4 potential surprise cuts for the Detroit Lions
Heading into the last preseason game for 2023, these four players could wind up being surprise cuts for the Detroit Lions.
In a broad sense, NFL preseason finales are boring. Most key players don't play, though in the new era with three preseason games that varies by team. The Detroit Lions have played very few key players in their first two preseason games, and none will play Friday night against the Carolina Panthers in the preseason finale.
But on the other hand, as Pro Football Talk mentioned, the last preseason game can be a springboard to a solid career track for players who were off the radar up until then. Others who are more notable could be usurped, and lose a roster spot, to players like that.
The Lions are not immune to making surprise cuts. In the first year of the Brad Holmes-Dan Campbell regime, wide receiver Breshad Perriman was cut before Week 1 despite being a notable (of course notable is relative, in the first year of a rebuild) free agent signing. He hadn't had a good camp or preseason, so getting down to it cutting bait was easy. But it was an eye-opener, if only based on name and what was then considered a real dearth of talent at wide receiver. Some may say this year's situation at wide receiver, beyond Amon-Ra St. Brown, is not that far from similar.
Heading into the 2023 preseason finale, apart from how interesting it will or won't be for casual fans to watch, these four players could be surprise cuts for the Lions.