Getty Victor Bolden playing with the Bills.
The Detroit Lions have seen plenty of shakeups this offseason, and though the team does not have a brain trust currently, that hasn’t prevented them from getting a bit of a plan together for the future.
Tuesday, the team revealed they had signed a group of five players to reserve and futures contracts.
The #Lions announce the following Reserve/Future signings:
🔹WR Victor Bolden
🔹G Evan Brown
🔹S Jalen Elliott
🔹WR Tom Kennedy
🔹LB Anthony Pittman
Out of the group, Bolden is the headliner considering his NFL experience. The Lions kept him around on the roster most of the season, and him coming back is good news for depth. Tom Kennedy is another wideout that’s been in the mix before, safety Jalen Elliott has been around the practice squad and roster as has been linebacker Anthony Pittman. Guard Evan Brown adds some depth along the offensive line.
These players will be the newest players to come to the roster this offseason, and will give the team some decent depth at different spots. They could expect to be practice squad type guys moving forward in Detroit and will help fill out the roster temporarily this offseason until things get going in a bigger way with a brand new staff to make decisions.
Jalen Elliott Intriguing Lions Futures Additions
The Lions are trying to build their roster in the best way possible, and at the very least, the team has some players who are established to rely on with this group of signings.
Perhaps the most intriguing player on this list is Elliott, a safety. A team captain at Notre Dame, Elliott is a player who will come in with a bit of hype given the fact that he was one of the better players on the back end of the team’s defense. He also will have a solid relationship with Julian Okwara, which could help his case. Elliott put up 173 tackles and 6 interceptions in his career with the Irish. It was already going to be tough to make the team at safety considering how loaded the position is, and it will be interesting to see if he can make the team moving forward based on the changes made this offseason.
Victor Bolden Stats
Bolden hasn’t spent much time in the NFL, but the time he has spent, he has racked up the return yards. Bolden has only caught 1 pass for 10 yards so far in the NFL, but he has 535 return yards to his credit, which is a very respectable total given the low amount of games he’s played in his career.
The former Oregon State wideout was with the San Francisco 49ers from 2017-2018, the Buffalo Bills in 2018 and was picked up by the Lions in 2019. It’s possible if the Lions ever have to use him, he will be able to contribute in a big way on special teams, and perhaps that will be his role moving forward in Detroit.
Regardless, this is the first group of players this offseason that the Lions have added to the mix, and they will join the team on futures deals.
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