Bob Quinn’s roster with the Detroit Lions is going to be ever-changing. He’s been open about that as he continues to search for a way to make the franchise a consistent winner for the first time in decades.
And while there have been some things we picked up from seeing Quinn’s first 53-man roster as a general manager, he has left a roster with some glaring holes in it.
Here are a few that stand out heading into preparation for Week 1.
1. Linebacker depth is minimal: The surprise move Sunday came not in who the Lions claimed -- they picked up linebacker Thurston Armbrister -- but rather who they placed on injured reserve to make room for him. Detroit moved Josh Bynes to injured reserve instead of Jon Bostic and this could mean two things. First, Bynes’ injury was way more serious than anticipated. And second, either the Lions are going to be moving Bostic to injured reserve as well in the near future or the franchise is hoping he can come back from foot surgery sooner than expected. Either way, Detroit’s linebackers beyond DeAndre Levy and Tahir Whitehead are pretty unknown. Kyle Van Noy has looked better this preseason, but has yet to show anything resembling consistency in the regular season. Antwoine Williams is a small-school rookie who might be thrust into a big role if there’s an injury. Then there’s Armbrister, who had 23 tackles in 2015. If the Lions suffer another injury there, it could cause some major defensive problems.
2. Four receivers is risky: This could change if the Lions end up moving Bostic to injured reserve and calling up receiver TJ Jones from the practice squad. But if they don’t, carrying just four receivers is pretty surprising because Detroit’s default offensive set will play three receivers. An in-game injury, based on current roster composition, could alter a lot for Detroit. Yes, the Lions could use Eric Ebron in a pinch in a receiving role (it’s what he does best anyway) and the same could be said for Theo Riddick, but that’s a pretty big in-game adjustment if it were to happen.
3. Detroit has faith in Johnson Bademosi: A cut that didn’t get too much attention was veteran corner Darrin Walls. He was projected to be a depth veteran with special-teams capability but the Lions deemed him expendable. This means if either Darius Slay or Nevin Lawson were to go down, Bademosi would be the next man up as Quandre Diggs is likely to be in the slot barring multiple injuries. Bademosi had his moments -- positive and negative -- in coverage during camp so this could be something to pay attention to as the season unfolds. The Lions also kept Adairius Barnes over Walls and not too much is known about the rookie.
4. The Lions quarterback scenario made sense: Jake Rudock played well during the preseason, including the finale, but the Lions likely figured he would clear waivers -- most cut rookies do -- and they’d be able to bring him back. So why did Dan Orlovsky stay? Experience was likely one factor and that’s something important to Jim Caldwell. Keeping the room intact for Matthew Stafford as he embarks on running Jim Bob Cooter’s offense was important, too, because Orlovsky is very good at being able to diagnose opponent game film Stafford and Cooter can’t get to. It’s a role Rudock will play as well, but Orlovsky’s been doing this for years now so he knows exactly what to drill down to. That’s more crucial than you’d think during a week.
5. The youth is apparent on the offensive line: This was known with the starters, as left tackle Taylor Decker is a rookie, left guard Laken Tomlinson is in his second year and Travis Swanson, the center, is also in his second year starting. Behind them, though, is where the real youth is. Swanson’s backup? A rookie, third-round pick Graham Glasgow. The backup at guard? A rookie in fifth-round pick Joe Dahl. The backup tackles aren’t much older with Cornelius Lucas and Corey Robinson. Considering the questions Detroit already has on its line, it's somewhat surprising that there aren't more veterans stashed on the bench.
