Tim Patrick was let go by the Broncos earlier today after no trade partner could be found. The veteran wideout has not needed to wait long to find his next home, however. 
Patrick is expected to sign with the Lions, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. This will be a practice squad agreement at first with the plan being to move him to the active roster in short order. That move has become increasingly popular around the NFL as it pertains to veteran additions, and in Patrick’s case it will allow him to compete for a notable receiving role in Detroit.
The 30-year-old missed all of 2022 and ’23 due to ACL and Achilles tears, respectively. Those major ailments led to questions about his roster status with the Broncos moving forward, but upon returning to full health he seemed to have a spot lined up in Denver. It was learned yesterday, however, that the team was shopping him in an effort to work out a trade. After no deal on that front materialized, Patrick was among the Broncos’ final cuts.
The former UDFA played with Denver from 2018-21. Over the final two years of that stretch in particular, he established himself as a full-time starter and impact producer. Patrick totaled 1,476 yards and 11 touchdowns during his last two Broncos campaigns, but after missing the past two seasons altogether it would have been fair to wonder if he would have drawn early interest in free agency. The Lions have proven that to be true.
Detroit’s passing game is set to once again be led by All-Pro wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown and record-breaking tight end Sam LaPorta in 2024. While former first-rounder Jameson Williams is positioned to take on the WR2 role, the Lions’ depth has been a talking point since Josh Reynolds departed (to the Broncos, as it turned out) in free agency. Donovan Peoples-Jones was let go, creating a vacancy in the receiving corps. Patrick will spend the coming weeks attempting to fill it.
I’ve been saying all off season that the Lions are going to regret losing Josh Reynolds. Hopefully this can help lessen that blow.
Josh Reynolds was their #3 receiver once Jamo came back. His targets, catches, yards, ypc, etc all was down in 2nd half of yr compared to first half. He would have been the 5th option on most plays.
In other words…Josh Reynolds not being on the team will not make or break the Lions season.
Patrick is an upgrade over Reynolds if he is healthy. If not, I don’t know. But it’s odd to lose Reynolds and sign Patrick. Reynolds’ best value in Detroit was his connection with Goff, and they made a lot of clutch plays together. For that reason, Reynolds was a valuable piece in Detroit, even with younger and more athletic players added. Every great quarterback has had the guy that they just trust will know what he’s thinking or will respond to him-in other words, a guy that he can trust, from Manning to Brady to Brees. Goff is no different. The Sugar-Averse Rockstar is right, it won’t break tge season, though.
Perhaps Denver and Detroit should trade the two (this is a joke, just a joke).
You do know, that is what Sun God does…way better…now?
Sure, I’m not insinuating that nobody else had a connection with Golf. St. Brown is one of the best receivers in the league, no doubt. I’m saying that Reynolds’ greatest asset to Detroit was his connection with Golf. It’s odd to see Detroit sign another big body receiver to act as a possession target who will be behind all of these guys, when they had another who had a connection with their QB. Now, I certainly consider Patrick to be a better receiver than Reynolds (at least, when healthy), but at that spot on the depth chart, it’s just sort of ironic.
His being on the team did “break” our 2023 season by dropping two well-thrown passes in the second half of the NFC Championship.
That’s a fair point. He did do his part in getting them there. Campbell is a great coach, but he had a couple of calls in that game that I’m sure he’d like back…
They can easily replace his 40 receptions and drops in big games.
Good fit. It would be cool to see him actually stay healthy, even if I know better than to get my hopes up.
Great fit if he stays healthy. Goff can sling it NO DIDDY
With his injury history, he’s definitely a Holmes/Campbell guy.