Detroit Lions: Geronimo Allison expected to see expanded role
By Bob Heyrman
Reports suggest the Detroit Lions are in the market to add a receiver before the November 2nd NFL Trade Deadline.
Some may be surprised that the Detroit Lions are even entertaining the idea of adding at the trade deadline. Still, if the organization decides to add a receiver, they will do so, keeping next season and beyond on their mind.
The Lions won’t be in the market to add a number one caliber receiver but will certainly entertain the idea of trading a late draft choice in the sixth or seventh round to acquire someone who can help now and stick around as a third or fourth option in the years to come.
One name being thrown around by NFL insider Ian Rapoport this past week had been Arizona Cardinals pass-catcher Andy Isabella.
Isabella is a talented depth receiver who has found himself buried behind DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Green, Christian Kirk, and Rondale Moore.
Expect the Detroit Lions to feature veteran receiver Geronimo Allison moving forward.
The Detroit Lions had signed Geronimo Allison before the coronavirus pandemic from the Green Bay Packers. With a newborn at home at the time, Allison decided to opt out last season and returned to the team in 2021 but has yet to make much of an impact.
The Lions entered the season extremely thin at the receiver position but with Tyrell Williams sidelined with a concussion with potentially no return in sight and Quintez Cephus out for the season; Geronimo Allison may provide Jared Goff with a trustworthy option in the passing game.
Allison is not an NFL number one, two, or even three option but he’s proven enough to be a fourth and fifth receiver; so on Detroit, he has potential to be a two or three behind Kalif Raymond and Amon-Ra St. Brown.
During the 2019 season, his final year with Green Bay, Allison played a career-high 638 offensive snaps proving to be a stellar run-blocking receiver. According to Pro Football Focus, Allison earned a run-blocking grade of 78.9 and chipped in, making 34 receptions totaling 287 yards and two touchdowns.
In 2018, Allison caught 20 of his 28 targets on the season, totaling 303 yards and two touchdowns.
Allison is surely not a game-changer, but he’s someone that should see work moving forward. The 27-year old appeared in 13 offensive snaps last week against the Bengals but was not targeted in the passing game.