Hakeem Valles: Detroit Lions promote tight end to active roster

Dec. 26 (UPI) -- The Detroit Lions have added practice squad tight end Hakeem Valles to their active roster.

Detroit also signed tight end Brandon Barnes to the practice squad and placed guard Don Barclay on injured reserve. The Lions announced the moves on Tuesday.

Barclay landed on injured reserve with a concussion. Barnes joined the Lions in 2017 as an undrafted free agent out of Alabama State. He also spent some of the 2017 preseason with the New York Jets.

Valles, 25, was on the Arizona Cardinals' practice squad last year and joined the Lions' practice unit in early September. The 6-foot-5, 260-pound pass catcher started one game and appeared in 11 contests last season for the Cardinals. He did not record a catch.

Valles had two catches for 12 yards this preseason. He had one catch for 24 yards during the 2016 preseason. The Monmouth product had 40 catches for 491 yards and three scores during his college career.

Arizona has Troy Niklas, Jermaine Gresham, Ricky Seals-Jones and Gabe Holmes on its depth chart at tight end. Niklas missed the Cardinals' Week 16 contest due to an ankle injury. Gresham missed Arizona's Week 15 game due to an illness.

Detroit hosts the Green Bay Packers at 1 p.m. Sunday in an NFC North bout at Ford Field.