WR · FA · 28 yrs · exp 5 · Texas
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Rookies De'Zhaun Stribling and Kaelon Black looked like Hollywood stars during the San Francisco 49ers' preseason win over the Los Angeles Chargers
The Lions have re-signed wide receiver Tarik Black, who was waived earlier this week. Black played in the UFL this spring after previous NFL stints with several teams
The Lions re-signed wide receiver Tarik Black on Wednesday, the team announced
The Lions have added some depth at tight end. Detroit announced on Monday morning that the club has signed Nick Muse. Muse, 27, has appeared in 16 career games, all of which came with the Vikings. Minnesota brought him into the league as a seventh-round pick in 2022. He’s also spent time with the Eagles, Cardinals, Rams, and Jets. As a corresponding move, the Lions waived receiver Tarik Black, who had joined the club in June
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been rolling out my annual Detroit Lions training camp preview articles, highlighting the camp battles and questions surrounding each position group. With the series coming to its conclusion, and training camp just days away from starting, now is the ideal time for me to share my perspective on the team’s 90-man roster. While there is still a ton to be settled with this roster over the next month, this 53-man roster projection is how I believe the Lions would enter the regular season if it started tomorrow. As training camp and the preseason progress, I’ll be updating my projection as the Lions get closer to NFL cutdowns on August 30. But for now, here’s how I see the roster ahead of training camp. QB Jared Goff QB Teddy Bridgewater QB Luke Altmyer Training camp preview: Can Luke Altmyer force a QB3 role? Altmyer has a steep hill to climb in order to crack the 53-man roster; he’ll either need to jump Bridgewater on the depth chart or convince coaches to keep a QB3 on a loaded roster where spots are at a premium. For now, I’m staying chalk and sticking with the two expected quarterbacks. RB Jahmyr Gibbs RB Isiah Pacheco RB Sione Vaki RB Jacob Saylors RB Kye Robichaux RB Jabari Small Training camp preview: How RB roles could shift in 2026 Gibbs is expected to expand his RB1 role this season, which opens the door for Pacheco to take on some special teams duties and could result in fewer running backs needed. However, running backs fit a unique role that special teams coordinator Dave Fipp prefers; therefore, I am expecting the Lions to stick with four backs. WR Amon-Ra St. Brown WR Jameson Williams WR Isaac TeSlaa WR Greg Dortch WR Dominic Lovett WR Cedrick Wilson Jr. WR Jackson Meeks WR Tom Kennedy WR Tay Martin WR Lawrence Keys WR Lucky Jackson WR Tarik Black WR Malik Cunningham IR (season-ending): Kendrick Law Training camp preview: WR depth roles up for grabs On the surface, sticking with only five receivers goes a bit against the norm, but when you explore their usage—especially on game days—it lines up more than you might think. After the first four in this section, I have a lot of questions, but I’m not sure the Lions are ready to give up on Lovett just yet, so I went with him as WR5. Can Wilson, Meeks , or Kennedy convince me to keep a sixth? I’m open to the possibility. TE Sam LaPorta TE Brock Wright TE Tyler Conklin TE Miles Kitselman TE Zach Horton TE Thomas Gordon Training camp preview: How many TEs will make the roster? Despite Conklin starting training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list , I am still expecting him to slide into the Lions’ TE3 role. His absence will open the door for Kitselman, and the more time Conklin is out, the more time the rookie has to impress. These circumstances could result in a switch at TE3 or maybe even the Lions considering keeping a TE4. For now, I’m sticking with the most common expectations. OT Blake Miller OT Penei Sewell OT Larry Borom OT Giovanni Manu OT Devin Cochran Training camp preview: Can Blake Miller win the starting RT job? During coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes’ time in Detroit, the Lions have started the season with only three offensive tackles on their roster, except for 2024, when Manu was a rookie whom they were developing. Now entering year three, Manu’s development is at a crossroads: prove you can earn a spot as a reliable offensive lineman, or we’ll take the risk you pass through waivers and will place you on the practice squad. RG Tate Ratledge LG Christian Mahogany C Cade Mays G Ben Bartch G/T Miles Frazier C/G Juice Scruggs C Seth McLaughlin G/T Colby Sorsdal C/G Michael Niese G Melvin Priestly G/T Mason Miller Training camp preview: How quickly will Cade Mays adapt to scheme? The Lions spent the offseason prioritizing upgrading and deepening the interior offensive line. They’ve developed their youth, spent money at center, traded for depth, and sought out a veteran for competi [... truncated ...]
Even when the San Francisco 49ers had a historic 2023 season offensively, they ranked 25th in DVOA in special teams. They were bottom-three in net kickoff and punt returns. You didn’t notice the poor field position or sloppy returns because you knew the offense would make up for it and get to midfield in a matter of plays. In a mess of a 2024 season, the special teams units finished 31st in DVOA. Field goal, kickoff, kickoff return, and punt teams were all in the bottom five. Calling those units a mess is letting them off lightly. Last season felt like the first time under Kyle Shanahan that the 49ers were competent in multiple areas on special teams. According to DVOA, they were the fifth-best team on kickoff returns. Brian Robinson Jr. averaged 29.1 yards per return. Skyy Moore averaged 27.5 yards. Neither is on the roster. Jacob Cowing ? Jordan Watkins ? Those two were the returners at OTAs, along with undrafted free agent Will Pauling. Would Shanahan allow rookie Kaelon Black? He did it a handful of times during college. Black’s explosive ability would be tempting to throw him out there. The 49ers were also the ninth-best punt return team last year, thanks to Moore. It has been a struggle to find a punt returner under Shanahan. They’ve tried just about everybody, but nobody has stuck. At first, Moore felt like he had just as much of a chance to muff the punt as he would return it. His decision-making was questionable at best before he turned a corner. It’s probably Watkins’ job to lose this season. For as bad as the 49ers’ injuries were in 2025, they were equally as lucky on special teams. You know things are going your way when you block an extra point. That happened in Week 5 against the Rams . The 49ers’ opponents lost 20.5 points of value on field goals last year. They were comically bad. We’re not sure what kind of sorcery Shanahan used. Maybe it was the football gods’ way of evening things out with injuries. The 49ers’ opponents made 21 of 32 field goals last year. That is 20% below the league average. None of those field goal attempts were blocked. Just misses. As unexplainable as that is, it’s not something the team can bank on moving forward. The 49ers led the league in hidden points a year ago, in large part due to their opponents’ blunders. We have to give credit where it’s due. Eddy Pineiro’s only miss was a rushed 64-yard attempt before halftime in Week 17. That consistency, paired with the other team’s kickers, led the 49ers to having the highest total of hidden special teams points since the 2017 Rams. In fact, according to FTN’s database, it was the fifth-highest total since 1977. And to think the 49ers can improve on their 23rd-ranked punt team and 21st-ranked kickoff unit. Water will find its level. Opposing kickers are going to make more than two-thirds of their kicks. Pineiro is probably going to miss a kick before Christmas. Last year proved that it’s better to be lucky than good if you’re the 49ers’ special teams units. Brant Boyer is hoping some of that luck seeps into the 2026 season
The Lions have signed another wide receiver out of the UFL. They announced the addition of Lawrence Keys to their group of wideouts. Wide receiver Kyre Duplessis was waived in a corresponding move. Keys played for the Houston Gamblers during the 2026 UFL season. He was second in the league in all-purpose yards after posting 349 receiving yards, 518 kickoff return yards and 134 punt return yards. Keys spent time with the Bills after going undrafted in 2024. The Lions also signed wideouts Lucky Jackson , Tarik Black and Tay Martin this week, so they'll have four former UFLers vying for roster spots at training camp this summer
The Lions have signed another wide receiver out of the UFL. They announced the addition of Lawrence Keys to their group of wideouts. Wide receiver Kyre Duplessis was waived in a corresponding move. Keys played for the Houston Gamblers during the 2026 UFL season. He was second in the league in all-purpose yards after posting 349 receiving yards, 518 kickoff return yards and 134 punt return yards. Keys spent time with the Bills after going undrafted in 2024. The Lions also signed wideouts Lucky Jackson, Tarik Black and Tay Martin this week, so they’ll have four former UFLers vying for roster spots at training camp this summer
The Detroit Lions are adding another wide receiver from the UFL, their fourth signing of this week. According to UFL insider James Larsen, the Lions are adding Lawrence Keys III, former Houston Gambler, to their roster. He fills the roster spot vacant by Detroit’s waiving of receiver Kyre Duplessis on Wednesday night. Keys has been with the Gamblers for the last two seasons, and he broke out in 2026. He finished second in the UFL in all-purpose yards, thanks to his success as a kick and punt returner. He finished the seasons with 518 kick return yards (27.3 average), 134 punt return yards (12.2 average), and 349 receiving yards. Prior to his time in the UFL, Keys had a brief opportunity with the Buffalo Bills after going undrafted out of Tulane in 2024. But after suffering a leg injury in training camp, he was cut. That stint included one preseason appearance where he logged 15 snaps and caught a single pass for 13 yards. In college, Keys originally committed to Notre Dame and spent three years there and received his degree with the Fighting Irish. But after catching just 18 passes in three seasons, he transferred to Tulane. In two seasons there, he managed a total of 59 catches for 858 yards and nine touchdowns. Most recently listed at 5-foot-9, 175 pounds , Keys is certainly of the slot receiver profile that brings some explosiveness in the return game. He reportedly ran a 4.54 at his pro day, but that doesn’t accurately describe his burst on the field. Keys joins the following other UFL signings the Lions made this week: Former Columbu Aviators WR Tay Martin Former Louisville Kings WR Tarik Black Former Louisville Kings WR Lucky Jackson Like the previous three, Keys will have a tough time climbing the depth chart in a competitive wide receiver room. But with the Lions’ returner spots still very much open after losing Kalif Raymond this offseason, Keys may have a leg up, especially since he’s well-versed in the new kickoff style that was established in the UFL several years ago
The Lions have added a trio of receivers from the UFL on Wednesday. Detroit announced the club has signed Tay Martin, Tarik Black, and Lucky Jackson. Martin and Black were both with the Louisville Kings in 2026, while Martin played for the Columbus Aviators. All three players have also previously spent time in the league. Martin has been with the 49ers, Titans, and Commanders, appearing in seven regular-season games. Black has spent time with the Colts, Jets, Ravens, Steelers, and Dolphins, appearing in one regular season game. Jackson appeared in three games for the Vikings in 2023, also spending time in the CFL. Additionally, Detroit announce the club has placed receive rKendrick Law on injured reserve
The Lions have added a trio of receivers from the UFL on Wednesday. Detroit announced the club has signed Tay Martin , Tarik Black , and Lucky Jackson . Martin and Black were both with the Louisville Kings in 2026, while Martin played for the Columbus Aviators. All three players have also previously spent time in the league. Martin has been with the 49ers, Titans, and Commanders, appearing in seven regular-season games. Black has spent time with the Colts, Jets, Ravens, Steelers, and Dolphins , appearing in one regular season game. Jackson appeared in three games for the Vikings in 2023, also spending time in the CFL. Additionally, Detroit announce the club has placed receive rKendrick Law on injured reserve
According to UFL journalist James Larsen, the Detroit Lions are signing two new wide receivers—both fresh off of winning the UFL Championship over the past weekend. Lucky Jackson and Tarik Black have agreed to join Detroit, although those signings are not yet official. This past UFL season, Jackson and Black ranked second and third on the Louisville Kings in receiving yards, helping the team go 6-4 in the regular season—including six wins in their final seven games. Jackson finished with a team-high 32 reception to go with 392 yards and two touchdowns. Black pitched in 27 catches for 388 yards and three touchdowns. Jackson also served as the team’s primary punt returner, avering 11.9 yards on nine attempts. Black, 28, went undrafted in 2021 after splitting his time in college at Michigan and Texas. He bounced around in the NFL, having short stints with the Colts , Jets , Ravens , Steelers , and Dolphins. However, he has only made one NFL game appearance—a Week 18 game in his rookie season in which he caught a single pass on two targets. At 6-foot-3, 213 pounds, Black adds some much-needed size to the Lions’ wide receiver room. In fact, only Isaac TeSlaa (6-foot-4, 214) measures in bigger than him. Jackson went undrafted in 2020, but his football route first took him to the CFL, where he played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Edmonton Elks, but only appeared in a single game in the Canadian league. After that stint, he went to the XFL and thrived, posting 36 catches for 573 yards and five touchdowns in a single season. That led to him being named All-XFL, and he parlayed that into an opportunity with the Minnesota Vikings in 2023. He initially survived training camp, and spent most of the season on the practice squad—getting three brief call-ups and seeing mostly special teams work. He spent all of 2024 on the Vikings’ practice squad, and was cut from the team entirely in September of 2025, before moving to the UFL. The Draft Wire has a nice interview/profile of Jackson from back in 2020 , where he claims his football IQ and work ethic are his biggest strengths. The two will now joint a spirited competition among Detroit’s receiving depth. While Amon-Ra St. Brown , Jameson Williams , and Isaac TeSlaa are undoubtedly safe, there are no guarantees for the rest of the depth, especially after rookie Kendrick Law suffered a torn ACL earlier this offseason. That includes Greg Dortch , Dominic Lovett , Jackson Meeks , Tom Kennedy, and Cedrick Wilson, among others. Detroit had a few vacancies on their 90-man roster, so no corresponding moves are necessary, but we’ll see if the Lions have any more transactions when they make it official
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