Detroit Lions DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Former Denver Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick is expected to sign with the Detroit Lions. Patrick did not make the Broncos' final 53-man roster earlier on Tuesday and appears to have found his new home. Patrick has battled injuries in recent years. He has not played since the 2021 season due to a torn ACL in 2022 and a torn Achilles in 2023. Before his injuries, Patrick was productive when healthy. His signing is slightly worrisome for fantasy managers hoping for more production from Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams. However, this could just be a depth move for a Lions team that has several unproven names behind Amon-Ra St. Brown, Williams, and Kalif Raymond. Patrick is 30 years old after all and coming off two significant injuries.UPDATE: Patrick is expected to sign with Detroit's practice squad with the idea that he will work his way onto the active roster, according to sources.

The New York Giants released veteran wide receiver Allen Robinson II on Tuesday, according to a source. The Giants also cut Isaiah Hodgins as they work to get their roster down to 53 players before the start of the regular season in less than two weeks. Robinson will now head back to the open market after signing with the G-Men back in May. The 31-year-old caught only 34 of his 49 targets in his only season with the Pittsburgh Steelers last year for just 280 yards and no touchdowns in 17 regular-season games. If A-Rob does sign with a new team for the 2024 campaign, it will be his fifth different team in the last four seasons, a sign of how far he's fallen since being a second-round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2014 out of Penn State. It's also concerning that he wasn't able to separate himself in a Giants receiving corps that doesn't have much experience.

The Denver Broncos are exploring trade possibilities for wide receiver Tim Patrick, according to Broncos reporter Mike Klis. Patrick suffered a torn ACL during training camp in 2022 and a torn Achilles before the 2023 season, so he has not played in a regular-season contest since 2021. After entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2017, Patrick racked up 143 receptions for 2,009 yards and 12 touchdowns in 55 games. Denver is likely to release him if they do not reach a deal to trade him ahead of Tuesday's roster cutdown deadline. Courtland Sutton, Josh Reynolds, and Marvin Mims Jr. are expected to start in three-wide sets for Denver, but Patrick's potential departure could clear the way for rookies Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele to play in reserve roles in 2024.

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell said that tight end Sam LaPorta (hamstring) returned to training camp practice on Sunday. It marked LaPorta's first practice session with the team since the first week of August after he injured his hamstring. As long as the 23-year-old second-year tight end doesn't suffer a setback with his hammy in upcoming practices, he should be ready to roll for the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sept. 8 against the Los Angeles Rams. LaPorta's injury was never really considered all that serious, so his fantasy value as one of the top fantasy TEs hasn't really wavered this summer. The former second-rounder immediately established himself as one of the best pass-catching TEs in the NFL in his first year, catching 86 of his 120 targets for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2023. Travis Kelce might be the first TE taken in your fantasy draft, but LaPorta may have even more upside at this point.

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell said that running back Jahmyr Gibbs (hamstring) returned to training camp practice on Sunday. Gibbs returned to the practice field for the Lions after missing two weeks with a strained hamstring. Now that the 22-year-old is back, he'll have just under two weeks to prepare for the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sept. 8 against the Los Angeles Rams. The Lions haven't seemed too worried that Gibbs won't be ready for the season opener, but there's still a chance he'll cede more touches to backfield mate David Montgomery to open the year. Now that Gibbs is back at practice, fantasy managers should feel more comfortable taking him as a midrange RB1 in drafts, either late in the first round or early in the second, especially in point-per-reception formats. Gibbs was the 12th overall pick in 2023 and had 945 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns and added 316 receiving yards and another score in 15 regular-season games in his rookie campaign.