Detroit Lions sign 2 practice squad players to 53-man roster, elevate an OT

The Detroit Lions are bringing up 3 players from the practice squad for the Bears game, two of which have signed to the 53-man roster.

The Detroit Lions made a slew of roster moves to prepare for Thursday’s game against the Chicago Bears. Given that it has been an injury-riddled week and they have little time to prepare, it’s no surprise that the Lions have called in three reinforcements from the practice squad.

First, they announced—as previously reported—that Kalif Raymond is now on injured reserve and will miss the next four games. However, the Lions are reportedly optimistic that Raymond will return before the season is through.

To help reinforce Detroit’s receiver and special teams rooms, the Lions signed Maurice Alexander from the practice squad. Alexander has a lot of punt return experience both in college and the USFL, so it seems quite likely he’ll fill Raymond’s vacancy there. A reminder that he also did this at Ford Field during the 2023 preseason.

Additionally, the Lions have signed linebacker David Long to the 53-man roster from the practice squad. Long has only been with the team for 10 days, but the staff has expressed excitement about adding him in the wake of several linebacker injuries. An elevation from the practice squad last week, Long ended up playing 13 defensive snaps and five special teams against the Colts. Coach Dan Campbell said on Monday how impressed he was with Longs’ performance.

“We used Long more than we thought we might,” Campbell said. And, man, as that game went on, getting David in there felt like—he had a grasp of the calls going into the game and we felt like it was kind of more his type of game […] He showed up, he made some plays in space for us, and so that was good.”

Finally, the Lions also made a temporary elevation from the practice squad, bringing up offensive tackle Jamarco Jones. This is obviously a reaction to the injury to Taylor Decker, who suffered knee and ankle injuries in Indianapolis. While Decker was optimistic about playing this week immediately after the game, Campbell was more pessimistic the next day, and Detroit appears to be playing it safe with their starting left tackle.

Jones gives the Lions another option in their lineup, as someone who has plenty of experience. The 28-year-old offensive tackle has made 27 game appearances and seven starts in his career. While Dan Skipper is the more likely player to start this week, Jones will be valuable depth in case the Lions suffer another injury at the position.

So to recap:

• WR Kalif Raymond to IR
• WR Maurice Alexander signed to 53-man roster
• LB David Long signed to 53-man roster
• OT Jamarco Jones standard elevation from practice squad