Lions Optimistic About Quintez Cephus, Sign WR Maurice Alexander

Dan Campbell provides an injury update about Quintez Cephus, T.J. Hockenson and Levi Onwuzurike.

The Detroit Lions received a scare Tuesday when wide receiver Quintez Cephus went down hard and had to be helped off the field.

Struggling to put weight on his left leg, the Wisconsin product appeared to be in significant pain. However, head coach Dan Campbell said Wednesday that the outlook for him may be better than initially thought.

“I think he’ll be okay,” Campbell said. “It was much more optimistic once we got him in, got an image and looks like he’ll be down for, we feel like, a short period of time. But I think he’s gonna be okay, so that’s good.”

Campbell confirmed that the injury suffered by his third-year wideout was not to his knee. Cephus was a key contributor at the beginning of the 2021 season, catching 15 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns before suffering a season-ending broken collarbone in Week 5.

Elsewhere on the injury front, the Lions were without second-year defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike and fourth-year tight end T.J. Hockenson.

“They both got banged up a little on the previous day and so we were just being smart with both of those guys,” Campbell said. “Just to see how they recover.”

The Lions were battered by injuries last season, as several players including defensive back Jeff Okudah, defensive end Romeo Okwara, center Frank Ragnow and Cephus were placed on injured reserve during the first five weeks of 2021.

Second-year jump

Detroit’s linebacker competition has been fast and furious since the team entered training camp. Detroit’s second-year head coach has made it very clear that it’s an open competition and anyone could walk out of it as a starter.

Derrick Barnes presents an intriguing case to the position. As a second-year player from Purdue, he provided a truly up and down rookie season in 2021. Though he showed plenty of mettle stopping the run, his pass coverage left more to be desired.

Heading into 2022, the former fourth rounder is working towards making a much bigger impact. Another member of his draft class, running back Jermar Jefferson, is also looking to see a larger role during the upcoming season.

“Barnes, I love where Barnes is at,” Campbell asserted. “Because I can feel Barnes on special teams right now and I see his growth as a linebacker. He’s very much in play in there. He’s right where he needs to be, he’s growing.”

Jefferson is locked in a position battle of his own, fighting for the third running back spot as well as a place on the overall roster. The Lions are looking for versatility in that spot and the Oregon State product is looking to show that he belongs.

On Wednesday, Campbell complimented the growth of both Barnes and Jefferson as they continue to battle to win roles at their respective positions.

“I’ll tell you this, two guys from last year that have really made some of the biggest progress to this point are Barnes and Jefferson,” Campbell said. “Both of those guys, just attitude-wise and their demeanor and just all the little stuff. It never had anything to do with the way they worked, they just didn’t know what they didn’t know, and they were young and a little bit deer in the headlights. This year, both of those guys have really come out with a different attitude, a different demeanor, more confidence and it’s good to see.” 

Briefly

With wideout Corey Sutton leaving the team, the Lions brought in wideouts for a tryout this week. Maurice Alexander, Johnnie Dixon and Taywan Taylor all worked out. 

It was reported by the team on Wednesday morning that Alexander has signed with the team. He was an All-USFL returner with the Philadelphia Stars in 2021. 

In a corresponding move, running back Greg Bell has been waived.