Lions Part Ways With ‘Promising’ WR After Falling Down Depth Chart
The Detroit Lions cleared up some space on their roster by parting ways with a wide receiver who flashed some big potential in the preseason.
The team announced on Tuesday that receiver Ronnie Bell was released from the practice squad, a move that came after he had fallen to the bottom of the depth chart. The Lions used the open spot to bring in some reinforcements at linebacker, leaving Bell in search of a new NFL team.
Ronnie Bell Had a Knack for Touchdowns
Bell came into the NFL in 2023 as a seventh-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers and had a relatively productive season. He appeared in 17 games that year and served mostly on special teams, but added an unlikely scoring punch to the offense. Bell made six receptions for 68 yards, with three of those catches going for touchdowns.
Bell saw his role shrink in 2024, appearing in nine games and making two receptions for 22 yards. As Jeff Risdon of USA Today’s Lions Wire noted, Bell came to the Lions early this year and showed some promise in the preseason.
Bell, a former Michigan standout, had a promising preseason with the Lions as he attempted to reboot his NFL career, but a logjam of depth at wide receiver made Bell expendable,” Risdon wrote. The Lions had elevated undrafted rookie Jackson Meeks off the practice squad over Bell in Sunday’s win against Cleveland.
Bell caught five of his six targets in the preseason for 62 yards. Though he missed making the active roster at final cutdowns, he was added back to the practice squad. It was a dire sign for Bell once Meeks was activated for this week’s game, however, and the Lions decided that his spot on the practice squad would be better served for a member of the defense.
Lions Add New Linebacker
As Risdon reported, the Lions used Bell’s spot on the practice squad to sign linebacker Ty Summers, who spent time with Detroit during the summer of 2024 but did not make the roster.
Summers spent the 2024 campaign with the New York Giants, playing in 16 games with two starts,” Risdon wrote. “The 6-1, 241-pound TCU product made 29 tackles and one PD in a little over 100 defensive snaps in New York. He began his NFL career in 2019 as a seventh-round pick by the Packers.
While Summers may provide some depth, the Lions are getting big contributions from a player at the top of the depth chart — Derrick Barnes. The Lions signed him to a three-year extension this offseason, which defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard said was one of his biggest priorities on defense.
“I told him, ‘That’s a player I have to have,'” Sheppard told reporters. “I believe this kid can play four, five spots on the football field and do it at a high level. He can play all three stack backer spots, he can play defensive end. So when you’re able to have a player like that, you see them out in the apex in 11-person personnel – which is really a nickel spot.
“So when you have a player like that, it allows you that ability to present the same looks pre-snap and then post-snap be able to play a different variety of coverages, different variety of pressure packages and things like that.”
Andrew Mukuba needed four weeks for Vic Fangio to give him his rightful title
From the moment he had his first unofficial pick-six in the preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles rookie second-round pick safety Andrew Mukuba was always destined to be a potential star in this defense.
He earned that right when he was surprisingly named the starter at the last second over Sydney Brown for the first regular-season game against the Dallas Cowboys. Mukuba and Brown have been splitting time depending on the defensive package through the first three weeks, with Mukuba getting the slight edge. Brown was mostly playing in Base packages.
The separation between Mukuba and Brown started to become noticeable once Mukuba nabbed his first career interception in the Eagles' win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2. Eagles fans knew the inevitable was going to happen.
That moment finally came in the Eagles' 31-25 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mukuba had done something he had never done before: played 100% of the defensive snaps in the game. Brown only had one snap on defense.
It wasn't a perfect day at the office for Mukuba as he allowed a long ball touchdown in the second half. Outside of some coverage issues, he played well. He finished with six tackles and one tackle for loss.
Vic Fangio closed the argument between Mukuba and Brown once and for all
Everyone took notice of the snap count between the two safeties, and that led to the media asking Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio about Mukuba's status. It was a quick and easy response from the man, delivered in a few, but concise words.
“Right now he’s playing full-time.”
There it is. The title of "full-time starter" finally goes to Mukuba. Eagles fans have been waiting for Fangio to echo those words for over a month.
Philly's latest excellent rookie defender earned the right to be the full-time starter after four solid games. He's racked up 19 tackles, two tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, one interception, and one pass deflection.
The doubt is no longer hovering over the secondary. Reed Blankenship has found his running mate for the season with Mukuba. A combination the Eagles hope they have found for a long time in Philly.
