Here are the five toughest cuts or decisions to project for the Lions final 53-man roster
The Lions held the final significant practices before Tuesday’s roster cutdown deadline this week. With Friday’s preseason finale in Charlotte against the Carolina Panthers the final chance to win or lose roster spots, the team is very close to finalizing the 53-man roster.
[lawrence-related id=94638]
There isn’t a ton of drama over the constitution of most of the roster. However, there are a few final spots up for grabs. They make for very difficult decisions for head coach Dan Campbell, GM Brad Holmes and the Lions braintrust.
Here are the five toughest cuts or decisions to project for the Lions’ final 53-man roster.
Here’s what stood out in watching the Lions preseason loss to the Jaguars in real time
The Detroit Lions depth didn’t give the home fans in Ford Field much to cheer about on Saturday. The visiting Jacksonville Jaguars dominated the action in a 25-7 Detroit loss in the second exhibition game for both teams in the preseason.
With both teams sitting pretty much every starter and even some key reserves, this game was about depth players and the youngsters trying to prove themselves getting reps.
The Jaguars won the first half 12-0 in a stanza dominated by defensive play by both teams. There were just 13 combined first downs in the first half, nine by the Jaguars. The Lions did manage to score on a short TD pass from Nate Sudfeld to rookie WR Chase Cota, but the offensive highlights were few and far between for Detroit.
Here’s what stood out in watching the preseason game in real time.
The Lions starting OTs are fantastic, but the depth behind them is emerging as a real issue in training camp
The Lions have arguably the best starting offensive tackle tandems in the NFL in Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell. After that dynamic duo, the Detroit depth chart at offensive tackle is discouraging.
Head coach Dan Campbell and offensive line coach Hank Fraley are searching for someone, anyone, to step up and seize the No. 3 OT job. Holdover Matt Nelson, veteran newcomer Germain Ifedi and a crew of unproven, undrafted youngsters are all battling to win the job. Through the first weeks of training camp, nobody has won the swing tackle position.
“Well, I would say right now it’s open,” Campbell said before Wednesday’s joint practice with Jacksonville. “It’s open, and those guys knew that coming in here, and I think that Nelson and Ifedi are just going back and forth. I thought Nelson’s had a pretty good camp, but I think Ifedi played pretty good in this game last week, and he’s played a lot in this league.”
On Wednesday, Ifedi was the second-team left tackle and fared relatively well in team drills. Just as he did in the preseason win over the Giants, the veteran Ifedi didn’t lose reps even if he didn’t win many, either. That should give him an advantage over Nelson, who has kicked to right tackle with the second team.
Nelson has shown he can win reps, notably in the run game. He had a couple of those in the joint practice against the Jags. But he also loses reps a lot more frequently than his competition, something we all saw on the very first play of the preseason. Nelson’s slow footwork and poor recovery athleticism have been a problem all summer, and that appears to have given Ifedi the edge in playing the more critical left tackle.
Campbell also brought up second-year tackle Obinna Eze, who has shown some progress in camp.
“Eze’s really come a long way, there again it’s just about the consistency and getting reps and playing. So, I think it’s very much open, it’s open and they’re competing for that spot,” Campbell concluded.
Eze was an undrafted rookie a year ago who didn’t look NFL-ready. This year, the Lions have two such UDFAs in Ryan Swoboda and Connor Galvin. It’s not that Galvin or Swoboda have been egregiously bad while working with the deep reserves, but neither has stood out as someone who looks upwardly mobile on the depth chart in 2023.
Fifth-round rookie Colby Sorsdal, a college tackle at William & Mary, has worked exclusively at guard since training camp ramped up. Recently signed vet Bobby Hart has only lined up at guard since joining the Lions, too. That is not expected to change for Sorsdal — who has shown promise in his positional transition — or Hart. Vet Darrin Paulo works more inside as well, while international program player Max Pircher hasn’t separated himself from the 6-foot-9 Swoboda at the bottom of the depth chart.
Here is the breakdown of Detroit Lions Studs and Duds for their preseason victory over the New York Giants
The Detroit Lions kicked off their football season with a 21-16 preseason win over the New York Giants.
Despite the Giants’ favorable starting field position, it was evident early on that the Lions defense had made significant progress during the offseason. They displayed impressive run defense, quarterback pressure and tight coverage. It’s still early in the season to make any judgments, but it’s reassuring to see the team’s improvement paying off.
As you reflect on the game, keep an eye out for standout players vying for roster spots, as well as those who fell short and may not make the cut. The following are the Lions’ Studs and Duds for this week.
Here are a few things that stood out for the Lions in the preseason opening win vs. the Giants
Football returned to Ford Field on Friday night when the Detroit Lions hosted the New York Giants in the preseason opener for both teams. After two days of spirited joint practices, the two teams took their action to the exhibition field.
The Lions wound up winning the game, 21-16, when rookie QB Adrian Martinez scored a late rushing TD. The game outcome doesn’t matter, it’s the path to the outcome and the play of the Lions players that means everything. Even so, the 48,000-plus fans enjoyed the exhibition victory.
Here are a few things that stood out in watching the game live in the stadium.
Reserve offensive tackle Matt Nelson is back in the Lions den for another season. Days after not tendering him a restricted free agent offer, the team signed Nelson to a free agent contract.
Terms of Nelson’s deal were not immediately available. Due to the timing of not giving the reserve a tender offer, it is expected to be less than what Nelson would have received as an RFA.
Nelson played 70 snaps in 2022 as the Lions’ extra tackle. He also served as the primary backup for Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell in the last two seasons. The 27-year-old figures to have more competition for those roles in 2023 even with the new contract.
Our Russell Brown highlights some later-round OTs that can take over the important No. 3 tackle role in Detroit
This past week, the Detroit Lions had some notable news that they wouldn’t be giving an RFA offer to offensive tackle Matt Nelson. I’d consider that significantly important as the Lions don’t have much for a backup tackle on the roster.
Dan Skipper is set to hit the free agent market and while he could be back, he’s only started in 5 games while playing in a total of 29 games. Aside from Skipper, they’ve got two practice squad tackles with Obinna Eze and Darrin Paulo. While they could surprise us, I still wouldn’t expect much contribution from either player if the Lions were in a pinch. Time will tell with both of those players.
That’s why having a player like Matt Nelson on the roster was nice. He wasn’t overly impressive, but when he spot-started two years ago, there were some flashes. During his 40-game career with the Lions, Nelson started 12 games and played 987 snaps. Meanwhile, he only gave up 3 sacks in his career while playing as an in-line tight end and right tackle.
There’s a chance that the Lions bring back Nelson or Skipper, or they could bring back both players. The next week or so, we’ll find out what the depth chart looks like at offensive tackle for the Lions. If neither player is back, specifically Matt Nelson, the Lions will be in need of another offensive tackle. Let’s take a look at three offensive tackles that the Lions could consider during the 2023 NFL Draft!
Tyler Steen, OT, Alabama
Over the past week or so, I watched the tape of Alabama offensive tackle Tyler Steen and the more I watched, the more I liked. He checked into the Scouting Combine at 6’6″ and 321 pounds with 32 3/4″ arms. An impressive feat for Steen because when I asked around about him, many people thought he’d move inside to guard due to his arm length.
Watched Alabama OT Tyler Steen yesterday and the more I watched, the more I liked his overall game. He's not a perfect prospect and will need some refinement but plenty to like within his game.
That might not be the case after he checked into the Scouting Combine and put up 31 reps in the bench press. But if that’s not enough for you to buy-in, you can go to the tape. In the three games I watched of Steen, you’ll see his ability to anchor and reset his hands consistently against the opposition.
Meanwhile, he’s got the desired foot speed to match speed rushers off the edge or those that try to cross his face with an inside pass rush move. He’s got strong hands and displays the ability to turn and redirect defenders while opening rushing lanes.
Prior to playing at Alabama, Steen was a starting tackle at Vanderbilt. During his 3 years with the Commodores, he had over 1400 snaps at left tackle and almost 800 snaps at right tackle. While he gave up 11 sacks at Vanderbilt, he cleaned up much of his technique at Alabama and only gave up 2 sacks this past season for the Crimson Tide (per PFF).
On my board, Steen ended up with a solid third-round grade, but he could very well be available during the early portion of Day 3 of the 2023 NFL draft. Whether it’s the 3rd or 4th round, the Lions should pounce on the opportunity of selecting Tyler Steen out of Alabama. He’d provide guard and tackle flexibility for Detroit, which the Lions will desperately need moving forward.
RichardGouraige, OT, Florida
Per editor Jeff Risdon’s request, I’ve got to talk about Richard Gouraige from Florida. And I’m glad I get to do that because Gouraige was someone that I wasn’t going to watch until closer to the draft but he had some impressive flashes on tape.
Measuring at the Combine at 6’5″ and 306 pounds with 34″ arms, Gouraige checked off a lot of boxes. Another one of those players that got labeled as a potential player to move inside to guard, he might end up finding a spot at tackle for a team. While he didn’t do any of the drills at the Combine, his frame is intriguing, and it stands out with his strong lower half.
When putting on the tape, Gouraige plays under control and shows the consistent ability to reset his hands. He’s got strong hands and is able to steer defenders away from quarterbacks and running backs while also being able to maul them into the ground. Meanwhile, he utilizes his length by locking out defenders and preventing them from even sniffing around the pocket. Now, there are times that he’s slow out of the gate and his foot speed will get tested against faster pass rushers or a blitz off the edge.
At around 9:20 pm, one player wandered onto an empty Lucas Oil field
Per PFF, he played over 2600 career snaps with over 1500 of those snaps coming at left tackle and the rest coming at left guard. The more impressive stat for Gouraige is that he’s only given up four sacks in his career.
It’s worth noting that I do know of the Lions staff and scouting staff to be at Florida Gator games at least five times this year. Maybe they were there for a defensive player, quarterback Anthony Richardson or right guard O’Cyrus Torrence. But there could also be a chance that they were down there to get their eyes on Richard Gouraige. It’ll be interesting to see how it all shakes out but Lions fans need to keep tabs on Gouraige during the third day of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Carter Warren, OT, Pittsburgh
It’s somewhat shocking that when people talk about finding a swing tackle in the middle rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft, they don’t talk more about Carter Warren. Maybe it’s because he’s coming off an injury but I think this prospect deserves more buzz. While his tape doesn’t scream elite, it’s still very good.
Warren checked into the Scouting Combine at 6’5″ and 311 pounds with 35 3/8″ arms. Maybe we’d be talking about him more if he would have worked out at the Combine but unfortunately, he’s saving that for his Pro Day. We do know that Warren is a long-armed offensive tackle that plays light on his feet.
For the 2023 NFL Draft, my favorite mid-round OT is Carter Warren from Pittsburgh. He was only limited to four games this past year due to a season ending injury but he'll participate at the Scouting Combine and I'm intrigued with how he'll test. Listed at 6-5 and 325, this is a… https://t.co/YI26BX8EOYpic.twitter.com/ac8Rn92vna
While he does have quick feet and great length, Warren does have a thinner lower half and doesn’t always keep his base as wide as he should. This does allow him to get knocked around or to play off-balance. But he does a good job of working his hands and is able to transfer his weight consistently from his post-foot to his set foot.
Much of this has transitioned to success during his four-year career for Pittsburgh. Per PFF, he’s played over 2100 career snaps at left tackle and has only given up six sacks in his career. Looking at his athletic frame and length, Warren screams to be a mid-round prospect. There’s a good chance he becomes a swing tackle for an NFL team, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he carved out some type of starting role for a team.
Report: The Lions will not give a restricted free agency tender offer No. 3 OT Matt Nelson, making him an unrestricted free agent
It looks like the Lions needs on the offensive line will be a little bigger. Per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com, the Lions will not issue a contract tender offer to No. 3 tackle Matt Nelson.
Nelson is a restricted free agent, but the team would need to extend the fourth-year swing tackle a tender offer to lock in his contractual rights. If the Lions don’t offer Nelson the required tender, which would lock him in for a contract just over $2.5 million, he will become an unrestricted free agent beginning next Wednesday and free to sign with any team.
Nelson has been used almost exclusively as an extra tackle in the last three seasons. He lost some of those reps to Dan Skipper during the 2022 campaign. Skipper is an unrestricted free agent. When pressed into duty as the right tackle early in 2021, Nelson struggled.
Nelson could return to Detroit, though that seems unlikely given his lack of developmental progress. A defensive end at Iowa in college, the transition to offensive tackle appears to have stalled out beyond using him as a de facto blocking tight end.
Next Gen Stats highlighted where some Lions thrived and others struggled in the Week 12 loss to the Bills
There was a lot of really good play from the Detroit Lions offense in the Thanksgiving Day loss to the Buffalo Bills. And there was also some not-so-good, unfortunately.
The data analysts at NFL Next Gen Stats nicely broke down where the Lions offense and specific players thrived against the Bills. There is also some pretty harsh statistical indictment of where a couple of players fizzled in the loss. It’s always interesting to see the on-field metrics and data and how it impacts the outcome, and Next Gen Stats does that very well here.
Here are a few examples from Next Gen Stats and their weekly newsletter of where some Lions shined and others struggled in the Week 12 matchup against the Bills.
Josh Reynolds will miss the game against the Bears, with one other Lions player doubtful and four questionable
The final injury report for the Detroit Lions in Week 10 ruled out just one player for Sunday’s matchup with the Chicago Bears.
Wide receiver Josh Reynolds was ruled out with his back injury. Reynolds also missed Week 9 and has not practiced since Week 8.
One other Lions player is listed as doubtful. Reserve offensive tackle Matt Nelson earned that status with his ongoing calf injury. Nelson did not play in Week 9 either, and the doubtful status tends to mean Nelson won’t play.
Four Lions are questionable after being limited in practice during the week.
S Kerby Joseph (concussion)
CB Chase Lucas (ankle)
S Ifeatu Melifonwu (ankle)
LB Malcolm Rodriguez (elbow)
Joseph is on track to clear the concussion protocol and play vs. the Bears.
