The Buccaneers plan to promote Fells in time for Sunday's game against Washington. Normally, the Buccaneers signing a veteran tight end to the practice squad might not be particularly newsworthy, but Rob Gronkowski is dealing with back spasms, and his  Week 10 availability is likely to have been a motivating factor for the Buccaneers here. Even if Fells sees significant playing time, he is expected to operate as a blocker and can be left on the waiver wire. 

Fells asked for his release and the Lions granted it. The veteran saw five targets in seven games with Detroit this season while playing 28.4 percent of the team's snaps. A useful streaming option during his time with Houston, Fells could fall into some targets if he lands with a tight end needy team. 

The move would appear for the moment to leave the Lions with only TJ Hockenson at tight end on the 53, and Detroit beat writers are already speculating that Fells will be back after some other players are moved to IR. For the moment, the veteran blocking tight end who played with the Texans last year is back in the free agency pool. 

Fells was brought into Detroit on a visit just before Josh Hill announced his retirement. That left the Lions with a thinner tight end room than expected and Fells is coming off a solid two years in Houston. He posted a 55-653-11 line during his tenure with the Texans, serving as both a red zone weapon and a blocker. He'll likely slot in as the backup to T.J. Hockenson and could see the field in 2TE sets.