Dan Campbell Drops Major Hints as Lions Make Key Roster Moves
· Yahoo Sports
With less than one week remaining until the Detroit Lions open their regular season against the New Orleans Saints, Detroit has made several roster moves as the team continues preparing for Week 1.
The Lions placed offensive lineman Mason Miller on the practice squad/injured list. While Miller appears to be dealing with an injury, it does not seem to be considered serious.
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Detroit also signed linebacker Joe Bachie to the active roster. That move could be an indication that linebacker Jimmy Rolder may be unavailable longer than originally expected, particularly after Rolder missed significant time during training camp, and all of preseason.
In addition, the Lions signed center Seth McLaughlin and running back Jabari Small to the practice squad. Both players were initially included on Detroit’s 53-man roster before the Lions ultimately waived them. In my opinion, their return to the practice squad makes more sense than keeping them on the active roster.
The Bachie signing leaves Detroit with one remaining open spot on its 53-man roster, making it interesting to see what the Lions have planned next.
Dan Campbell Provides Updates on Final Roster Spots
Dan Campbell spoke with the media and revealed that the Lions already have a good idea of what they want to do with their final roster spots.
“We have a pretty good idea of what we want to do,” Campbell said. “Things can fluctuate, but we know what we want to do.”
Campbell did not reveal what Detroit’s next move will be, but with one roster spot still available, it would not be surprising to see another transaction within the next few days.
Is the Left Guard Battle Still Open?
Campbell also appeared to suggest that the competition at left guard may not be completely settled.
While discussing Detroit’s offensive line, Campbell named the expected starters but also mentioned both Christian Mahogany and Ben Bartch when discussing the left guard position.
Mahogany handled the role last season, but Bartch was brought in during the offseason and could still have an opportunity to earn significant playing time. It will be interesting to see whether the Lions ultimately settle on one player or continue evaluating both options as the season gets underway.
Don’t Overreact to Week 1
Campbell also made an interesting point about evaluating teams early in the season.
According to Campbell, you do not truly know what kind of team you have until around Week 5.
It is difficult to argue with that assessment. Every season, fans and analysts tend to overreact to Week 1 results, whether a team looks dominant or struggles out of the gate.
Detroit has a relatively favorable schedule through the first five weeks of the season, making Campbell’s Week 5 timeline particularly interesting. Week 5 also comes immediately before the Lions’ bye week, which could give Detroit a natural opportunity to evaluate where the team stands heading into the next stretch of the season.
Lions Could Use a Running Back Committee
Campbell also suggested that the Lions could approach the RB2 position as a running back-by-committee situation.
With Isaiah Pacheco expected to miss at least the first four games of the season, that approach would make sense. Detroit has several options capable of contributing, and Campbell specifically mentioned that the team likes what it has seen from Sione Vaki in practice.
Ideally, one player will eventually emerge and establish himself as the clear No. 2 option behind Jahmyr Gibbs. However, until that happens, a committee approach could be the smartest way for Detroit to replace Pacheco’s production.
Joshua Dobbs Gets a New Number
The Lions also made a jersey number change.
Quarterback Joshua Dobbs will now wear No. 11 for Detroit after previously wearing No. 6.
Keith Abney switched to No. 6 following training camp, allowing Dobbs to take over No. 11.