After the Detroit Lions cut their roster to 53 players, here are the three biggest takeaways.
The Detroit Lions made their moves to get down to 53 players on Tuesday afternoon, with tougher decisions than one year ago with more talent in place. One change has already been made, with the signing of quarterback Nate Sudfeld and the waiving of David Blough on Wednesday morning.
Things could change as waiver claims get processed, and other teams make moves. But it’s safe to say most of the Lions’ active roster heading into Week 1 will be as it is right now–pending the move to swap Sudfeld in for Blough.
But with that, there are still some questions. Here are three of the biggest takeaways from the Lions initial 53-man roster.
3 biggest takeaways from Detroit Lions initial 53-man roster
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3. Running back cuts
The Lions only keeping four running backs on the 53-man wasn’t necessarily a shocker, though there was a case to be made for five to make it with three as locks (D’Andre Swift, Jamaal Williams, Craig Reynolds). It’s that Jermar Jefferson made it, and both Godwin Igwebuike and Justin Jackson didn’t.
No one who saw preseason game action or was on the ground at Allen Park observing training camp practices thinks Jefferson was anything but the Lions’ least-effective running back. That he was a draft pick of this regime last year and didn’t get a lot chances as a rookie appears to have tipped the scales in his favor, as flimsy a logic as that is.
Per Jeff Risdon of Lions Wire, there appears to be an expectation Jackson is back in Detroit. That said, it’s hard to envision other teams not making effort to snap up the former Charger.