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Report: Detroit Lions signing local, undrafted kicker

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Report: Detroit Lions signing local, undrafted kicker


According to Michigan Wolverines reporter Anthony Broome, the Detroit Lions are signing Michigan kicker James Turner as an undrafted free agent.

Over the weekend, the 2024 NFL Draft saw three kickers drafted—Alabama’s Will Reichard (Vikings), Stanford’s Joshua Karty (Rams), and Arkansas’ Cam Little (Jaguars)—all in the sixth round. The Lions opted to pass on the opportunity to add kicker competition in the draft, but identified Turner in the undrafted free agent market.

Turner has four years of college experience as a kicker. For the first three years at the college ranks, he was with Louisville. There he had two successful seasons sandwiching a rough one. Take a look:

  • 2020: 40-of-40 on extra points (100%), 13-of-15 on field goals (86.7%), Long: 50
  • 2021: 46-of-48 on extra points (95.8), 14-of-22 on field goals (63.6%), Long: 46
  • 2022: 38-of-39 on extra points (97.4), 20-of-22 on field goals (90.9%), Long: 48

In that 2022 season, Turner set the Louisville program record for field goal percentage, while tying for most field goals made in a season.

In 2023, Turner entered the transfer portal and helped the Wolverines win a national championship. He converted 65-of-66 extra points, along with 18-of-21 (85.7%) on field goals, with a long of 50 yards—which he accomplished on three different occasions. In the national title game, Turner was a perfect 6-for-6 on kicks (two field goals, four extra points).

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In short, Turner has been a reliable kicker from short and moderate distances, but with a college long of just 50 yards, he may not solve the Lions’ current issue of having no reliable long-distance kicker.

Turner will come in and compete with incumbent kicker Michael Badgley. Last year, Badgley initially lost out on the kicker competition before returning to the practice squad, winning the job back, and going 4-of-4 in the regular season and 3-for-3 on field goals in the postseason.

In addition to adding Turner, the Lions have also shown interest in Michigan Panthers kicker Jake Bates, who has caught the attention of NFL teams after starting the season perfect on field goals, including a pair of makes from 60+ yards. Bates cannot sign with a team until the UFL season is over in June.

To see all of the Lions’ UDFA signings, head over to our 2024 UDFA tracker.





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Detroit, MI

Small plane crashes in woods in Oakland County neighborhood

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Small plane crashes in woods in Oakland County neighborhood


The pilot of a small plane crashed into a thickly wooded area near large homes in Oakland County on Sunday night, police said. The pilot walked away with minor injuries.

The pilot was the sole occupant, said police, who were at the scene on the 21000 block of Cambridge in Novi on Sunday night. They said the pilot suffered minor injuries after crashing into a tree. A large tree limb that had been severed by the plane could be seen tangled among the plane wreckage.

Authorities did not provide other information about the pilot or where he was coming from or headed.

Roads leading to the crash scene were closed.

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Detroit, MI

Detroit animal control works to empty shelter before move to new facility

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Detroit animal control works to empty shelter before move to new facility


DETROIT – Animal control is hosting several adoption events in an effort to clear out the shelter before they move to a new facility.

Detroit Animal Care and Control is preparing to new to a new facility on Russell Street. They are working to get the dogs in the current building adopted as soon as possible.

Anyone who wants to learn more about pet ownership before they commit to a dog, there are free classes you can attend. The classes will go over vet care, pet health, grooming, pet manners, and behavior, introducing a new pet to your home, and more.

The classes are held at the Sherwood Forest branch of the Detroit Public Library on the second Tuesday of each month. They start at 6 p.m. The next classes are scheduled for Tuesday, May 14, and Tuesday, June 11.

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May adoption events

DACC is participating in the BISSELL Pet Foundation’s Empty the Shelters campaign through May 15. All adoption fees will be sponsored by Cathy Bissell.

On Saturday, May 18, adoptable DACC dogs will be at Meadowbrook Amphitheater in Rochester Hills for the Paws, Pals, and Pet Supplies event. The event will be held from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Admission is free.

People can get to know adoptable DACC dogs at the Paws and PJ movie night at the Edison branch of the Detroit Public Library from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. on May 18.

Adoptable DACC dogs will be at the Detroit Public Library main branch for an adoption event from 12 p.m. until 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 19.


Detroit Animal Care is open every day of the week from 10:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.

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How many rookies will make the Detroit Lions’ final roster?

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How many rookies will make the Detroit Lions’ final roster?


On Friday, we got our first look at the Detroit Lions’ rookie class. With rules being particularly strict about the level of participation allowed at this point in the offseason, it was only a minor taste. Yet it was still enough to make first impressions on these young players.

As coaches have repeated several times already this offseason, it will not be an easy path for these rookies. Over the first three years of Detroit’s roster rebuild, they often relied on their rookies to not only fill out their 53-man roster, but most of them played heavy roles during the actual games.

Those times are gone.

The Lions are NFC North returning champs and enter 2024 with Super Bowl expectations, and a lot of starting jobs already claimed

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So today’s Question of the Day is:

How many rookies will make the Lions final roster?

My answer: Let’s look at this from a few different points of view.

Last year, it was 7: Jahmyr Gibbs, Jack Campbell, Sam LaPorta, Brian Branch, Colby Sorsdal, Brodric Martin, Steven Gilmore (Hendon Hooker was als on the Non-Football Injury list).

We can also make predictions just based on the draft picks: Terrion Arnold, Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Giovanni Manu, and Sione Vaki are certainly going to make it. Given the lack of depth at defensive tackle, Mekhi Wingo seems safe, too. And Christian Mahogany has enough upside that he seems likely to make it, too. But is Detroit really in a place where they can keep all of their draft picks—and maybe even a UDFA or two?

Let’s run down the current Lions’ roster and list the non-rookie “locks” to make the team:

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  1. Jared Goff
  2. Hendon Hooker
  3. David Montgomery
  4. Jahmyr Gibbs
  5. Amon-Ra St. Brown
  6. Jameson Williams
  7. Kalif Raymond
  8. Sam LaPorta
  9. Brock Wright
  10. Taylor Decker
  11. Graham Glasgow
  12. Frank Ragnow
  13. Kevin Zeitler
  14. Penei Sewell
  15. Aidan Hutchinson
  16. Alim McNeill
  17. DJ Reader
  18. Marcus Davenport
  19. Josh Paschal
  20. Brodric Martin
  21. Jack Campbell
  22. Alex Anzalone
  23. Derrick Barnes
  24. Jalen Reeves-Maybin
  25. Malcolm Rodriguez
  26. Carlton Davis
  27. Brian Branch
  28. Amik Robertson
  29. Kerby Joseph
  30. Ifeatu Melifonwu
  31. Jack Fox
  32. Whoever wins the kicker battle
  33. Whoever wins the long snapper battle

There is plenty of room for competition from rookies, believe it or not, although I was pretty liberal in excluding players from being locks. For example, I think guys like Donovan Peoples-Jones, James Mitchell/Shane Zylstra, Colby Sorsdal, Dan Skipper, James Houston, John Cominsky, Emmanuel Moseley, and C.J. Moore all more than likely make the roster. That leaves us with about a dozen spots left.

Ultimately, I think there’s ample room for everyone in the rookie draft class—though they’ll still have to beat out the likes of Detroit’s bubble players like Craig Reynolds, Antoine Green, Kayode Awosika, Levi Onwuzurike, Mathieu Betts, Khalil Dorsey and Kindle Vildor.

I think you can probably expect at least one UDFA to make it, as well. So my answer is seven rookies will make the initial 53-man roster.

What do you all think? Scroll to the comment section below and offer your thoughts?

Poll

How many rookies will make the Lions’ initial 53-man roster in 2024?



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