The Detroit Lions have to be down to 53 players on their active roster by 4 p.m ET on Tuesday afternoon. Some players they will waive may pass through the waiver process, and become options to be signed back to the practice squad.
Head coach Dan Campbell professed the tough decisions that are coming in the cut down from 90 to 53 after the preseason finale, and the Lions' 16-man practice squad can start being assembled on Wednesday afternoon. It’s safe to assume all 16 will be familiar names from a summer of work in Allen Park.
Via SI.com, Campbell noted the idea (or even the priority) of having guys on the practice squad who aren't coming in cold from another team.
"As much as you can, there's a reason you want those guys back and it's because they understand our system," "But also, we've built a rapport with these guys, too, so there is a level of trust. You feel pretty good about that relatively to somebody you bring in off the street that you don't really know about or from another team. Because even then, it's gonna take a minute to get them acclimated to how we go about our business, our terminology. All that."
Monday morning, Campbell talked about how he views the practice squad as an extension of the 53-man roster. Last season’s seemingly weekly elevations to the active roster from the practice squad on Saturdays put the proof in that pudding.
Talking about the impending construction of the practice squad, Dan Campbell emphasized the importance of that group, noting many will end up playing in games for the Lions this season. Says he doesn't think of it as a 53-man roster, but more a 69-man roster.
— Justin Rogers (@Justin_Rogers) August 28, 2023
With those who are likely to be let go by them before Tuesday’s deadline making up the entirety of the group, here’s our Lions’ practice squad projection.
Detroit Lions' practice squad projection
1-WR Chase Cota
2-RB Jermar Jefferson
3-QB Adrian Martinez
4-CB Khalil Dorsey
5-LB Trevor Nowaske
6-S Brandon Joseph
7-K Parker Romo
8-OG Kayode Awosika
9-OT Connor Galvin
10-DT Corey Durden
11-WR Maurice Alexander
12-S Brady Breeze
13RB Devine Ozigbo
14-TE Darrell Daniels
15-OT Obinna Eze
16-LB Anthony Pittman