In a continuing search for production from the wide receiver spot, the Lions have elevated Geronimo Allison to the 53-man roster.
The Detroit Lions did not enter the season with great wide receiver depth. That depth has further thinned by the absence of Tyrell Williams (concussion) since Week 1 and Quintez Cephus (collarbone) likely being out for thes season.
Apart from a need for improvement to help quarterback Jared Goff, the Lions lack experience in their wide receiver corps. To that end, they promoted Geronimo Allison from the practice squad to the 53-man roster on Wednesday morning.
Lions had an open roster, we thought last week it might go to Decker. Today, they sign WR Geronimo Allison from PS to 53-man roster
— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) October 20, 2021
Allison spent his first four NFL seasons (2016-2019) with the Green Bay Packers. He signed with the Lions in March of 2020, but then he opted out of the season. He re-signed with Detroit last offseason, but did not play in a game this season until Week 6 against the Bengals (13 offensive snaps, zero targets).
Will Geronimo Allison make a difference for the Lions?
In Allison’s best season with the Packers, or more precisely the season he played the most (59 percent snap share in 2019), he had 34 receptions for 287 yards and two touchdowns. His career-high for receiving yards (303) came in 2018, when he played just five games. The first four games of that 2018 season is easily the best stretch of his career (19 catches for 289 yards; over 60 yards in all four contests).
The Lions are rumored to be in the market for a wide receiver as the trade deadline nears. What, if anything, that effort will deliver is an open question. In the meantime, finding internal options is the course of action and thus Allison may see more snaps against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
Given the lack of depth and experience the Lions have at wide receiver, the fact Allison was not elevated to the active roster or active for a game until Week 6 (and barely played in a blowout loss) says it all. If not for his fairly recognizable name, the move to have him as an option to be in uniform on game day would be totally inconsequential. His contribution surely will be inconsequential, but the Lions have to try something.