Establishing the 53: Answering the mailbag, Part 1

Answering the reader’s mailbag questions after Erik Schlitt’s Establishing the 53 series of articles at Lions Wire.

After the conclusion of my “Establishing the 53” series of articles, I posed a question to the #OnePride fan base on Twitter asking for any mailbag questions surrounding my conclusions.

Let’s take a closer look at some of those questions in Part 1 of our mailbag.

Jamal Agnew

I received several questions surrounding my inclusion of Jamal Agnew on my 53-man roster projection, mostly centered around the following concerns:

  • kick returner value in the NFL is diminishing due to new rules
  • he will be challenged by fifth-round rookie Jason Huntley
  • he has been inconsistent as a punt returner and nickel corner
  • C.J. Moore, who was left off the projection, could have more roster value as a starting gunner and safety depth

All four of these concerns have merit, and it’s possible one (or more) of these reasons is why the Lions are moving Agnew to wide receiver.

With the news of this position switch, and how I believe the Lions will use Agnew on offense, I adjusted my 53-man projection by removing gadget tight end Hunter Bryant and adding Moore to defense/special teams.

As the only player in the NFL to have four kicks/punts returned for touchdowns in the last three seasons, I still believe Agnew has the inside track for return duties, giving him an edge to make the 53 — and if he can also provide some gadget work on offense, all the better.

Beau Benzschawel

Another player who I received multiple questions on was second-year offensive lineman Beau Benzschawel, but unlike Agnew, questions concerning Benzschawel ranged from should he make the roster to could he win a starting role?

I have Benzschawel making the 53 as a reserve right now based on the fact that the Lions kept him on the active roster all of last season despite not playing him and the things I’ve heard about his progress in practices. If the Lions keep nine offensive linemen, I firmly believe Benzschawel makes the team, but if the Lions only keep eight (because of new roster rules being put in place this year) his spot may be in jeopardy.

When do (the rosters) go to 55 players? — @MMoneynva

With a new CBA in place this season, there are a few rules changes for rosters — the most notable being a roster expansion.

While teams can have up to 55 players on their active rosters in any given week, there are some caveats that go along with it.

First, there will only be 53 everyday players on the active roster, but teams can promote up to two players from the practice squad each week to increase the roster up to 55. That additional one/two players can only be promoted for the week and after the week’s conclusion (after the game), the player(s) will revert back to the practice squad.

Second, a player can only be promoted from the practice squad to the active roster twice in a season before they become susceptible to waivers. Meaning if a player is promoted a third time, they will have to clear league waivers at the end of the week before the team can re-sign them in any capacity.

Third, in order for a team to be eligible to promote any player, they must carry a minimum of eight offensive linemen on their active roster.

Most teams only keep seven offensive linemen active on game days, yet keep nine to ten on the active roster for injury insurance and/or development. With the implementation of the new promotion rule, some teams may decide to keep less offensive linemen on the active roster as they can promote from within if there is an injury.

Benzschawel is an example of a player who was kept as injury insurance/development in 2019 but could find himself on the practice squad in 2020 if he keeps the same role and the Lions need another spot on the roster.

The third addendum above — carrying eight offensive linemen — allows teams the flexibility to stash a role player like Benzschawel but also keeps them from taking advantage and placing all reserve offensive linemen on the practice squad.