experience in the XFL, playing for the San Antonio Brahmas.
Daniels and Helm will have the chance to compete for the roster spot vacated by Zylstra, who suffered a leg injury after taking a low hit at training camp. Zylstra showed promise in his second year with the Lions, notching a three-touchdown game against the Carolina Panthers in a Week 14 loss.
The Lions waived Zylstra following the injury, then placed him on the reserve/injured list after he cleared waivers. Zylstra is expected to miss close to six months, which could allow him to return late in the season should the Lions make a deep playoff run.
Lions bring back TE Shane Zylstra, place him on reserve/injured list
Sam LaPorta Shines in Training Camp
While the newcomers will have the chance to compete for a backup spot on the active roster, the rookie LaPorta appears to have a strong hold on the starting job. He earned some big praise from offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who noted that LaPorta has the chance to be an all-around contributor to both the passing and running game.
“It’s a position that, if you cannot block and deal with the physicality, then in all offenses, the value goes down,” Johnson said, via the team’s official website. “Tight ends that can’t block really are glorified receivers and that’s really a lot of Sam’s value that he had at Iowa was the ability to do both, be a pass catcher and also a run blocker. So, looking forward to seeing that versatility come to life when we do get the pads on.”
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Lions Sign USFL Standout to Help Injury-Struck Tight End Room