Getty Craig Reynolds #46 of the Detroit Lions.
The Atlanta Falcons may have let a promising running back get away…to the Detroit Lions.
On Monday, the Lions signed Craig Reynolds, an undrafted Division II RB out of Kutztown University, to their 53-man.
Lions placed QB Jared Goff and T Matt Nelson on Reserve/COVID-19.
Detroit also signed RB Craig Reynolds from the Practice Squad to the Active Roster.
The move comes after Reynolds ran for 113 yards on Sunday as the Lions stunned the Arizona Cardinals with a 30-12 upset victory. He also made NFL history in Week 15 by racking up 92 yards after contact while breaking through nine tackles. He has now ran for 195 yards in his first two games with the Lions as an emergency backup on the practice squad. It made sense for the Lions to ink him now because if they didn’t, he would have landed on the waivers, exposing him to other teams.
Entering Week 16 and beyond, he’ll have another chance to prove that he deserves a lengthier 2022 contract.
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Reynolds Earned an Oustanding PFF Grade in Week 14
Week 14 was another spotlight week for Reynolds, who was given the highest grade (84.0) by Pro Football Focus out of any NFL running back.
Highest graded RB in Week 14 (min. 25 snaps)
Craig Reynolds (84.0)
While primary backups Godwin Igwebuike and Jermar Jefferson were expected to lead the Lions on the ground with D’Andre Swift (shoulder) and Jamaal Williams (COVID-19) sidelined, it was Reynolds that came to the rescue instead.
He carried the ball 11 times for 83 yards and caught two passes for 16 yards in the Lions’ 38-10 loss to the Broncos.
And just last week, he was the leading again in the Lions backfield and on fantasy:
On the first Sunday of the fantasy playoffs, here were the leading rushers:
🏈Craig Reynolds 112
🏈Jeff Wilson 110
🏈D’Onta Foreman 108
🏈Duke Johnson 107
A Small-School Guy With Big NFL Dreams
Reynolds comes with quite an inspiring story as his journey to the NFL has not been easy, but his determination and persistence have kept him going.
Reynolds grew up not only following NBA legend Russell Westbrook but also learning from him and reiterating Westbrook’s life motto throughout his own.
“The mentality of how he treats every day, he doesn’t take anything for granted out on the court,” Reynolds told Heavy last year. “And then one of the big things he always said was, ‘Why not?’ and when I was growing up, coming through the back end of high school and going through college, I said, ‘Why not?’ Why can’t I be a kid from Kutztown and make it to the NFL?”
All thanks to his hard work and impressive stats in college, he was able to catch the attention of a Washington Redskins scout. He finished his career at Kutztown as the school’s third all-time leading rusher with 2,650 yards and second in school history with 5,277 all-purpose yards.
Reynolds made his NFL debut in October of 2019 with Washington on special teams against the San Francisco 49ers, just one day after signing. He was waived a month later, which is when the Falcons signed him to their practice squad. He has also spent a short with the Jacksonville Jaguars before signing with Detroit––the only team to give him a real chance.
The Falcons could have used Reynold’s presences this season while they continue to struggle in the backfield, but we can’t put the blame on Terry Fontenot and Arthur Smith since Dan Quinn and Thomas Dimitroff were the ones to let him go.
The Falcons face the Lions in Week 16 and we’ll see if they can put a stop to the familiar face.
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Lions Sign Ex-Falcons, D2 Running Back to Active Roster