Lions Kicking the Tires on Two Veteran Receivers
The Lions surprised plenty of folks by grabbing a receiver in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, but apparently Brad Holmes isn’t done shopping the bargain bin. Detroit is hosting at least two veteran receivers for workouts on Tuesday, because when you’ve got a good thing going, you keep looking for ways to make it better.
According to Aaron Wilson, the Lions are bringing in James Proche. Adam Schefter reports they’re also hosting Scotty Miller. Neither name will make you jump out of your chair, but that’s kind of the point with late-season depth moves.
Proche is a six-year veteran who spent last year with the Tennessee Titans. He managed nine games, two starts, and caught six passes for 65 yards. Nothing earth-shattering there. But here’s what matters: he served as a kick returner for Cleveland in the 2023 and 2024 seasons and has plenty of return experience on both punts and kicks from his SMU days.
Originally a sixth-round pick by Baltimore, Proche is listed at 5-foot-11 with modest athleticism. His offensive snaps have been sparse lately, just 247 total over the past three years. Still, he brings some versatility between the slot and outside receiver spots.
Miller Brings Similar Skill Set in Smaller Package
Miller has a lot of the same traits as Proche, just in an even smaller frame. We’re talking 5-foot-9, 174 pounds here. His return experience is limited to two kick returns and three punt returns over his seven-year career, so he’s not exactly Deion Sanders back there.
But Miller has carved out offensive roles every single year of his career. He’s logged at least 135 snaps in each season, including 368 offensive plays for Pittsburgh over the past two years. That’s solid role-player consistency.
His best work came back in 2020 when he caught 33 passes for 501 yards and three touchdowns. Since then, he’s managed just 14 catches for 131 yards over the past two seasons. Not exactly setting the world on fire, but hey, at least he’s been on the field.
Depth Chart Math Gets Interesting
The Lions don’t exactly have a pressing need at receiver right now. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Isaac TeSlaa have the starting spots locked down. They already signed Greg Dortch in free agency, drafted Kendrick Law in the fifth round this year, and still have Dominic Lovett from last year’s seventh-round haul.
Detroit already carries nine receivers on the roster, so this could just be Holmes doing his homework for future reference. Or maybe he’s looking to add some insurance before OTAs kick off. Either way, it’s the kind of thorough approach that separates this front office from the disasters we lived through for decades.
Are these the depth signings that put us over the top, or is Holmes just being his usual meticulous self? Let me know what you think below.
Holmes really does think different than the guys we had before. I’m not saying Proche or Miller are gonna blow anybody away, but the fact that we’re being this thorough about finding depth pieces and special teams value shows we’re actually trying to build something right. That’s the stuff that wins in the long run.
Look, I get the whole depth strategy thing, but we already got nine receivers on the roster. At some point you gotta wonder if all this tinkering is just noise, you know? I trust Brad, but I need to see it actually work out on Sundays before I’m jumping up and down about fifth-round receivers and journeymen.
This is what it’s supposed to look like. Back in the day we’d just sit around waiting for something to happen instead of being proactive like this. Brad and Campbell are out here doing their homework and trying every angle, and that’s the stuff that separates good organizations from the ones that keep spinning their wheels.
Proche’s return game experience might actually be valuable if we’re thinking about special teams depth. And Miller’s consistency getting on the field every year shows he knows how to stay ready even when he’s not the main guy. Small moves like this could pay dividends we don’t see coming.