Promising Lions Rookie Moves Close to Return for First Time Since Summer
The Detroit Lions had high hopes for rookie guard Miles Frazier when they made a move up the NFL draft board to land him this spring, but they’re still waiting to see what he can do on the field.
They just moved one big step closer to seeing it.
The Lions announced this week that they opened the 21-day practice window for Frazier, who was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list during training camp after suffering a knee injury. The move could be a prelude to Frazier joining the active roster, though head coach Dan Campbell said there are no immediate expectations that the former LSU star will immediately jump into a big role.
Dan Campbell Calls Rookie a ‘Baby Fawn’
Campbell spoke to reporters about Frazier’s return to practice, saying he expected to rookie to come along slowly after missing several months of critical development time.
“No training camp, no nothing, so this will be a little bit of a baby fawn at the beginning and then he’ll quickly grow,” Campbell said Wednesday, via the team’s official website. “It’s a little bit like (Lions OL Christian) Mahogany (last year). It took a while but once we got him, he just quickly grew with practice reps.”
As the report noted, Frazier earned a reputation as a versatile lineman during his time at LSU. He was a three-year starter, mostly at right guard but also spending time at left guard and right tackle.
The Lions saw promise, moving up in the fifth round to land him.
“Well, he’s versatile,” Campbell said. “He can play the guard, he can play tackle – he did both of those at LSU. He can sustain blocks, he’s got power, he’s pretty tenacious, he finishes. There’s a lot of things that we like about him. He’s going to need reps.”
Lions Lose Another Young Offensive Lineman
As Frazier moves one step closer to his return to the Lions, the team lost another standout young lineman as Mahogany was placed on injured reserve. He was hurt during a collision in the team’s Week 9 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, which Campbell revealed this week was a broken bone.
“For what the injury is—it’s a broken bone—relative to injuries, that’s a good thing,” Campbell said, via SB Nation’s Pride of Detroit. “I think, will heal up; it’ll be stronger than it was before.”
While Frazier could eventually serve as a depth option along the offensive line, Campbell said the immediate plans to replace Mahogany included veteran Kayode Awosika with some work from Trystan Colon.
“I think we’ll start right now as usual. (Awosika) Yode goes in, and then we may start putting (Trystan) Colon in some spots here and move these guys around today and tomorrow,” Campbell said. “So, we’ll start as we kind of ended that game the other day, and then maybe we’ll start moving some pieces around. So, that’s kind of where I’m at now. Doesn’t mean that I will do it, but I mean I’d like to do it today, at least a play or two, and see what that looks like, see where we’re at. Maybe some walkthrough reps.”
Cowboys’ Marshawn Kneeland Poignant Final Twitter Post Before Shocking Death
(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Marshawn Kneeland #DL41 of Western Michigan participates in the 40-yard dash during the NFL Combine before he was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys.
Second-year Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland was not one to leave a major social media path but before his stunning death at age 24 this week, which the Cowboys announced on Thursday morning, he posted one of the great highlights of his life: The moment he was drafted to Dallas.
Kneeland’s most recent post on Instagram dates back to April 2024, when he was chosen by the Cowboys in the second round of the NFL draft. He also posted an especially poignant message a year ago on Twitter/X.
Last year on Twitter/X, Kneeland reposted and commented on a photo from his former defensive line coach at Western Michigan David Denham, who posted a photo of some of his players with the caption, “Always a great evening when the guys come over!
Kneeland wrote, in May of 2024, “Enjoy this. It goes by fast.”
Cowboys Announced Marshawn Kneeland Death at 9:35 a.m. Thursday
The moment is imbued with an extra bit of weight and gravity given the death of Kneeland. Int he wake of announcing the tragedy at 9:35 a.m. ET, the Cowboys wrote in a statement: “It is with extreme sadness that the Dallas Cowboys share that Marshawn Kneeland tragically passed away this morning. Marshawn was a beloved teammate and member of our organization. Our thoughts and prayers regarding Marshawn are with his girlfriend Catalina and his family.”
On Instagram, his final post was that of him being drafted in 2024.
The video clip shows Cowboys executive Will McClay on the phone to Kneeland, telling him someone wants to speak with him. McClay then hands the phone to owner Jerry Jones, who said, “Marshawn, well first of all, we’re gonna put a star on that helmet. Sure had a lot of really complimentary things that have been said about you over the last few weeks since we’ve been in this evaluation process but we are excited about you, being a Dallas Cowboy.”
To which, Kneeland replied: “For sure, thank you.”
Agent Confirms Marshawn Kneeland Death
Additionally, Kneeland’s agent, Jonathan Perzley, confirmed the death of his Cowboys client.
“I am shattered to confirm that my client and dearest friend Marshawn Kneeland passed away last night,” Perzley said in a statement. “I watched him fight his way from a hopeful kid at Western Michigan with a dream to being a respected professional for the Dallas Cowboys. Marshawn poured his heart into every snap, every practice, and every moment on the field. To lose someone with his talent, spirit and goodness is a pain I can hardly put into words.
“My heart aches for his family, his teammates and everyone who loved him, and I hope they feel the support of the entire football community during this unimaginable time. I ask that you please give his loved ones the privacy and compassion they need as they grieve this tremendous loss.”
