Getty Darren Fells celebrates a score by Houston.
The Detroit Lions signed Darren Fells later in free agency when Josh Hill retired abruptly, and the move was a good one for the roster.
Not only did the Lions need a tight end to come into the mix for production, but they managed to get a good one who will fit the culture well in Fells. Already, Fells is showing off what a positive addition to the team he will be and it’s clear he is planning to clear the stage for the potential young star he will be playing alongside.
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Speaking after practice, Fells explained that he isn’t going to be on the roster to vulture T.J. Hockenson’s red zone targets or touchdowns. In fact, the tight end will be there as a blocker to help ensure that Hockenson gets all the attention he needs to make those plays.
Darren Fells said he’s already told TJ Hockenson when they’re on the field, he’ll be an extra blocker to help bump up his TD total. Fells did say Hockenson needs help with his TD celebrations.
Fells himself has been a prime target recently while playing in Houston, so it’s neat to see him deferring to Hockenson as the major weapon in Detroit and not caring about stats for himself. That shows a real buy-in for the team mentality, which is neat to see.
Hopefully, Fells can help Hockenson with his dancing and get him in the end zone more in 2021.
Hockenson Primed for Huge Season
It’s safe to say that there could be plenty of touchdowns in 2021 for Hockenson, as he seems like one of the players who could be most primed to take the next step. Last season, it looked as if he was coming into his own in a big way, and that could lead to Hockenson evolving into a great player at the position well into the future providing he can continue to develop.
An obvious reason that Hockenson could be geared for more success? Dan Campbell. The former tight end could be the perfect coach to help Hockenson realize what he must do to be great, so it will be interesting to see how much can be gleaned from having Campbell as coach.
Fells’ Stats and Highlights
Fells has has a solid run in the NFL, and at 35, might be far from done in terms of his own career after the numbers he has been putting up recently. He had a solid three-year run with the Arizona Cardinals, signed with the Lions for a season, signed with the Cleveland Browns for 2018 and then landed in Houston, where he’s been the last two seasons. Fells has put up 21 touchdowns and 1,483 receiving yards in his career. Interestingly, half of those scores came the last two seasons when he played with the Texans. In Detroit, Fells put up 177 yards and 3 scores in 2017.
Here’s a look at some of Fells’s best work in Houston recently:
It’s obvious to see how Fells could benefit a young Detroit offense and Jared Goff in 2021, and good to see he is fitting in and prepared to do whatever he can to help the team, even at the expense of his own stats.
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