The Detroit Lions have been busy tweaking their roster in the opening week of free agency. But a surprising area of action has been in the tight end room.
The Lions have Sam LaPorta locked in as their starting tight end but the bigger question is who will be behind him. Kenny Yeboah signed with the Lions last weekend after four seasons with the New York Jets and Detroit added more competition by re-signing Shane Zylstra.
Just as it seemed that both players were coming to Detroit for a roster spot, the Lions handed them some bad news with another potential signing entering the competition on Tuesday.
Lions Hosting Former Bills TE Quintin Morris on Tuesday
According to Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports, former Buffalo Bills tight end Quintin Morris is visiting the Lions on Tuesday. Morris was an undrafted free agent out of Bowling Green in 2021 and spent the first four years of his career as the Bills’ blocking tight end, posting a run-blocking grade of 53.5 last season according to Pro Football Focus.
While Morris posted a respectable 64.0 run-blocking grade on 140 snaps in 2023, he also has been a serviceable receiver, catching 15 passes for 146 yards and three touchdowns.
If Morris signs, it could kickoff a full-blown competition for the reserve tight end spots. Zylstra serves a similar role to Morris, posting a career-high 74.9 run-blocking grade in 2022, but posted a 53.7 run-blocking grade after missing the entire 2023 season with a knee injury.
Yeboah also specializes in run blocking but has posted a run-blocking grade over 60 once in his four-year career. His high-water mark came with a 60.8 grade on 79 run-blocking snaps in 2023 but posted a 48.4 run-blocking grade on 57 snaps last season.
Fellow reserve tight end Brock Wright is also set to return after posting a 51.8 run blocking grade last season but his spot could be up for grabs if one of the latest additions steps up in camp.
For now, Zylstra and Yeboah could battle for the third tight end spot with Morris or someone else potentially joining the fray. This meeting signals Detroit isn't totally content with that position yet, opening the door for this room to get even more crowded by training camp.