The Detroit Lions started roster cuts with their first wave of moves Saturday, letting go of a handful of players who are not expected to stick around on practice squad.
Defensive tackle Christian Covington and center Alex Mollette were the first two reported cuts, and tight end Daniel Helm has joined them on the waiver wire.
Helm was a late arrival to camp, signing with the Lions in early August after Shane Zylstra suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice.
The Lions’ decisions have seemed pretty obvious at tight end since that day: Rookie second-round pick Sam LaPorta is TE1, and James Mitchell and Brock Wright are in line to make the 53-man roster as backups.
SEE WHO IS THE SURPRISE CUT: Dave Birkett’s Detroit Lions 53-man roster prediction
Darrell Daniels, who signed the same day as Helm, is the final tight end currently on the Lions roster. He’s played prominently on special teams the past three weeks and done well with his opportunity. He also has a history with Lions tight ends coach Steve Heiden, who he played for with the Arizona Cardinals in 2018-21.
It’s possible the Lions have a surprise up their sleeve and plan to keep Daniels on the 53-man roster, but at a minimum, Daniels appears to have a clear path to the practice squad.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.