Lions Aren’t Done: 2 Practice Squad Spots Remain
· Yahoo Sports
The Detroit Lions have officially narrowed their roster down to 53 players after every NFL team was required to make its final cuts by 6 p.m. Sunday, August 30.
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Detroit was one of the last teams to make its 53-man roster public, with leaks slowly revealing which players had made the team and which had been released. Now that the roster is officially set, the Lions can turn their attention toward completing their practice squad.
Lions Add 14 Players to Practice Squad
Detroit has currently filled 14 of the 16 available spots on its practice squad. Luke Altmyer, Joe Bachie, Aamaris Brown, Devin Cochran, Thomas Gordon, Lucky Jackson, Mason Miller, Amen Ogbongbemiga, Chris Smith, Ben Stille, Tyre West, Nick Whiteside, Anthony Lucas and Tom Kennedy have all returned to the organization.
The biggest name missing from that group is wide receiver Greg Dortch, who ultimately signed with the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad.
The Lions still have two spots available, and I would expect at least one of them to go to another wide receiver. Detroit opted to keep only four wide receivers on its 53-man roster, while currently having just two receivers, Lucky Jackson and Tom Kennedy, on the practice squad.
Offensive lineman Michael Niese also reverted to the Lions’ injured reserve list after being waived with an injury designation Sunday.
Could Mecole Hardman Be an Option?
One player worth keeping an eye on is wide receiver and return specialist Mecole Hardman, who has a previous connection with Lions passing-game coordinator Mike Kafka from their time together with the Kansas City Chiefs, which could make Detroit an interesting potential landing spot if the Lions are looking for another option in the return game.
That position remains somewhat uncertain heading into the regular season. The Lions still need to determine who will handle kickoff and punt-return duties, with much of the speculation currently surrounding running back Jacob Saylors.
Several Familiar Names Remain Available
There are also several notable players from Detroit’s 90-man roster who have yet to land on another team’s practice squad, including wide receiver Dominic Lovett, tight end Tyler Conklin and linebacker Erick Hunter.
Conklin was initially expected by many fans and members of the media to serve as Detroit’s No. 3 tight end, while Lovett made the Lions’ active roster last season.
With two practice-squad spots still available, I wouldn’t be surprised if Detroit brought back two of these three players.
Lions Turn Their Attention to Week 1
With the regular season beginning in less than two weeks, the Lions can now shift their focus toward the New Orleans Saints, who will travel to Ford Field for Detroit’s season opener.