In just a few days, all 32 NFL teams have to make one of the toughest decisions of their seasons: trimming their roster from 90 players down to 53.
For the Lions, they seem almost set with who will make the initial 53-man roster — changes can and will always be made via the waiver wire. Speaking to the media Tuesday, Lions head coach Dan Campbell said he and general manager Brad Holmes spoke, as well with coaches and personnel, and believe there are about five or six remaining open spots on the 53.
“Yeah, Brad and I were talking yesterday, we had another evaluation with the coaches, personnel department,” Campbell said. “Probably, he and I – probably five, six, somewhere in there. Five or six give or take.”
Campbell went on to add how some roster spots will be decided based on where players may best fit and how players can just get after it and go for a spot, noting Lions defensive lineman Isaac Ukwu in there.
“Some of it will have – one could have a bearing on another position and vice versa. There’s still – and I told the team this morning, for a number of those guys that there is still open spots here, so if you want it go get it. I just bring up a guy like Ukwu, man. When he got in here in the spring, he was last on the depth chart, it was, ‘Well where can this guy play? He’s not the biggest guy, he’s not really a SAM, is he a defensive end?’ And he’s just steadily gotten better, and better, and better, and he plays much bigger than he is. He plays longer than his length says. Every time we give him an
opportunity, he just shows up. He’s just an example of some guys that we’ve got our eyes on. So, there’s still some spots available here.”
The Lions have one more preseason game Saturday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Then, the focus is on making those cuts by Tuesday afternoon and then scouting the waiver wire for any additional help as well as filling out their 16-man practice squad. Those final few spots will likely be the hardest to fill. Then it’s about how they churn those final spots in the days after.