Every general manager and head coach around the NFL hates today. It's roster cut-down day, and Detroit has pared their roster down to an initial 53.
"It would be up there if not some of the hardest decisions that we've had to make," Lions head coach Dan Campbell said of roster cuts last week. "A lot of competition, a lot of good players. And we're going to have to let go of some guys that are going to be able to go to other rosters and make some waves. That could happen. That's real and that's hard to do."
It's important to note this is an initial roster because more moves could be on the horizon throughout the week as players become available around the league. The Lions hold the 17th waiver priority this season, a significant jump from 28th last year.
Detroit can begin building their 16-man practice squad starting Monday.
As a reminder, players who started camp on the non-football injury or physically unable to perform list may remain there without counting against the 53-man total.
The league also allows two injured players to be placed on injured reserve with a designation to return. Those two players miss at least the first four regular-season games, but they won't count against the 53.
Following is my breakdown of the initial roster:
QUARTERBACKS (2)
On the roster: Jared Goff, Josh Dobbs
Missing cut: Luke Altmyer
Reserve/Retired: Teddy Bridgewater
Twentyman: Credit Altmyer for making the backup competition much closer than most predicted when Dobbs signed after Bridgewater's retirement. Altmyer sees the field well and plays with a lot of confidence, but Dobbs' experience and familiarity with offensive coordinator Drew Petzing ultimately won out. Dobbs sealed the deal with his performance in the final preseason game in Indianapolis. Altmyer could be a candidate for the practice squad if he clears waivers.
RUNNING BACK (5)
On the roster: Jahmyr Gibbs, Isiah Pacheco, Sione Vaki, Jacob Saylors, Jabari Small
Missing cut: Trayveon Williams, Roydell Williams
Twentyman: Campbell said after the second preseason game against Washington he was expecting the decision for final spots to be 'very interesting.' Saylors runs hard and has earned the trust of the coaching staff not only with his play on offense but also his play on special teams. He led the preseason in total scrimmage yards. He could be in the mix to return kicks if active on gameday. Small makes it after a good camp as the Lions head into the regular season heavy at the position with the injury uncertainty surrounding Pacheco (knee/back).
TIGHT END (3)
On the roster: Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright, Jackson Meeks
Missing cut: Tyler Conklin, Thomas Gordon, Zach Horton
Twentyman: The Lions opted to go with second-year wide receiver turned tight end Meeks over the veteran Conklin. Meeks' ability to make plays on special teams surely helped his cause. It gives Petzing versatility in how he wants to deploy his tight ends in certain packages and special teams coordinator Dave Fipp gets a playmaker for his unit as well.
WIDE RECEIVER (4)
On the roster: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Isaac TeSlaa, Tay Martin
Missing cut: Greg Dortch, Tom Kennedy, Dominic Lovett, Tarik Black, Malik Cunningham, Lucky Jackson
Reserve/Injured: Kendrick Law
Twentyman: There were probably some tough conversations regarding the initial composition of this room and ultimately the Lions went a little light to begin with just four. Maybe we see an addition to the group before Week 1. Martin earned a spot with his playmaking ability just about every day in camp both on offense and special teams.
OFFENSIVE LINE (9)
On the roster: Penei Sewell, Christian Mahogany, Juice Scruggs, Tate Ratledge, Blake Miller, Larry Borom, Miles Frazier, Ben Bartch, Seth McLaughlin
Missing cut: Devin Cochran, Colby Sorsdal, Mason Miller, Melvin Priestly, Michael Niese (waived/injured), Gus Hartwig
Reserve/Injured: Cade Mays
Reserve/Non-Football Injury: Giovanni Manu
Twentyman: Not a lot of mystery with the nine making it out of camp after the unfortunate wrist injury to Mays that will keep him out for awhile. Frazier's ability to play both guard and tackle gives Detroit some flexibility. Borom starts the year as the likely flex tackle. This is one of the youngest starting offensive lines in the NFL and the Lions will need them to hit the ground running Week 1 as they look to get back to being a top unit in the NFL.
DEFENSIVE LINE (11)
On the roster: Aidan Hutchinson, DJ Wonnum, Derrick Moore, Ahmed Hassanein, Alim McNeill, Tyleik Williams, Tyler Lacy, Skyler Gill-Howard, Levi Onwuzurike, Eric O'Neill, Mekhi Wingo
Missing cut: Chris Smith, Myles Adams, Anthony Lucas, Ben Stille, Tyre West
Reserve/Injured: Payton Turner
Twentyman: I expect a couple of the players missing the cut to end up on the practice squad if they clear waivers. There are some promising youngsters and veterans the Lions trust to put in the lineup on game day, if needed. Sixth-round rookie Gill-Howard made a huge push to earn a roster spot with his play in practice and the preseason. He provides some juice as a pass rusher along the interior and it will be fun to watch his development as he continues getting stronger and fine tunes his technique and hands. Onwuzurike's ability to play along the interior and play the big end ultimately won him a roster spot. O'Neill really turned it on in camp and the preseason as the Lions have a ton of depth and versatility along the edge of their front heading into the season.
LINEBACKER (6)
On the roster: Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, Devin White, Malcolm Rodriguez, Trevor Nowaske, Jimmy Rolder
Missing cut: Joe Bachie, Erick Hunter, Troy Reeder, Amen Ogbongbemiga
Reserve/Injured: Damone Clark
Twentyman: Rolder missed most of training camp with a hamstring injury, but he is trending toward a return this week and avoids the injured list. Minus Rolder, it's a pretty veteran-heavy group led by the All-Pro Campbell. White has been a nice addition, and he and Campbell have looked good next to each other all camp. A couple of these linebackers missing the cut could potentially end up on the practice squad.
DEFENSIVE BACK (10)
On the roster: D.J. Reed, Rock Ya-Sin, Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Keith Abney II, Roger McCreary, Chuck Clark, Avonte Maddox, Christian Izien, Thomas Harper, Khalil Dorsey
Missing cut: Nick Whiteside, Dan Jackson, Aamaris Brown, Bump Cooper Jr., Ekow Boye-Doe, Jason Taylor II, Eric Scott Jr.
Reserve/PUP: Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch
Twentyman: Joseph and Branch starting the season on PUP means we won't see them until Week 5 at Arizona, but remember, Detroit's bye is the following week in case they want to add a couple weeks to the recovery time for both. The Lions kept only eight defensive backs on the initial 53-man roster last season, so they are going into the regular season a little heavy here. Reed and Ya-Sin are expected to be the starting outside corners. Whiteside was likely a tough cut given his versatility and experience. What will the Lions do at the nickel? Has one player won the role? Could they use multiple players depending on matchup and situation?
SPECIAL TEAMS (3)
On the roster: Jake Bates, Jack Fox, Hogan Hatten
Missing cut: None
Twentyman: Nothing to see here. The Lions didn't bring in competition at any of these spots in camp, and all three head into their third season as a unit.
