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On NFL roster cutdown day, it appeared the Donovan Peoples-Jones era with the Detroit Lions was complete. The Lions released the 25-year-old on August 26 while trimming their roster to 53 players ahead of the August 27 deadline.
But on August 29, the Lions announced on their official X (formerly Twitter) account that they signed Peoples-Jones to their practice squad.
In a corresponding move, the Lions released veteran safety C.J. Moore. Detroit also placed defensive lineman John Cominsky on injured reserve.
In eight games for the Lions last season, Peoples-Jones posted 5 catches for 58 yards. He has 122 receptions, 1,895 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns in his four-year NFL career.
Lions Sign WR Donovan Peoples-Jones to Practice Squad
Detroit acquired Peoples-Jones from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round pick. Although the trade compensation wasn’t high, it was a big disappointment that Peoples-Jones didn’t earn a role with the Lions offense this summer.
Third-year receiver Jameson Williams is expected to replace departed veteran receiver Josh Reynolds. But the Lions don’t have much proven receiver depth behind Williams, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Kalif Raymond.
Peoples-Jones recorded 61 catches for 839 yards and 3 touchdowns just two years ago with the Browns. But he didn’t perform like a receiver capable of those numbers during training camp or the preseason.
“DPJ and Fountain are big guys, have length to them and for their size, they can run pretty good … you wish that would show up a lot more,” Campbell told reporters on August 26, via MLive.com’s Kory E. Woods.
The Lions retained undrafted rookie receiver Isaiah Williams on the active roster instead of Peoples-Jones.
Williams posted a 1,000-yard receiving season at Illinois last season. He registered 214 catches, 2,304 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns during his college career.
During the 2024 NFL preseason, Williams had 11 catches for 123 yards.
Peoples-Jones Joins 3 Other WRs on Lions Practice Squad
The 25-year-old will be one of four wide receivers on Detroit’s first 2024 practice squad. Peoples-Jones is joining wideouts Tom Kennedy, Tim Patrick and Allen Robinson on the squad.
Kennedy has been part of the Lions organization since being an undrafted free agent in 2019. He has recorded 14 catches and 195 receiving yards in 20 games during his career.
But Patrick and Robinson each signed with Detroit’s practice squad after being cut elsewhere on August 27.
Patrick was also an undrafted free agent in 2017. After brief stints with the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers, Patrick eventually became a starter with the Denver Broncos.
He posted a career-best 742 receiving yards in Denver during 2020. But Patrick hasn’t played in either of the past two years because of season-ending injuries. The Broncos released him on August 27.
Robinson has taken a very different road to this point in his career. The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Robinson at No. 61 overall in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft. He made the Pro Bowl while leading the league with 14 receiving touchdowns in 2015.
Robinson has posted three 1,000-yard seasons in his career, but his production has dropped significantly in recent years. He had 34 catches for 280 yards with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2023.
The New York Giants released Robinson as part of their roster cuts.
With only four receivers on their 53-man roster, it’s very possible the Lions elevate a wideout from their practice squad for Week 1. Peoples-Jones will be competing with other veterans, two of which who have had a lot of success as an NFL starter, for that opportunity.
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