Pride of Detroit
It seems that every single year, the Detroit Lions make a roster cut that initially makes you go, “HUH?” only to realize moments later that the player will almost certainly be returning to the roster at a later point. Teams do this for several reasons. For one, there are ways to utilize roster cuts so that if you have more than 53 players you want to keep, you can manipulate the transaction wire in a way to ensure you don’t lose that 54th or 55th player to another team. Additionally, NFL rules allow you to essentially have extra roster spots via injury lists.
Take, for example, last year’s Lions roster cuts. Detroit cut defensive tackle Kyle Peko in the initial cutdowns; however, they quickly signed him to the practice squad and then added him to the 53-man roster after Week 1. Why? Two reasons. For one, they believed at the time John Cominsky had a chance of returning from his injury, so they didn’t want to place him on season-ending IR prior to cutdowns. So Cominsky had to make the initial 53-man roster, so that they could then place him on IR (to return). Secondly, any veteran who is on a team’s Week 1 roster has their contract fully guaranteed.
In this week’s Midweek Mailbag, we discuss some potential roster gymnastics the Lions may do again this year, because there are some players they may not want to subject to waivers. If they want to see Hendon Hooker’s development through, but don’t trust him to start over Kyle Allen, keeping three quarterbacks is possible. Or maybe they don’t want to risk losing one of their strong undrafted rookies who are fighting uphill roster battles like Jackson Meeks or Keith Cooper. What options could the Lions have to make sure they never hit the waiver wire?
One common option is to identify veteran depth on the team and anticipate a Peko-like temporary cut. That’s because players with at least three years of experience are not subject to the waiver wires. In essence, the Lions cut a veteran, tell them they fully intend on re-signing them after moving around some parts, and come to an unofficial agreement to return.
Another option is to delay the return of some players on injury lists. As of right now, the Lions still have six players they anticipate eventually returning who are on pre-training camp injury lists: Josh Paschal (NFI), Khalil Dorsey (PUP), Miles Frazier (PUP), Alim McNeill (PUP), Malcolm Rodriguez (PUP), and Mekhi Wingo (PUP). Is it possible one of those players could be ready to return to practice by the start of the season, but Detroit opts to keep them on their respective lists—essentially forfeiting their ability to play or practice for a minimum of four games?
Erik and I discuss all of those possibilities as they relate to creating a 53-man roster ahead of the 2025 season. Here are other topics we discuss on the show:
