Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell discussed his team’s offensive struggles during his weekly segment on 97.1 The Ticket on September 17.
The Detroit Lions are strengthening their defense by signing players to their practice squad, including a veteran linebacker who has already joined three other teams this season.
Jeff Risdon of USA Today’s Lions Wire reported that the Lions had three open spots on their practice squad and used two to re-sign players—defensive tackle Chris Smith and linebacker Abraham Beauplan. The final spot went to linebacker Ezekiel Turner, an NFL journeyman with defensive and special teams experience.
These moves follow the Lions’ efforts to reinforce a defense weakened by injuries, after making trade deadline adjustments to address these issues.
Lions Welcome Back Familiar Players
As Risdon highlighted, Smith and Beauplan had been on the practice squad this season and were elevated for last week’s win over the Green Bay Packers. With the new signings, they return to the practice squad.
“Smith played 10 snaps in the Packers victory, while Beauplan didn’t play on defense but was active on special teams, covering for injured Malcolm Rodriguez,” Risdon wrote.
He noted that the 28-year-old Turner previously spent six seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, focusing on special teams, before rotating between teams this year.
“The Lions are his fourth team in 2024, following stints on the practice squads of the Texans and Seahawks, and offseason work with the 49ers,” Risdon wrote. “He was with the Texans for the first four weeks.”
Turner has played 81 games in his career, recording 83 tackles and one forced fumble.
Lions Make Notable Trade Deadline Move
While the practice squad additions provide added depth, the Lions also made a major acquisition earlier in the week.
The team acquired Cleveland Browns defensive end Za’Darius Smith before the trade deadline, addressing the gap left after Pro Bowl edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson fractured his leg in Week 6 against the Dallas Cowboys.
Head coach Dan Campbell had hinted at this move, telling reporters on Oct. 28 they were seeking pass-rushing reinforcements.
“We can’t replace Hutch, but there are other adjustments we can make, and it puts more responsibility on our secondary, which they’ve stepped up to meet,” Campbell said, via ESPN’s Eric Woodyard. “Has it been flawless? No, but we are getting key takeaways.”
Woodyard also noted the Lions’ struggles with consistent pass rushing after Hutchinson’s injury.
“In the three games without Hutchinson, the Lions recorded a 30.6% pass rush win rate, ranking 26th in the league during that stretch,” he wrote. “Over the past two games against Tennessee and Green Bay, they registered one sack and saw the pressure rate drop to 27%, down from 32% in the first six games.”
