The Detroit Lions had a roster vacancy following the waiving of Teriron Arnold, but instead of filling it with another cornerback, Detroit has opted to add a veteran linebacker. According to sports agency EnterSports Management, the Lions have agreed to terms with Troy Reeder ahead of the start of training camp.
Reeder got his start in the NFL in 2019, signing with the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent. At the time, Lions general manager Brad Holmes was the Rams’ director of college scouting,
so he likely has a good grasp on the type of player and person Reeder is.
Since then, Reeder has made an NFL career out of a high amount of special teams play. Reeder would end up making the Rams’ roster in his rookie season and play in all 16 games—including eight starts. Over the following two seasons, he continued to appear in every single game and log an additional 17 starts. He was also part of the Super Bowl-winning 2021 Rams team.
After that, he’s jumped from the Chargers to the Vikings, and then landed back with the Rams for the past three seasons. Last year, he appeared in every game for the Rams again, but was almost exclusively on special teams (328 special teams snaps, 81 defensive snaps).
In total, Reeder has logged 1,750 special teams snaps and 2,109 defensive snaps over 38 career starts and 106 game appearances. At 6-foot-3, 234 pounds, he’s a bit undersized for a traditional linebacker, but his very strong athletic profile makes him a great special teamer and capable coverage defender.
In Detroit, Reeder has a very real chance to make the roster. While the Lions’ top four linebackers are likely set with Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez, and rookie Jimmy Rolder, Reeder will compete with the likes Trevor Nowaske and Damone Clark for a reserve/special teams role with the team.
