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Eric Woodyard, ESPN
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Sixty minutes ahead of the NFL trade deadline, Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes held an impromptu news conference to break the news that his team traded for Cleveland Browns receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round pick.
For Peoples-Jones, who is from Detroit, it’s a homecoming, as the Lions were looking to add depth after veteran receiver Marvin Jones Jr. recently stepped away to “take care of personal family matters.”
“He brings versatility. He’s a big guy, he’s got good contested catch skills, he can play outside, he can play inside,” Holmes said. “He’s a very smart player, he’s been very, very durable. He fits everything that we’re about. So, I think he’ll fit in just fine. He’s another flavor that we’re adding to our mix. So, it’s a lot of things that he can do for us.”
Peoples-Jones, 24, is in his fourth season out of the University of Michigan as a sixth-round draft pick in 2020. The Lions see this move as an upgrade to the receiving corps with Peoples-Jones logging 1,837 receiving yards and eight touchdowns throughout his career. He also returned 61 punts for 479 yards and one touchdown as well as 18 kickoff returns for 379 yards.
He has eight receptions for 97 yards this season in seven games. He posted career highs last season when he had 61 receptions for 839 yards; he also had three touchdown catches.
“We feel like he fits our style and he’s smart and he can play multiple positions. He plays everything for them out there,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “So, we just feel like he’ll be a good fit for the team and the room.”
