The first incarnation of the Detroit Lions’ 53-man roster is now set. Over 20 players were cut in the last two days to whittle down the roster to 53 players.
The Lions are not done making moves yet. Expect the team to follow the words of head coach Dan Campbell earlier this week and bring in some players who were waived or released by other teams. But for now, the 53-man roster stands.
Here are a few takeaways from the initial 53.
UDFA success stories
(AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski)
Three players who made the cut in the secondary, Jerry Jacobs, A.J. Parker and Bobby Price, are undrafted free agents. Price spent his rookie campaign in 2020 on the Lions practice squad, and the developmental time paid off. The coaching staff moved Price from safety to outside cornerback midway through training camp. It allowed Price to better utilize his length and speed in coverage. Aside from the work at corner, Price proved exceptional on special teams in the preseason. He is effectively taking over Mike Ford’s old role on the team. Jacobs is a rookie who began at outside corner but cross-trained at safety late in camp. He’s bounced around several college programs and wasn’t expected to make much of an impact, but his physicality, attitude and relentless work on his technique paid off. Parker is an amazing success story. Signed with no fanfare out of Kansas State after the draft, the rookie quickly played his way up the depth chart to earn the starting slot CB role. He was Detroit’s most consistent defensive player in the preseason across the three games. Of course, rolling with three players who have never played in a regular-season game and went undrafted is fraught with some serious peril. The Lions seem prepared to deal with the learning lumps of Parker, Price and Jacobs in 2021.
No country for old men
(AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
Of the initial 53, only four players are aged 30 or older:
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TE Darren Fells, 35
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LB Jamie Collins, 31
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DT Nick Williams, 31
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DE Michael Brockers, 30
Only Williams and Collins played for the Lions in 2020. The new regime has emphasized bringing in younger players to fill holes instead of stop-gap veterans at the end of their careers.
No kickers
The Lions do not have a kicker on the roster right now. The team released both Randy Bullock and Zane Gonzalez in the final cutdowns. It’s a bold move but not a terribly surprising one. Neither Bullock nor Gonzalez did much to prove they can be even the short-term solution to filling Matt Prater’s shoes. Bullock had his moments in camp and did not miss a kick in the preseason but was also quite inconsistent on accuracy and did not fare well on kickoffs in practices. The team will indeed sign a kicker. Stay tuned…
Dan Campbell wasn’t lying to us
(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Dan Campbell stood in front of the media after the team’s preseason loss in Pittsburgh and said the following, “There’s some guys who are growing, who are getting better. And there were some guys that maybe were counted out that have a chance of now making this team. And then there’s some ones that maybe everyone thought was going to make it and they’re not going to make it.” He was not kidding. It started with WR Breshad Perriman and CB Mike Ford being dumped on Monday. Tuesday saw three other players who were almost universally expected to be on the Lions less than a month ago sent packing: CBs Corn Elder and Nickell Robey-Coleman and LB Jahlani Tavai. None of those players produced enough in training camp or preseason to make the cut. Campbell did not let their paychecks or past status with the team interference with his decision to make the cuts. Good.
Only two tight ends
When I did my roster prediction piece after the final preseason game, I thought it was somewhat radical that I wound up with just two tight ends on the 53. It turns out the Lions agreed with me (and others who projected the same). Both Alize Mack and Brock Wright were waived on Tuesday, leaving just T.J. Hockenson and Darren Fells on the roster. They will absolutely add another TE in the coming day, but for now, the tight end room features unusual vacancy.
Help wanted: WR and OL
Aside from the glaring roster gaps at kicker and No. 3 tight end, the Lions sure look awful thin and underwhelming at two particular position groups: the offensive line and wide receivers. On the OL, it’s about depth. The starting five has the potential to be one of the best in the NFL, but the depth is Logan Stenberg, Matt Nelson and Evan Brown. That’s only eight at a spot where most teams keep nine and more than a few teams roll with 10. Brown and Nelson didn’t exactly impress during the preseason, either. The team is also perilously thin on proven talent at wide receiver. There are five on the roster: Tyrell Williams, Kalif Raymond, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Quintez Cephus and Tom Kennedy. Only Cephus has ever caught a regular-season pass for the Lions. Kennedy is a feel-good story in making the 53 and St. Brown has been impressive all summer, but this is handily the least-impressive (on paper!) receiving corps in the NFL.
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