All along, with the talent they have in place, it's been easy to confidently project most of what the Detroit Lions' 53-man roster will look like going into the season. On Tuesday, via Lions Wire, head coach Dan Campbell put on a number on how many available roster spots there are.
"Yeah, Brad and I were talking yesterday, we had another evaluation with the coaches, personnel department,” Campbell said. “Probably, he and I – probably five, six, somewhere in there. Five or six give or take.”
That also means the Lions will end up parting with some good players, one way or another. The final preseason game could be a showcase for those kind of guys, putting them on the radar of the other 31 teams for a possible opportunity with one of them.
Moving toward the tentacle of trade possibilities to trim the roster, these three Lions could wind up on the trade block before Week 1.
3 Detroit Lions players who could be the trade block before Week 1
3. TE James Mitchell
Mitchell is firmly on the roster bubble, as multiple players battle for what will likely be two remaining spots on the tight end depth chart. Shane Zylstra seems to be on solid ground for one spot, while Mitchell, Parker Hesse and others vie for the other.
Hesse has fullback utility that seems likely to work to his advantage, with the Lions not carrying a traditional fullback.
It's truly a wide open battle for the TE3 and TE4 spots heading into the preseason finale. But Mitchell may simply need more opportunity to reach his potential. Even if he makes the roster, the path to that with the Lions is just not there with Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright around. That latent, unrealized potential could bring interest from other teams.