Pride of Detroit
The Detroit Lions made two roster moves on Wednesday of Week 4, signing tight end Ross Dwelley from the practice squad to the active roster, then signing Quinton Jeffereson to the open spot on the practice squad. The Lions did not need to make a corresponding move on the active roster, as they had an open spot following the move to place EDGE Marcus Davenport on injured reserve last Monday.
Dwelley was signed to the practice squad last week and was elevated for the game against the Ravens in Week 3. In Baltimore, Dwelley saw just four snaps on offense, filling in at the TE3 role for Shane Zylstra, but played 12 on special teams. A seven-year veteran, Dwelley has 101 games and 17 starts worth of experience under his belt, and has primarily been used as a run blocker and special teamer. He’s expected to maintain this role moving forward, and might not face competition until Zylstra is healthy enough to return from injured reserve—which he is eligible ot do in Week 7.
Jefferson was originally drafted in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks, where he played his rookie season. He was claimed off waivers by the Rams after the following year’s training camp cutdowns, but eventually ended up on L.A.’s practice squad, where the Seahawks poached him back. After three more years in Seattle, Jefferson moved on to the Bills, Raiders, back to the Seahawks for a third time, then to the Jets. Last season, he signed with the Browns—who the Lions play this week, which I’m sure is no coincidence—but was released after five games and returned to Buffalo to play with the Bills.
At 6-foot-4, 291 pounds and entering his 10th NFL season, Jefferson has loads of experience playing all along the defensive line. Last season, Jefferson played 102 snaps at defensive tackle and 156 in an edge rusher role. For Detroit, he seems well-suited to play the Lions’ 4i role, which Pat O’Connor and Tyler Lacy are currently rotating through, while also giving the team some positional versatility when elevated to the practice squad.
Both O’Connor (46.6 overall grade from PFF) and Lacy (51.7) have played below average, per PFF, so Jefferson could be another option to consider. But it’s also worth noting that with Davenport on injured reserve and Al-Quadin Muhammad missing practice on Wednesday, Jefferson could provide depth at a variety of spots.
