Once Josh Reynolds' departure in free agency became inevitable, and of course happened, the Detroit Lions have been firmly committed to replacing him internally. Jameson Williams is stepping into a bigger role. Kalif Raymond is a sneaky contributor who could also have a bigger role, but he's also the punt returner.
A lingering perceived hole on the roster has been an "X" receiver, and nominally the No. 3 wide receiver role Reynolds vacated. One candidate for that role is now gone, with Antoine Green suffered a head/neck injury in the preseason opener and being waived with an injury designation on Monday.
So the competition for that No. 3 receiver role is down to a group headlined by Daurice Fountain, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Kade Davis. Fountain' star has faded lately after a nice start to camp, and head coach Dan Campbell previously called out Peoples-Jones.
Dan Campbell doesn't hide his concern for Lions' wide receiver depth
Before Monday night's practice, via SI.com, Campbell talked honestly about the wide receiver battle.
“It’s still the same as where it’s at. We’re waiting for any one of those guys to step forward,” Campbell expressed. “DPJ (Peoples-Jones), I felt like, has been, since the game, much better. He’s playing faster and I notice it, we all notice it, so that’s encouraging. But, Fountain and Tre’Quan (Smith) and Kaden Davis, somebody, we’re dying for somebody to step up and say, ‘Hey, man, I’m the guy. I’m the guy you can depend on. I’ll be the same, consistent player every day, find a way to make the plays that come my way.’”
Jeremy Reisman of Pride of Detroit reinforced the idea that Raymond should not be forgotten about as a starting option, even if it means he'd be in the slot a lot and Amon-Ra St. Brown would line up as an outside receiver more often. But a couple notes from Reisman's regarding Monday night's practice say a lot.
"Fountain continues to rep primarily with the first-team offense, but he had two critical drops on the day, including a relatively easy grab for a touchdown during a red zone drill. Donovan Peoples-Jones has hauled in bombs in consecutive practices during one-on-one drills, but that production has not carried over into team drills."
If someone does not step up soon, as Campbell is practically begging for, the Lions will have to look for other options to fill what would be an important role in their receiving corps.