Tag: Trevor Nowaske

Trevor Nowaske claimed off waivers by the Cardinals

The Lions hoped Nowaske wouldn’t get claimed but the Cardinals were one of several teams that placed a waiver claim

The Lions knew they were risking a personnel loss when they waived linebacker Trevor Nowaske on Thursday. That unfortunate possibility became a reality when the Arizona Cardinals claimed the undrafted rookie from the waiver wire.

Nowaske will be on the Cardinals’ 53-man roster for the remainder of the season, and Arizona controls his rights beyond the 2023 campaign. The Detroit-area native was a feel-good story, earning a spot on the Lions as an undrafted rookie from Saginaw Valley State. The Lions added him to the active roster earlier in the season when another team attempted to poach him off the practice squad.

He played extensively on special teams in the last two games but did not appear on defense.

Cornerback Chase Lucas cleared waivers and is expected back on the Lions practice squad.

Lions activate FB Jason Cabinda, waive two defenders

Lions activate FB Jason Cabinda from I.R. and waive two defenders ahead of Week 17

Jason Cabinda is back on the Detroit Lion’s active roster. The team formally activated the veteran fullback from injured reserve on Thursday.

Cabinda has not played since getting injured in Week 3. He was designated to return from I.R. last week and will play against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night. Fellow I.R. returnee designation C.J. Gardner-Johnson remains out for another week.

To make room for Cabinda, the Lions waived two young defensive players. Cornerback Chase Lucas and rookie linebacker Trevor Nowaske were each waived and are subject to waiver claims. If they clear waivers, the Lions can add them back to the practice squad.

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The second opening figures to go to kicker Michael Badgley, who is still on the practice squad. Badgley has already utilized two of his maximum three roster elevations, and the team has not worked out any kickers since making Badgley the starter in Week 15. The Lions will announce the practice squad elevations for the week prior to Saturday night’s game in Dallas.

Candidates for the Lions to cut to make room for players returning from injuries

When CJGJ, Alim McNeill, James Houston and others (potentially) return, the Lions will have to make some cuts to free up roster space and these players are the most vulnerable.

There are a few players who are poised to come back to the Detroit Lions in the coming couple of weeks after missing time with injuries.

It will be a real boost for the Lions to potentially get back players like Alim McNeill, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Jason Cabinda and James Houston. The process already started with the activation of rookie QB Hendon Hooker from the non-football injury list on Tuesday.

With the returns, it means some players currently on the active 53-man roster will need to be cut to make room. Kicker Riley Patterson was the first victim, as he was waived for Hooker to get activated. Michael Badgley is the new kicker, though he remains (for now) on the practice squad. That’s another roster spot that will eventually need to be freed up, too.

Who are the unfortunate likely candidates to be waived when guys like McNeill and Gardner-Johnson return? Remember–all players are subject to waivers from now through the end of the season, so there has to be some strategy involved here.

Lions inactives for Week 12 vs. Packers: Healthy scratches provide roster clues

With Jonah Jackson the only player out, the Lions made several healthy scratches

The Thanksgiving game in Ford Field features a Lions team that enters the Week 12 contest with just one player ruled out for an injury. In fact, left guard Jonah Jackson (wrist) was the only Detroit player with any injury designation at all.

That means the weekly inactive list is full of healthy scratches. And healthy scratches mean we get a glimpse of the pecking order of the bottom of the Lions roster.

We got an early idea when the Lions elevated DT Quinton Bohanna and OL Michael Schofield from the practice squad. After adding them into the mix, the Lions made the following players inactive:

LG Jonah Jackson (injured)
OLB Julian Okwara
DT Isaiah Buggs
DT Brodric Martin
WR Antoine Green
CB Steven Gilmore
LB Trevor Nowaske

The notable players here are the veterans, Buggs and Okwara. Being inactive while healthy is an indication that they are at the bottom of the depth chart at their positions. With both of them pending free agents, it could very well be seen as a sign that neither is long for Detroit.

Why the Lions signed LB Trevor Nowaske from the practice squad

Nowaske is the seventh LB on the active 53-man roster after being signed during the bye week

The Detroit Lions raised some eyebrows when they signed rookie linebacker Trevor Nowaske from the practice squad to the active roster during the heart of the team’s bye week. With no players in the building and six linebackers already on the active roster, it seemed like an unusual timing for such a move.

Head coach Dan Campbell explained why the Lions signed Nowaske, a Detroit-area (Canton) native from Saginaw Valley State, to the active roster.

“Yeah, he was being poached, potentially,” Campbell told reporters on Monday. “We didn’t want to lose him. We felt like we had the flexibility to make that move. We felt like we’re going to need him before it’s all said and done.”

It was the most likely explanation for the move, given the crowd at linebacker. Nowaske joins Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes, first-round rookie Jack Campbell, Malcolm Rodriguez, Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Anthony Pittman on the 53-man roster. That’s a lot of LBs for a team that runs a base 4-2-5 defense. It’s an indication of how much the team likes the undrafted rookie.

“We like where he’s going,” Campbell continued on Nowaske. “He’s another young guy that we’ve got on this roster that’s really developing and growing. That’s a good room, all seven of those guys, counting him. It’s an outstanding room, between what they’re able to do defensively, but special teams too. We rely on them for a lot. So, he was a guy we didn’t want to lose.”

Lions sign LB Trevor Nowaske from the practice squad

Nowaske is an undrafted rookie from Saginaw Valley State who played well in the preseason, especially on special teams.

Even on a week where no players are in the building, the Detroit Lions are amking roster moves. On Thursday of the bye week, the Lions signed linebacker Trevor Nowaske from the practice squad.

Nowaske is an undrafted rookie from Saginaw Valley State. He signed with the Lions right after the draft and has played extensively on both defense and special teams in the preseason. He’s a Detroit-area native.

To make room for Nowaske, the Lions waived running back Devine Ozigbo. He had been in Nowaske’s shoes, signed from the practice squad to the active roster prior to Week 8.

Detroit Lions practice squad tracker

The Lions are signing players to the practice squad to start the season. Here’s who has signed in Detroit.

With the 53-man active roster established, the Detroit Lions are now forming the 16-player practice squad for the start of the 2023 season.

All players who are not signed to another team are eligible for the practice squad, though there are limits on how many vested veterans can be on any practice squad.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell extolled the virtue and importance of the practice squad in his final press conference before the roster cutdowns.

“I understand it is, it’s a 53-man roster, but it’s really not. It’s a 60-man team. It’s a 69-man team is what it is, and that’s kind of how we view it. These guys are all on the same team. We all help each other out and every one of those guys, there’s a good chance they’re going to play for us,” Campbell said of the practice squad.

Knowing that context, here is who has signed with the Lions 16-man practice squad.

Predicting the 22 remaining Detroit Lions roster cutdowns

The Detroit Lions have 75 players on the active roster as of noon Monday and have to be down to 53 by 4 p.m. Tuesday

It’s almost time for the Detroit Lions initial 53-man roster to be set for the 2023 regular season. The team has already trimmed several players from the 90-man preseason limit, but there are more cutdowns to be made.

As of 12 p.m. ET on Monday, the Lions have 75 players still on the active roster. That leaves 22 more players to be removed from the active roster before 4 p.m. on Tuesday.

Note that CB Emmanuel Moseley and QB Hendon Hooker are not currently on the active roster, so they don’t factor in. WR Jameson Williams begins serving his suspension after the cutdowns, so he’s not involved either. 

12 players projected to make the Lions practice squad

These 12 players from the Lions’ final preseason game roster should make the team’s 16-man practice squad

One of the first orders of business for the Detroit Lions following the conclusion of the roster cutdowns and initial waiver claim period is to form the 16-man practice squad. Teams can start signing players to the practice squad after Wednesday, August 30th at 12 p.m. ET.

Most teams prefer to stock the practice squad with players who were on the roster for the final preseason game. The Lions did that last year and are expected to do so once again.

Here are 12 Lions expected to be cut by Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline who should make the practice squad.

Detroit’s own Trevor Nowaske reflects on his NFL debut in the Lions preseason win

Undrafted rookie LB Trevor Nowaske talks about his experience playing for his hometown Lions in Ford field in preseason win over the Giants

Playing in an NFL game for the first time, even in the preseason, is a major accomplishment for rookies. Getting to make that professional debut in your hometown stadium, with many friends and family in the stands cheering you on, that’s a truly special opportunity.

That’s what happened for Lions linebacker Trevor Nowaske on Friday night. Nowaske is an undrafted rookie from Saginaw Valley State and a proud native of Canton in the Detroit metro area.

“I don’t know if I can put it into words,” Nowaske said after the game about playing as a Lion in Ford Field. “Such an unreal experience. Being from Canton, honestly being a Lions fan my whole life, and now it’s coming to fruition being on the team, it’s still kind of settling in.”

Nowaske made his mark on both defense and special teams. He logged four total tackles, including three in just 15 run defense snaps. No. 59 was an active presence all over the field in the final portion of the game.

“My heart was beating (fast) for sure,” Nowaske added. “I knew that first play would be a bottle full of emotions. My whole family is here, and it was really cool to kind of experience that will all of them.”

The family support means everything to Nowaske.

“I’ve very blessed. It’s been awesome,” Nowaske said about having his parents so close by.

He was quick to point out that he’s not living at home, but he really appreciates having them so readily available. His father, Jim, played football at Adrian College (where he’s in the school’s hall of fame) and had a cup of coffee with the Cleveland Browns.

His proud parents “are at every practice,” and Trevor is clearly appreciative of their support. He’s had a solid training camp, showing the athleticism that helped Nowaske stand out in the GLIAC and earn the chance to make his hometown team.

As for what’s next after contributing to the Lions’ 21-16 win over the Giants, it’s right back to work.

“I’ve still got a lot of work to do. I know it’s an uphill battle from here, being undrafted … I’m happy I could go out there and contribute but there’s still a lot more than can be done.”

Nowaske gets another shot at proving he belongs in Detroit when the Jacksonville Jaguars come to town for joint practices later this week. He’s realistic about his chances to make a stronger linebacking corps than the Lions have fielded in years. A practice squad spot seems very realistic, however.

“I’m trying to do one thing every day that catches someone’s eye,” Nowaske stated.