Tag: Detroit Lions roster moves

Lions release WR Breshad Perriman

Lions release WR Breshad Perriman after a disappointing training camp and preseason

The roster cutdown process is just starting around the league after the final weekend of preseason, but the Detroit Lions have made one of the more eye-opening early moves. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Lions have cut veteran wide receiver Breshad Perriman.

Perriman signed this offseason and was generally projected as a starter in the Lions’ completely overhauled receiving corps. However, the former first-round pick struggled with drops and running precise routes throughout camp and the preseason. He also missed some time with injury. Perriman had two bad drops in the preseason finale that did not help his case.

The Lions will eat $2 million in dead cap room after releasing Perriman, who is the son of former Lions wideout Brett Perriman.

Detroit Lions roster cutdown tracker

Continuous tracking of the Detroit Lions roster moves to get to the 53-man roster limit by 4 p.m. on August 31st

The Detroit Lions have until Tuesday, August 31st to reduce the active roster down to 53 players. General manager Brad Holmes and his crew don’t necessarily have to wait until that 4 p.m. Tuesday deadline to make the moves, however.

Here’s a continuously updated tracker of all the roster subtractions to get down to the 53-man limit.

 

Pos Player
WR Breshad Perriman

From 85 to 80

After the preseason loss in Pittsburgh, the Lions severed ties with five more players:

WR Darius Jennings, who was released.

The other four players were waived:

DT P.J. Johnson
RB Javon Leake
LB Robert McCray
QB Jordan Ta’amu

 

The first wave of cutdowns

To get from 90 down to 85, the Lions made the following moves:

  • LS Don Muhlbach
  • DL Michael Barnett
  • CB Alex Brown 
  • TE Charlie Taumoepeau waived with a non-football injury
  • LB Shaun Dion Hamilton placed on I.R.
  • WR Chad Hansen waived with an injury settlement

 

Lions make 5 roster moves to get to the 80-man limit

The Lions waived QB Jordan Ta’amu among the five players cut on Monday

The Detroit Lions made a series of roster moves on Monday to get to the 80-man roster limit.

The team released wide receiver Darius Jennings and waived four other players:

  • DT P.J. Johnson
  • RB Javon Leake
  • LB Robert McCray
  • QB Jordan Ta’amu

Jennings earns a different designation as a vested veteran and is not subject to waiver claims. All the other players are now eligible to be claimed by another team.

The players who were cut are not a surprise, though McCray was generally expected to last through to the next wave. McCray was the only player who began training camp with the Lions and had some good reps in the preseason games.

Detroit has until next Tuesday to cut down to the 53-man limit. The Lions play their third and final preseason game Friday night at home against the Indianapolis Colts.

Lions activate Nick Williams from reserve/COVID-19 list

Williams was impressive in first-team reps prior to going on the COVID-19 list

The defensive line room in Detroit just got a little more crowded. Veteran tackle Nick Williams has been activated by the team from the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Williams has been on the list since testing positive for COVID-19 almost two weeks ago. He had been regularly receiving first-team reps in training camp prior to the trip to the reserve list. With rookie Levi Onwuzurike, who primarily plays the same position, back in practice as well, it should provide a deeper glimpse at the coach’s take on the depth chart.

To make room for Williams rejoining the active roster, the Lions waived tight end Hunter Thedford. The addition of Rashod Berry as a potential blocking TE candidate and special teamer spelled the end of the Lions line for Thedford. Berry was an EDGE for the Patriots but he played both OLB and TE at Ohio State in college and was listed on the NFL’s official transaction wire as a tight end.

Lions sign QB Jordan Ta’amu with Tim Boyle sidelined

Ta’amu was briefly with the Lions practice squad late last season

There is a new quarterback in the mix with the Detroit Lions. Shortly after the roster cutdown deadline on Tuesday, the Lions added QB Jordan Ta’amu to the active roster.

Ta’amu is best known for his successful stint in the now-defunct XFL, but he’s been in Detroit before. The Ole Miss product was briefly with the Lions practice squad last December. He has also spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans since being an undrafted free agent following the 2019 NFL draft.

The Lions needed Ta’amu due to the ankle injury suffered by backup QB Tim Boyle in Friday night’s preseason opener. Boyle has been seen this week with his ankle in a heavy brace and he has not participated in practices.

Ta’amu will wear No. 8 in Detroit.

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Lions cut longtime long snapper Don Muhlbach

The Detroit Lions are releasing long snapper Don Muhlbach, who has been with the team since 2004

The Detroit Lions are releasing the longest-tenured member of the Detroit Lions. In a surprising move, head coach Dan Campbell announced prior to Tuesday night’s practice that the team is releasing long snapper Don Muhlbach.

“We’re going to let Don Muhlbach go,” Campbell said at the start of his press conference. “It will be official tomorrow.”

Muhlbach has been with the Lions since the 2004 season. He was a teammate of Campbell’s over a decade ago and has played in 260 career games, all with Detroit. He ranks 37th all-time in NFL games played.

“I hate it, man,” a somber Campbell said. “This is the hardest time, especially with a player like him.”

The release comes on Muhlbach’s 40th birthday. It means Scott Daly has won the long snapping battle, at least temporarily.

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2021 Lions roster cuts: Shaun Dion Hamilton to I.R. among injury-related moves

Shaun Dion Hamilton had a good chance to make the team

The Lions finished their series of moves to get to the 85-man roster deadline on Tuesday.

The most notable of the moves is linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton, who was placed on the injured reserve list. Hamilton consistently performed well all summer and was considered likely to make the 53-man roster by most analysts. Because he’s been placed on injured reserve prior to the final roster cuts, Hamilton is now out for the year.

Wide receiver Chad Hansen was waived with an injury settlement, while defensive lineman Michael Barnett was waived. Barnett was just added to the team last week.

These cuts follow some injury-related moves from Detroit on Monday that lowered the roster to 87.

On Monday, the Lions placed offensive lineman Evan Boehm on injured reserve and waived tight end Charlie Taumoepeau with a non-football injury designation. Taumoepeau was injured in a car accident where cornerback Alex Brown faces charges as the driver. Brown was released on Sunday after the incident.

Lions make a series of injury-related roster moves

The Lions still have a couple more moves to make to get to the 85-man limit by Tuesday

With roster cuts due on Tuesday, the Detroit Lions made a series of moves that help get the team closer to the 85-person limit. Two Lions players were removed from the active roster on Monday and another previously waived accepted an injury settlement.

All three of the moves are related to injuries. The most notable is reserve offensive lineman Evan Boehm, who has been placed on injured reserve. Boehm injured his knee late in Friday’s preseason opener against the Buffalo Bills. He had been the Lions No. 2 center for much of the last week of training camp.

Tight end Charlie Taumoepeau was waived with a non-football injury designation. Taumoepeau did play in the loss to the Bills and has been a full participant in practices. The exact nature of his injury is unknown at this time.

Running back Michael Warren had already been waived last week with an injury designation. After he went unclaimed on waivers, Warren reverted to the Lions injured reserve. He has now taken an injury settlement and is off the team, free to sign with another NFL squad.

The moves leave the Lions roster at 87, meaning two more players will be gone by tomorrow.

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Lions release CB Quinton Dunbar

Dunbar has not been with the team for over a week while dealing with a personal issue

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The strange, short tenure of Quinton Dunbar on the Detroit Lions has come to an end. The Lions released the veteran cornerback on Thursday.

Dunbar has not been with the team for the last 10 days. Head coach Dan Campbell indicated as recently as Tuesday that Dunbar was dealing with a personal issue and “it’s all good”, but that does not appear to be the case any longer.

The Lions initially signed Dunbar as a free agent and he was expected to compete for a starting spot. He was coming off a disappointing, injury-riddled season in Seattle.

Dunbar faced some legal issues stemming from an arrest warrant on illegal assault with a firearm charges that ended his time with the Washington Football Team following the 2019 season. It is unknown if those are the personal issues Campbell was referencing.

With the vacant roster spot, the Lions added free agent running back Craig Reynolds.

Lions sign RB Javon Leake to help injury-ravaged backfield

Lions sign RB Javon Leake to help injury-ravaged backfield and released Michael Warren with injury designation

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Dealing with several injuries at the running back position and with the preseason opener just two days away, the Detroit Lions added free agent RB Javon Leake to the active roster.

Leake, 22, is in his second NFL season. He spent 2020 as an undrafted rookie with both the New York Giants and Washington Football Team, primarily on the Football Team’s practice squad. Leake played collegiately at Maryland. He also has some kick return ability and that led to Leake’s limited action as a rookie, serving as Washington’s punt returner in one game last season.

To make room for Leake, the Lions waived RB Michael Warren with an injury designation. Warren was one of several Lions runners sidelined, a list that includes starter D’Andre Swift (groin) and rookie seventh-rounder Jermar Jefferson (ankle)