In Week 14, the Detroit Lions made a flurry of roster changes, bringing some assistance to their defense beleaguered by injuries and saying goodbye to a former edge rusher for the New York Giants who had garnered notice with his exceptional preseason play.
The Lions cut edge rusher Raymond Johnson from their practice squad this week, as Christian Booher of SI.com reported.
Defenseman Tyson Alualu and offensive lineman Matt Farniok were added to the team’s practice squad, and starter defensive lineman Alim McNeill was placed on injured reserve.
This preseason, Raymond Johnson made waves.
In 2021, Johnson made his NFL debut by signing as an undrafted free agent with the Giants. Having played in 15 games and totaling four tackles with one sack, he made the final roster.
The next season, Johnson went on to the practice squad of the Cincinnati Bengals, but as part of their final roster purge, he was waived in August. Prior to his departure, Johnson had a “standout” preseason, as Jason Marcum of SB Nation’s Cincy Jungle pointed out.
“This year, Johnson’s three-game preseason performance was graded 91 by Pro Football Focus. He was perhaps the Bengals’ most outstanding player at the end of the preseason, recording two sacks and eight total pressures in 54 pass-rushing snaps, according to Marcum.
Lions to Take Alim McNeill’s Place
On December 5, the Lions placed McNeill on injured reserve, which cost them dearly. With five sacks and thirty-one tackles through the first twelve games of the season, the 23-year-old was in the midst of a career-best season.
Last season, McNeill switched from being a nose tackle to a 3-tech defensive lineman. To adapt to the new position and its demands for agility, McNeill had to undergo a major metamorphosis. According to a June report by SI.com’s Jeff Risdon, McNeill gained a substantial amount of muscle during the offseason while losing 13% of his body fat.
In response to McNeill’s injury this week, Lions head coach Dan Campbell stated that it will be challenging for the group to compensate for his absence.
Coach Campbell on Alim McNeill going on IR pic.twitter.com/GTHnu11IRn
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) December 6, 2023
According to the team’s official website, Campbell stated, “Losing Mac for these four weeks is going to be tough.” He has been a dependable, consistent, and effective player for us. This year, he’s truly come into his own. Every year, he only gets bigger, but this year was really huge. He was indispensable to us. It hurts because guys respected him a lot. However, this train also continues on.
Tuesday, the Lions added 13-year veteran and former first-round choice Tyson Alualu to their practice squad in an attempt to strengthen the interior of their defensive line. Alualu, 36, was selected by the Jaguars in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He spent seven seasons with the Jaguars and six with the Steelers, starting two games and 17 games last season.
In addition, Campbell had nothing but praise for Alualu, the 13-year NFL veteran who joined the practice squad this week.
“This guy brings the floor up.” Campbell stated, “He provides stability.” We are reassured by the fact that you can reasonably anticipate what will happen to you. Additionally, he is a valuable addition to the team due to his slight adaptability. Upon reaching a point where we believe he is prepared for the task at hand, or he is in peak form, we will proceed to make a decision. Check to see if he can assist us.
Hopefully, McNeill will return to the field for the Lions before the season ends. After spending four weeks on injured reserve, the defensive lineman is expected to return, according to Colton Pouncy of The Athletic. This would allow him to make it back in time for the Week 18 season finale.
