The Lions roster cutdowns are not due until 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, but the news about several of the team’s roster moves has already come out.
None of the players who are announced are officially released or waived as of press time; they are merely reported credibly by one source or another. Just as a point of clarity, there is a difference between the two designations. “Released” is what happens when a veteran of at least four NFL seasons is cut. They are not subject to waivers and are no longer under an NFL contract. “Waived” is for players with less than four NFL seasons, and those players are subject to waiver claims from other teams. A team that claims a player off waivers also takes over that player’s contract.
That waiver status is the case with Hendon Hooker, who is the most prominent of Detroit’s early moves. As expected, the Lions have parted ways with the third-year quarterback. This comes in the wake of Lions head coach Dan Campbell openly suggesting that Hooker needs a “change of scenery”.
Also waived: Ian Kennelly. The undrafted rookie safety from Grand Valley State showed considerable athletic promise and developmental upside, but Kennelly will not be on the Lions’ 53-man roster. There is some risk that another team might claim Kennelly off the waiver wire, but the team would certainly like to have him back on the practice squad.
Detroit released veteran wideout Tom Kennedy, who has been on and off the Lions’ roster a total of 29 times since first arriving with the team in 2019. Kennedy’s value as a return specialist and savvy slot receiver offers real value if/when Kennedy returns to the team’s practice squad for transaction No. 30. The team also released linebacker Anthony Pittman.
The next one is a good exercise in roster manipulation gymnastics. Per Justin Rogers, the Lions have informed veteran offensive tackle he will be released. Skipper is the team’s No. 3 offensive tackle and frequently sees action as a sixth lineman in jumbo formations. Because Skipper is not subject to waivers, the Lions can release the popular locker room leader now to create a roster opening for another player. Skipper can then re-sign with the Lions after cutdowns to replace a player headed for injured reserve (perhaps OL Trystan Colon), though that’s not a guaranteed outcome from the Lions’ end.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter has also reported that the Lions are waiving EDGE Mitchell Agude. As with Hooker, that is a widely expected roster move.
One of the big position battles revolves around the final wide receiver spots behind the top five (St. Brown, Williams, Raymond, Patrick, TeSlaa). Per Nolan Bianchi of the Detroit News, the Lions are waiving undrafted rookie Jackson Meeks. The Saginaw Valley State product had a strong summer and offers impressive size and grit, but he’ll need to clear waivers before Meeks can return to the practice squad.
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Detroit Lions roster moves: Monday’s cuts ahead of Tuesday’s deadline
Reporting by Jeff Risdon, Lions Wire / Lions Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
