Stephen A. Smith believes the Detroit Lions will win the NFC North but expresses skepticism about their chances of clinching a Super Bowl title.
In a move to bolster their roster, the Lions are set to sign former Denver Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick to their practice squad, with hopes he will ascend to the active roster, according to sources. The Broncos released Patrick as part of their roster cutdown to 53 players.
Broncos general manager George Paton praised Patrick, saying, “On behalf of everyone in the organization, I just can’t say enough great things about the type of player, the person, Tim Patrick while he has been a Bronco for the past seven seasons.”
Patrick has faced challenges in the past two seasons due to injuries but made a successful comeback during training camp this year, recording five catches for 44 yards and a touchdown in the preseason. He missed the entire 2022 season with a torn ACL and was sidelined again in 2023 due to a torn Achilles tendon.
At 30 years old, Patrick boasts 143 receptions for 2,009 yards and 12 touchdowns over 55 career games. After releasing veterans Donovan Peoples-Jones and Daurice Fountain, both of whom struggled to impress during training camp, the Lions are eager to add Patrick for additional depth and potential impact in their offense.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell mentioned that having a larger wide receiver would be beneficial, calling it “a luxury” to have more versatile options in their lineup. He emphasized the importance of one-on-one matchups and how it allows quarterback Jared Goff to take advantage of favorable situations.