The initial 53-man roster for the Detroit Lions only had two running backs on it. That lack of depth didn’t last long, as the team has re-signed RB Craig Reynolds to the active roster.
Reynolds was released on Tuesday at the roster cutdown deadline. The veteran reserve was not subject to waiver wire claims, which made him a good candidate to cut and then safely bring back once the waiver claims around the league were processed. This is a procedural maneuver that NFL teams are increasingly utilizing.
The corresponding move for signing Reynolds is another that was a calculated one by the Lions. Detroit placed EDGE Julian Okwara on injured reserve. Okwara left the preseason finale with an injury and did not return. He will miss at least the first four weeks.
Had the Lions placed Okwara on I.R. prior to the roster cutdown, he would have been out for the entire season. By doing this now, the fourth-year LB is eligible to be activated from I.R. after Week 4.