As teams prepare to adjust to COVID-19 protocols, there are still several questions facing the NFL and NFLPA before teams open training camps at the end of the month. Will there be preseason games? How long will camps last? While agreed upon player safety protocols and a possible practice squad expansion also remain undecided.
One move that appears likely to happen ahead of July 28th is the reduction of roster sizes from its current maximum of 90 players down to a reported 75 or 80-players.
On the surface, it may seem pretty straight forward to just release the bottom 10-15 players on the roster, but the timing of these cuts make it a bit more complicated.
Teams use training camp to get into shape, work through existing injuries, absorb the playbook, develop team/positional chemistry, evaluate players, look for hidden talents, and many other things. By taking away players from this equation, teams will have to adjust their approach to training camp and in turn, they will have to be selective on where their team can afford to go lighter at a position.
When examining the Detroit Lions 90-man depth chart, general manager Bob Quinn and coach Matt Patricia will have to consider several factors including:
- Is there a position group where they have an excess of players?
- Do they want more youth at one position?
- More veteran leadership at another?
- Are there players who are practice squad eligible that they may want to keep around for long-term development?
- Keeping balanced groups on each side of the ball for one-on-one training sessions
At quarterback, the Lions only have three players — Matthew Stafford, Chase Daniel, and David Blough — and it would be shocking to see them move on from any of them at this point, but the offensive skill players will surely take some hits.
With six running backs, two fullbacks, 12 wide receivers, and five tight ends, the Lions could lose three of four players from these skill groups. Do they need two fullbacks? How about a fifth tight end? The wide receiver group would surely see losses but with the amount of running they do in training camp, they can’t afford to lose too many or they won’t have enough bodies to run routes if they are all gassed.
The offensive and defensive lines will also likely see two to three losses on each side of the ball, which will impede the Lions’ ability to roll through three lines — as they typically do this time of year.
The Lions currently have 13 linebackers — 11 off-the-ball and two JACK linebackers — for two main reasons. First, they are trying to shore up a previously weak position group by adding multiple players and looking for standouts. And secondly, because this is where teams are typically finding players who can excel on special teams under the recent rule changes.
Based purely on numbers alone, the Lions can afford to lose two to three players from the linebacker group, but it will surely impact their ability to train on special teams.
Corners may be the most important position group on defense, and with the Lions having nine on the current roster, can they lose any of them? They have eight safeties, but with three of them being undrafted rookies, this seems like a more vulnerable group.
Again, special teams come into play here and the defensive backs with the least amount of experience could be on the chopping block, which is a shame. We may not get the chance to find out if there another C.J. Moore-type in this group.
On the kicking team the Lions have a punting battle brewing between Jack Fox and Aaron Siposs, which means the Lions are likely to keep both, but can they also afford to keep two long snappers where there is less of a battle?
In my latest Roster Stack: Summer edition, I identified 21 players in the final “have work to do” group, and while the cuts will likely come from this group, it’s worth noting that occasionally there are players who rise up out of this group during training camp — hello, Kevin Strong –, but unfortunately this year they may not get that chance.