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Detroit Lions cut Donovan Peoples-Jones; where will they go next at wide receiver?
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- Detroit Lions cut Donovan Peoples-Jones; where will they go next at wide receiver?
The DPJ experiment is D.O.A.
The Detroit Lions released wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones on Monday as part of their cut to a 53-player roster .
NFL reporter Jordan Schultz first reported news of Peoples-Jones' release , a few hours after Lions coach Dan Campbell discussed the factors he and general manager Brad Holmes were considering when it came to choosing their receiving corps.
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The Lions acquired Peoples-Jones from the Cleveland Browns at last fall's trade deadline, then re-signed him this spring after letting Josh Reynolds walk as their No. 3 receiver in free agency.
LIVE UPDATES: Detroit Lions cuts tracker: Who's in, who's out at 53-man roster deadline
Detroit Lions wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones catches a pass during practice at the Lions practice facility in Allen Park on Saturday, July 27, 2024.
"DPJ and (Daurice) Fountain both, man, they're big guys," Campbell said. "They are big receivers, they got length to them and for their size they can run pretty good, so there's that element of that, can he play big-boy ball outside? Red zone, that comes into play, and so if you don't have it, sometimes you feel – you do feel a little small. You feel like you – it would be nice to have the size. And so, you wish that would show up a lot more, but that's what those two guys bring."
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Peoples-Jones, a Detroit native who played at Michigan in college, caught five passes for 58 yards in eight games with the Lions last season. He was expected to take a more prominent role in the receiving corps this fall, but struggled to make an impact in training camp and preseason games.
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Peoples-Jones caught two passes for 31 yards on nine targets in three games and did not catch any of the three balls thrown his way in Saturday's preseason finale.
The Lions' top three receivers are set in Amon-Ra St. Brown , Jameson Williams and Kalif Raymond , and undrafted rookie Isaiah Williams has emerged as a strong candidate for a backup spot with a productive preseason (team-highs of 11 catches and 123 yards).
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But St. Brown, Raymond and Isaiah Williams are similar slot-first type receivers who thrive in space, and while Jameson Williams gives the offense a deep threat as one of the fastest players in the NFL, the Lions lack size on the outside.
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Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaiah Williams (83) returns a kickoff against Pittsburgh Steelers during the first half of a preseason game at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, August 24, 2024.
Campbell said having complementary parts at receiver was one thing he and Holmes were factoring into their roster decisions. How each receiver not in the main playing group would contribute on special teams was another.
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Peoples-Jones has limited special teams experience in his career.
"You would love to have a little bit of everything," Campbell said. "You've got speed, you've got quickness, you've got the size. You've got gadget.
"That's what Brad and I are having to weigh here, is there enough – have we seen enough out of those guys to where we feel like we can use them or need to use them sooner than later, or will they provide value depth or role players? The other thing is special teams, how much do they bring on special teams? I don't know. That's tough to say. It'll all come into play."
The Lions are expected to consider options not currently on their roster at wide receiver, both via trade and the waiver wire.
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They also waived former Michigan Panthers receiver Kaden Davis on Monday, according to Bleacher Report, and still have Fountain, Maurice Alexander, Tom Kennedy and Jalon Calhoun in the mix for roster spots.
NFL teams have until 4 p.m. Tuesday to cut down to the 53-player minimum.
"I think (Brad and I are) seeing things very much eye to eye and I think there's things that he and I both are, let's sleep on this as of last night, a couple of things," Campbell said. "I don't want to get into what those positions are or who they are, but I would say I do feel like we're very much on the same page and we're both very much, 'Let's make sure we both feel this way when we wake up and we talk later.' So it's good. It's a good process. He and I, here we go, man. We're on Year 4 of this. We've got a pretty good feel of each other here."
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com . Follow him on X and Instagram at @davebirkett .
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions cut Donovan Peoples-Jones; where they go next at WR
