The Detroit Lions are making some changes to their tight end room, parting ways with a veteran who appeared in 11 games this season to make space for some defensive help.
The Lions announced on Tuesday that they waived tight end Ross Dwelley and signed cornerback Arthur Maulet to the active roster. Dwelley’s release came as a bit of a surprise given the team’s lack of depth at tight end, but the need in the secondary may have been greater.
Lions Left Thin at Tight End
The Lions had a strong group of tight ends going into this season, but lost star Sam LaPorta to a season-ending injury and have seen veteran Shane Zylstra dealing with injuries as well. The veteran Dwelley filled in, appearing in 11 games but making only a light impact as a pass-catcher with only two receptions for 11 yards.
As John Maakaron of SI.com noted, the Lions are now thin at the position.
“The decision leaves Anthony Firkser and Hayden Rucci as the only tight ends on the 53-man active roster,” Maakaron wrote. “Giovanni Ricci currently holds a spot on the practice squad. Shane Zylstra practiced last week, but was sidelined again due to a knee injury.”
Dwelley has appeared in 112 games with 18 starts since coming into the league in 2018, but served more as a blocking tight end than a receiver. He has made just 47 receptions for 530 yards and five touchdowns over his eight NFL seasons.
The Lions may need strong contributions from the remaining tight ends down the final stratch of the season. The Lions likely need to win three of their remaining four games to ensure a spot in the playoffs, and may need to win out to stay in the competitive wild-card race in the NFC.
The Lions got back on track with a win over the Dallas Cowboys last week and have 10 days to prepare for the hot Los Angeles Rams, led by former Lions quarterback and MVP frontrunner Matthew Stafford.
Despite having a bit of momentum, Lions head coach Dan Campbell said the team needs to play like their backs are against the wall.
“Nothing has changed just in that regard, you’ve got to win,” he said, via Fox 2 Detroit. “You know, we had to win last year. That’s the way it felt. You know, you never felt like you could take a breath last year. It was for something different, but yet you know, (last year) you’re trying to get the one seed, you’re trying to get that home game … and now it’s no different.”
Lions Bring Back Veteran Cornerback
The Lions brought back Maulet, who played in six games for them this season and can help fill a big hole in the secondary. The team lost star safety Brian Branch to a season-ending torn Achilles, with Maulet providing some depth and help in the slot.
Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard has previously expressed plenty of faith in Maulet.
“No, if the game’s on the line, it’s going to be Arthur Maulet in press man, and he’s going to find a way to get the ball out of the basket,” Sheppard said, via MLive.com.
