The Detroit Lions have added some experienced depth to their practice squad by signing wide receiver Maurice Alexander, a player who is already well-known in Detroit.
On November 13, NFL reporter Aaron Wilson revealed that the Lions had brought Alexander back to their practice squad. While Alexander lacks significant NFL game experience, he has spent considerable time on Detroit’s practice squad in the past, and he is now filling the spot vacated by an undrafted rookie who was waived earlier in November.
Lions’ Activity in the Wide Receiver Room
At 27 years old, Alexander initially joined the Lions in 2022 after a strong season with the Philadelphia Stars of the USFL. He played in four games for Detroit that year, mainly serving as a kick returner.
In 2023, Alexander spent the entire season back on the practice squad and returned for training camp in 2024, but he was waived prior to the final 53-man roster cuts.
The Lions chose to keep undrafted rookie Isaiah Williams, who had a strong preseason and made the active roster. However, Williams was eventually overtaken by another receiver and was a healthy scratch for six games, as noted by Christian Booher of SI.com.
“Detroit’s wide receiver group has benefited from the rise of veteran Tim Patrick,” Booher wrote. “Patrick, who was signed to the practice squad after being released by the Denver Broncos, has worked his way into a significant role on the roster. In seven games, Patrick has caught 12 passes for 177 yards and contributed with key blocks.”
Williams was waived earlier this month and claimed by the Cincinnati Bengals, preventing the Lions from potentially bringing him back to their practice squad.
Lions Get a Major Boost with Return of Jameson Williams
This week, the Lions received a boost to their receiving corps with the return of third-year wide receiver Jameson Williams, who had been serving a two-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy.
Williams had an impactful return on Sunday, catching 3 of 5 targets for 53 yards in a thrilling 26-23 victory over the Houston Texans, helping Detroit score 19 unanswered points.
The former first-round pick shared that his time away from the team taught him valuable lessons.
“What have I learned?” Williams said last week, according to the Detroit Free Press. “Just to be smarter, I guess. Move smarter. Be a bigger person in certain situations and things like that. So I would say those would be the main, big things.”
Williams has received continued support from both the franchise and head coach Dan Campbell throughout his eventful three seasons, which have included two separate suspensions. Campbell expressed confidence that Williams would learn and grow from the latest suspension.
“I think any time you don’t get to play this game, you reflect, and it helps you look at things from a different perspective,” Campbell said last week. “Because it hurts, it hurts not to play, and when you don’t have anyone to blame but yourself, it makes you reflect harder. So, he’ll be fine, I really believe that. I think he’ll learn from this, and I mean, he was just out there today at our walk-through. He’s locked in and ready to go. I believe he’ll come out of this stronger.”
