With the news he needed a clean up surgery on the knee he tore his ACL in playing for the 49ers last season, Emmanuel Moseley had an uphill climb to be on the active roster for Week 1. But he has made some progress lately, and on Monday head coach Dan Campbell said one of the pieces the Lions added to their secondary in free agency was close.
"E-man’s doing. "But he’s somebody we’ll discuss tonight on whether -- do we keep him on PUP or do we take him off? He’s close, but he’s doing well.""
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter about an hour before the Lions had to be down to 53 players on the active roster Tuesday, the Campbell decision alluded to has been made.
Moseley will be taken off the PUP list, and he will be on the active roster for the start of the season.
Moseley only recently returned to the practice field, and that was lighter work off to the side with trainers--as in no real on-field practice reps, in a new defensive scheme, with new teammates, etc. To say nothing of being in shape to play football.
Emmanuel Moseley being taken off PUP list is broadly good news
While Moseley playing Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs is unlikely, if he had stayed on the PUP list he would have had to miss at least the first four games. So that's a sign the Lions think he can be ready before four games are done, and they will have a longer layoff before Week 2 after playing in the Thursday night opener.
Moseley being on the active roster right away also tightens the roster battle that took place at cornerback for the Lions. Chase Lucas was waived on Monday night, leaving Starling Thomas, Steven Gilmore and Khalil Dorsey to compete for two spots--and maybe just one now. The practice squad is a possibility for whoever doesn't make it.