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Detroit Lions bring back DT Levi Onwuzurike on short-term free agency deal

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Detroit Lions bring back DT Levi Onwuzurike on short-term free agency deal


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  • Levi Onwuzurike was the second-ever draft pick by Lions general manager Brad Holmes.
  • Onwuzurike had a modest four-year run with the Lions, making 10 starts and appearing in 42 games, but was coming off his healthiest and best season in 2024.

The Detroit Lions have made a habit of re-signing their 2021 draft picks. On Wednesday, they kept another one in the fold.

Defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike agreed to a one-year, $5.5 million contract with the Lions on the first official day of free agency, the Free Press has confirmed.

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A second-round pick out of Washington, Onwuzurike was the second-ever draft pick by Lions general manager Brad Holmes.

In the past 12 months, the Lions have re-signed four of their seven selections from the 2021 draft to long-term extensions. Last year, they signed first-round pick Penei Sewell, third-rounder Alim McNeill and fourth-rounder Amon-Ra St. Brown to contracts that totaled $339 million, and Friday they agreed to a three-year, $25.5 million deal to keep fourth-round pick Derrick Barnes from testing free agency.

Jermar Jefferson, the Lions’ seventh-round pick in 2021, has spent most of the past three seasons on practice squad and was not offered a futures deal after the season. Ifeatu Melifonwu, the Lions’ other third-round pick from that year, agreed to a one-year free agent deal with the Miami Dolphins on Tuesday.

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Onwuzurike had a modest four-year run with the Lions, making 10 starts and appearing in 42 games, but was coming off his healthiest and best season in 2024.

He played 16 of a possible 17 games as a backup as a rookie, then missed the 2022 season after undergoing spinal fusion surgery. Onwuzurike played 10 games upon his return in 2023, and had 1½ sacks last year while playing both as a big end and defensive tackle on the Lions’ defensive front.

The Lions tried to re-sign Onwuzurike before the start of last season, but the 27-year-old opted to bet on himself and his improved health and play out the season.

At defensive tackle, the Lions return McNeill and D.J. Reader as starters, and Chris Smith and Brodric Martin as backups. McNeill is coming off a torn ACL and might not be ready to start the season, and the Lions are expected to add to the position both perhaps in free agency and April’s draft.

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Dave Birkett will sign copies of his book, “Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline,” at 7 p.m., March 24, at the Birmingham Public Library. 

Order your copy here

Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.





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Detroit, MI

NFC NORTH: Where all four teams stand heading into Week 8

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NFC NORTH: Where all four teams stand heading into Week 8


MINNESOTA

Week 7 result: Philadelphia 28, Minnesota 22

Offensive rank: 20th (318.7)

Scoring offense: 15th (24.2)

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Defensive rank: 9th (301.7)

Scoring defense: 10th (20.8)

Star performer: Wide receiver Justin Jefferson recorded five receptions for 79 yards in Minnesota’s loss Sunday. Jefferson has 529 career receptions and surpassed DeAndre Hopkins (528 receptions) for the second-most receptions by a player in his first six seasons in NFL history. Only Jarvis Landry (564 receptions) has more. Jefferson has 34 receptions on the season for 528 receiving yards.

Quotable: “The main issue was in the red zone today, just hurting ourselves and causing us to go backwards instead of forward,” Jefferson told vikings.com of their 1-for-6 performance in the red zone vs. Philadelphia Sunday. “We’ve got to execute our plays to the fullest, take one play at a time, and when the opportunity comes, make those plays.

“One of those red zone drives is, that’s me dropping the touchdown and not pulling the ball all way the in. I’m always critical of myself and always, especially, my opportunities are very, very slim, so those opportunities, I’ve got to make the most of them.”

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Twentyman: Sunday was a good test for the Vikings squaring off against the defending Super Bowl champs. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts maxed out his NFL passer rating (158.3) by completing 19 of 23 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns. Scoring in the red zone (1-for-6) and allowing big plays on defense lead to Minnesota’s downfall Sunday. The red zone has been an issue for the Vikings all season (ranked 20th). It’s something they must clean up in an ultra-competitive division like the North.

Next up: at Los Angeles Chargers (4-3), Thurs., Oct. 23, 8:15 p.m.



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Why did officials go to monitor twice in Lions vs. Bucs? Pool report offers explanation

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Why did officials go to monitor twice in Lions vs. Bucs? Pool report offers explanation


Sometimes, all it takes is a week for the pendulum to swing.

After being on the wrong end of some controversial officiating in a loss at the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 6, the Detroit Lions benefitted from a rather confusing sequence involving the referees in their 24-9 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday.

The play in question came with 11:36 remaining in the fourth quarter. Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield dropped back to pass on fourth-and-medium and found tight end Cade Otton over the middle of the field. Otton, covered by linebacker Alex Anzalone, extended for the line to gain. The ball came loose, and the Bucs recovered. A fumble on fourth down can’t be advanced by the offense unless it’s collected by the player who fumbled. Otton didn’t get on top of the ball, but the referees’ initial ruling was Otton had gained enough yards for a first down.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell threw the challenge flag. Confusion first arose because it was announced in the stadium that the Lions were challenging whether Otton completed the process of the catch. In the postgame pool report, however, NFL vice president of instant replay Mark Butterworth said Campbell specified he was challenging the line to gain. Regardless, “all reviewable aspects of the play are under review” during a challenge, according to Butterworth, no matter what the challenge is for.

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Also drawing some controversy was the replay review itself. Officials made their way to the monitor and initially upheld the call on the field, giving the Bucs, trailing by 15 points and near midfield, a first down. The referees then went back to the monitor for what appeared to be a second look at the replay. They returned with a different ruling, this time saying Otton was short of the first down. Also of note: Otton was down before he fumbled.

Butterworth explained the second review was triggered because there was access gained to a camera angle that was not available when they first went to the monitor.

“Later in the process we received an enhanced view from broadcast that showed that when the knee was down, the ball was short of the line to gain,” Butterworth said. “We were having issues with the referee’s O2O (official-to-official communication system), which is why he (the referee on the field) was brought back to the monitor. We did not show him anything on the screen at that point, it was simply to communicate to clean up the ruling on the field.”

Mayfield said after the game he was “still pretty damn confused about the double review.”

“A lot of things in that game that were a little questionable, but a lot of frustration at the end of that (game),” Mayfield said. “It might be displaced onto (NFL official) John Hussey in the moment, but it’s — I work my ass off and I put a lot into this game, so when things that I don’t see are deemed fair, I’m going to let somebody know.”

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rsilva@detroitnews.com

@rich_silva18



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Former congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick lying in state at Wright Museum

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Former congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick lying in state at Wright Museum


Former U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick lie in state on Monday at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History for a daylong visitation ahead of her funeral on Wednesday.

Cheeks Kilpatrick, 80, died on Oct. 7 following a long illness, family and friends said.

The mother of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick served seven terms in Congress and nine terms in the Michigan House of Representatives as a Democrat. She left office at the end of 2010 after losing reelection in a Democratic primary.

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Cheeks Kilpatrick’s funeral is planned to begin at noon on Wednesday at Greater Emmanuel Church of God in Christ, 19190 Schaefer Hwy., on Detroit’s west side.

Monday’s visitation was scheduled from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the museum, 315 E. Warren.



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