Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell said the team was down to its final few decisions with a little more than 24 hours before roster cuts were due.
The Lions cut 13 players Sunday and have until 4 p.m. Tuesday to make 25 more moves to reach the 53-man limit.
Campbell said he and general manager Brad Holmes still were deciding what to do with the Lions’ final roster spots, and that their decisions could be impacted by what else happens around the league.
“There’s a number of moving pieces between here and then looking out on the other 31 teams, too, and is there a piece there that fits here, relative to what we already have here,” Campbell said. “So we’re close but we still have – there’s a little bit of flux we have to go through here.”
The Lions have seemingly clear-cut decisions at positions like quarterback, tight end and offensive tackle, and logjams to sort through at wide receiver, on the defensive line and in the defensive backfield.
Veterans Romeo Okwara and Isaiah Buggs are backups with uncertain roles on a crowded defensive front, and the Lions have multiple young receivers (Dylan Drummond, Antoine Green) and defensive backs (Steven Gilmore, Khalil Dorsey, Chase Lucas) on the roster bubble who shined in Friday’s preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers.
Campbell said those performances “certainly affected” the decisions on “a few guys.”
LIONS 53-MAN ROSTER PREDICTION: See who is the surprise cut
“There was some really good performances in there, and as a whole I thought the guys played really well,” Campbell said. “And really to a man, you would say a vast majority of our team got better. We talked about the details, the fundamentals of it, being better on third down, passing the stunt games up front. I already told you, defensively we had some guys playing positions they’ve never played. We got defensive tackles playing D-end at the end of that game and just battling. But we were better. … A lot of guys did some really good things.”
Though the Lions still have more than two dozen roster moves to make, most of those still in camp will be a part of the team in one form or fashion this fall. NFL teams have 16-player practice squads to supplement their 53-man rosters, and the Lions have an international player exemption to keep offensive tackle Max Pircher as an extra on practice squad.
Still, Campbell said he rues cut day and all that comes with it.
“Every year this is the hardest time for me, and Brad,” he said. “There’s nothing worse than watching guys just give everything they’ve got, bust their rear, blood and sweat and all of it, the angst, the good, the bad, and that’s hard. It’s hard to look them in the eye and tell them that, hey, this is as far as it goes for now.
“There’ll be a number of guys, too, that, yeah, you didn’t make it on this, maybe the 53, but we want you back here. And if it doesn’t work out somewhere else or somebody’s not willing to claim you, there’s a reason why we want you back because we feel like you can help us. I mean, our practice squad players play. They play during the year whether it’s injuries or special teams. There’s a good chance you’re going to end up playing at some point this year if you’re with us. But it’s tough. There’s nothing fun about this.”
Moseley update
Campbell said the Lions still are deciding whether to activate cornerback Emmanuel Moseley to the 53-man roster or keep him on the physically unable to perform list to start the season.
Players who open the regular season on PUP must sit out at least the first four games.
“E-Man’s doing well,” Campbell said. “He’s somebody we’ll discuss (Monday night) on whether do we keep him on PUP? Do we take him off? He’s close, but he’s doing well.”
Moseley has not practiced since reporting late to training camp following a summer clean-up procedure on his surgically-repaired knee. He is expected to serve as the Lions’ No. 3 cornerback once healthy for a team that lacks depth at the outside cornerback position.
BAD NEWS: Lions QB Nate Sudfeld has torn ACL, will miss 2023 NFL season
Bubble players Julian Okwara and Ifeatu Melifonwu also are dealing with injuries and did not practice Monday, Campbell said. Melifonwu has not played since the Lions’ preseason Week 2 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars; Okwara left the Panthers game with an undisclosed injury.
Briefly
Campbell said the Lions still have not received any clarification from the NFL about what role they can take in Jameson Williams’ rehab from a hamstring injury once his suspension begins Tuesday.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.