Getty Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell.
The Detroit Lions made a flurry of roster moves in Week 14, adding some help to their injury-struck defense and parting ways with a former New York Giants edge rusher who grabbed attention with his standout performance in the preseason.
As SI.com’s Christian Booher reported, the Lions released edge rusher Raymond Johnson from their practice squad this week.
The team made a pair of additions to their practice squad — defensive lineman Tyson Alualu and offensive lineman Matt Farniok — and moved starting defensive lineman Alim McNeill to injured reserve.
Raymond Johnson Made Waves This Preseason
Johnson came into the NFL in 2021, signing with the Giants as an undrafted free agent. He made the final roster, appearing in 15 games and making four total tackles with one sack.
Johnson signed to the Cincinnati Bengals’ practice squad the next year but was waived in August as part of their final roster cutdown. As Jason Marcum of SB Nation’s Cincy Jungle noted, Johnson had a “standout” preseason prior to his release.
“Pro Football Focus gave Johnson a 91 grade for his three-game preseason performance this year. He finished the preseason with two sacks and eight total pressures in 54 pass-rushing snaps while being arguably the Bengals’ most standout player,” Marcum wrote.
Lions Replacing Alim McNeill
The Lions suffered a big loss when they placed McNeill on injured reserve on December 5. The 23-year-old was in the midst of a career-best season, setting personal records with five sacks and 31 tackles through the first 12 games of the year.
McNeill had moved from nose tackle to a 3-tech defensive lineman last season, and McNeill underwent a significant transformation for the new position and the agility it required. McNeill lost 13% of his body fat during the offseason and added a significant amount of muscle, SI.com’s Jeff Risdon reported in June.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell spoke out on McNeill’s injury this week, saying it will be difficult for the team to make up for his absence.
Coach Campbell on Alim McNeill going on IR
“Losing Mac for these four weeks is going to be tough,” Campbell said, via the team’s official website. “He’s been a reliable, steady, productive player for us. He’s really come into his own this year. He’s just grown every year, but this year, he was big. He was a force for us. Guys got a lot of respect for him, so that hurts. But at the same token, this train moves on.”
The Lions made a move Tuesday to bolster the interior of their defensive line, signing former first-round pick and 13-year veteran Tyson Alualu to their practice squad. Alualu 36, was a first-round pick by the Jaguars in 2010, played seven seasons with the Jaguars and six with the Steelers, making two starts and appearing in all 17 games last season.
Campbell also spoke highly of Alualu, the 13-year NFL veteran who signed to the practice squad this week.
“He’s a guy who brings the floor (up). He brings stability,” Campbell said. “So you kinda know what you’re going to get, exactly what you’re going to get, and that brings us comfort. He’s got a little versatility to him, and there again, he’s an addition to the roster. So once we get him to where we feel like, ‘Alright he’s in game shape,’ or he’s ready to do that, then we’ll make a decision. Let’s see if he can help us.”
There is hope that the Lions will see McNeill on the field again before the end of the season. The Athletic’s Colton Pouncy reported that the defensive lineman expects to return after his four-week stint on IR, which would put him back in time for the Week 18 season finale.