Detroit Lions headlines: Trade bait, Eli Harold’s debut
The Detroit Lions will play their final preseason game on Thursday night. Here are some of the top headlines heading into the matchup.
In less than two weeks, the Detroit Lions will kick off their regular season against the New York Jets on Monday night. Between now and then, the Lions roster will look very different as the official cut down to 53 players must be completed by Saturday afternoon.
With the Lions playing their final preseason matchup on Thursday night, the contest will be one last chance for fringe players to prove they belong on Detroit’s active roster. Here are some of the top headlines heading into tonight’s game.
NFL roster bubble watch: Potential cut candidates, trade targets – NFL.com
NFL.com recently suggested that both Lions running back Ameer Abdullah and defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson were possible trade bait for Detroit. Both players are recent second-round picks who haven’t quite worked out in Motown.
If they are both indeed on the trading block, the Lions could look to address their need for an additional pass rusher via a trade following the sudden release of free agent Robert Ayers earlier this week.
Detroit Lions GM Bob Quinn ignores question about Robert Ayers – Detroit Free Press
Speaking of Ayers, his short stay in Detroit is still a mystery. And it looks to be one that could go unsolved. On Monday, the 32-year old defensive end signed a one-year deal with the Lions. Ayers was suddenly released the following day without an explanation. And neither the team or the player himself appear willing to disclose his sudden release. But Ayers did respond to a funny gif sent to him about his quick visit to Motown.
Now that’s hilarious 😂😂😂 https://t.co/lgL3uuUAme
— Robert E. Ayers Jr (@1_900_ayersjr) August 29, 2018
Matt Patricia not worried about the preseason record – Pro Football Talk
The preseason in the NFL has never been considered an accurate representation of how a team will perform in the regular season. The starters normally play very limited snaps and the gameplans are always vanilla. But the preseason is good for evaluating individual players, and that has some Motor City fans worried. Still, Patricia is a first-time head coach trying to implement a complicated scheme on a new team. There will be growing pains.
New Lions LB Eli Harold was hurt by the 49ers. Now he wants to hurt them. – MLive.com
One of the newest Lions will make his debut in Detroit’s final preseason game against the Cleveland Browns. That being linebacker Eli Harold. Highly-touted out of Virginia, it will be interesting to see if Harold will be able to make a splash against fringe players in the exhibition. If he was indeed angered by the trade out of San Francisco, the former third-rounder could put on a show Thursday night.
Next. Ranking the 5 best Lions draft classes of the past 30 years. dark
Bob Quinn: ‘Really hard decisions’ await Lions as roster cuts loom – The Detroit News
This will likely be Lions’ general manager Bob Quinn and the front office’s busiest week of the year with final cuts looming. Not only does Detroit have to trim their roster down to just 53 players by Saturday afternoon, they’ll also be scouring the waiver wire searching for recently released players whom they believe could help their team. And if they claim or sign anyone new, they’ll have to cut even more of their own players to fit them onto a full roster.