Day four of free agency is over, so let’s review who the Lions signed that day, along with their medical concern level from 1 (no concern) to 10 (does the Guardian cap come in full-body size?).
Trevor Nowaske, LB – age 26 (undisclosed contract)
INJURY HISTORY
- 2024: Concussion suffered midweek in practice. Returned to play in 11 days. Played in 15 of 18 games.
∎CONCERN LEVEL 2/10: Nowaske is medically clean and was mostly healthy last season with the Lions, which was only his second season in the NFL. Last year’s concussion by itself is not a concern, but could become a concern if he has another one next season.
Nowaske played a significant number of defensive snaps last season, averaging about 40% per game. His rise in snap counts coincided with Derrick Barnes’ MCL/PCL injury. With Barnes healthy, Nowaske’s playing time may drop. On the other hand, with Jalen Reeves-Maybin gone and Malcolm Rodriguez recovering from an ACL, Nowaske could be called on to fill those voids.
Kyle Allen, QB – age 29 (undisclosed contract)
INJURY HISTORY
- 2020: Left ankle dislocation
∎CONCERN LEVEL 2/10: The ankle dislocation was a severe injury, but even if there are residual effects, it may not affect him much at the QB position. He has not had any significant injuries since then, but he’s only played minimally. He has only thrown 59 regular season passes since 2020. Last season with the Steelers, he threw one pass.
There is a question whether this signing affects the status of Hendon Hooker who scrambled too much last preseason and got a concussion. Maybe Allen is slotted as a camp arm or maybe he could challenge for the backup position. The contract details, when released, may give us a hint. Jake Fromm, who looked good in limited preseason action last year, is also in the QB mix.
