Detroit Lions sign Tae Hayes, Avery Davis, waive Zach Morton
The Detroit Lions have announced multiple roster adjustments as training camp continues. Saturday morning, the team announced the signings of cornerback Tae Hayes and wide receiver Avery Davis.
Additionally, the Lions announced that they waived linebacker Zach Morton. The news comes a week before Detroit hits the field for its first preseason game of 2023, playing the New York Giants on Friday, Aug. 11.
Hayes has bounced around practice and offseason teams in the NFL since his college career at Appalachian State concluded in 2019. He’s also had a run with the USFL’s Birmingham Stallions.
Davis is a former Notre Dame wide receiver. During his time for the Fighting Irish, he totaled 862 receiving yards and rushed for an additional 156 yards. He accounted for eight touchdown receptions.
Morton, a product of Akron, signed with the Lions in the offseason as an undrafted free agent.
Roster moves like this are common and frequent throughout training camp. We’ll see if either Hayes or Davis makes enough of an impact to stick with the team for an extended period of time.
CJ Gardner-Johnson raves about Lions WR Jameson Williams
In other wide receiver news regarding the Lions, new Detroit defensive back CJ Gardner-Johnson already has a glowing review of Jameson Williams.
Injury kept Williams sidelined for most of the 2022 campaign, playing in just a handful of games last season. But now that he’s healthy, the receiver apparently has some of the best skills in the NFL.
That’s according to Gardner-Johnson.
“I’m ready for him to play,” Gardner-Johnson said at training camp. “He is one of the best receivers in the game right now. You’ve got to give him his flowers. If you don’t, you’ll see. …Working out with him every day, Jamo’s ready. Don’t worry about him. He ready.”
Unfortunately, fans will have to wait a little bit longer to see what the receiver can do. Williams is set to serve a six-game suspension to start the regular season for violating the NFL’s gambling policy.
Williams proved to be a star at Alabama after transferring from Ohio State. During the 2021 campaign, he recorded 79 catches for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns. He suffered an ACL injury in Bama’s SEC Championship Game matchup against Georgia.
So, though his return will be delayed, there’s plenty of reason to be excited about Williams’ abilities in 2023. At least that’s the case if you buy the hype from Gardner-Johnson.