The Detroit Lions waived wide receiver Tom Kennedy on Thursday, and re-signed defensive back Morice Norris to the practice squad after waiving him earlier in the week. Detroit opens a spot on the active roster by waiving Kennedy, which could be used to reinstate Kalif Raymond if he’s able to return from injured reserve.

Detroit is also getting linebacker Alex Anzalone back into the mix, ahead of a Week 18 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings.

Anzalone is in the midst of his return-to-play window after a stint on injured reserve, and was a full participant in Thursday’s practice. During the portion of practice open to the media, Anzalone was observed wearing a cast on his injured forearm.

Should Anzalone be deemed ready to play on Sunday, the Lions would welcome his presence. As a veteran who has been reliable and possesses a calm demeanor, the Florida product’s return would be exciting for defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn’s group.

Because of several injuries to the linebacking corps, the group has been targeted in play-action more often as of late. Glenn noted that it was similar to teams testing their secondary before the group fully gelled and had success.

“I think (Lions CB Terrion Arnold) ‘TA’ early on, he was getting targeted a lot, then he started improving, really. So, I don’t think his targets are actually up to where they were early in the season,” Glenn said. “Amik (Robertson)’s always been a dog. He’s always been a guy that’s been really good in coverage, and I just think at some point, they would be like, ‘OK, well, who am I going to go at?’ And then they start going at the tight ends. And, I can just tell you totally, is it a matchup problem or whatnot. I do know that our guys do a good job in the coverage area when it comes to man coverage. We just have to continue to improve on some of the explosive plays and some of the mistakes, as far as switching off on guys and making sure that we don’t have anybody running wide open.”

Dan Campbell said Wednesday that Thursday’s practice would be a big one for Anzalone, as it would allow the staff to observe what he’s able to do within certain drills.

“But, listen, I’m looking forward to getting him back out there,” Glenn said. “I can’t say if he’ll be out there this week. He’s getting himself back acclimated to how we do things in practice, and so hopefully, we’ll get him back really soon.”

Lions’ Week 18 Thursday injury report

David Montgomery — NP (Knee)
Christian Mahogany — NP (Illness)
Emmanuel Moseley — NP (Illness)
Alex Anzalone — FP (Forearm)
Jack Campbell — FP (Rib)
Amik Robertson — FP (Calf)
Kalif Raymond — FP (Foot)