It seems like a matter of time before the Lions sign Tim Patrick to their 53-man roster, and one of these five players may lose their spot when it happens.
The Detroit Lions have had a lingering need for a bigger-bodied receiver. The idea Josh Reynolds, named directly by Dan Campbell during the preseason as having an important role that hadn't been filled, could be replaced internally proved foolish. Tim Patrick and Allen Robinson were brought aboard on the practice squad to offer potential reinforcements.
Patrick was added to the active roster for last Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played more than expected (33 snaps), with two catches for 12 yards.
When asked about Patrick on Monday, Campbell made it pretty clear the veteran has earned a notable role in the Lions' offense moving forward.
"We liked him,” Campbell said. “It was good to see. I would say it was a positive showing. To be able to get him out there and implement him in some of what we were doing. It’d be nice to get him a little bit more (playing time)...“But I think that’s what we’ll do moving forward. I think the idea is to see if we can open this up a little bit and use him a little more. But, man, he’s big, he’s physical, (and) his catch radius is pretty enormous. So there’s a place for him here, and I see us using him moving forward.”
On the practice squad, Patrick could be poached by another team that's willing to sign him to their active roster-if he wants to take that opportunity. The Lions can elevate him from the practice squad two more times before they have to sign him to their 53-man roster, but it's also fair to assume they won't wait that long to do so.
So, to put it plainly, someone who is currently on the 53-man roster will have to be let go to make room for Patrick. It may even happen this week, if we can read into Campbell's comments on Monday at all.
These five players, when it comes down to it, look like easy options to make room for Patrick.
5 players the Detroit Lions can cut to make room for Tim Patrick on the 53-man roster
5. OL Colby Sorsdal
Sordsdal had a rough enough training camp that it was possible to question whether he'd make the 53-man roster. But he did make it, perhaps leaning into his ability to play guard and tackle as he continues to develop.
Sorsdal was a somewhat surprising healthy scratch in Week 1, then the same happened in Week 2. He's clearly not seen as a swing tackle option over Dan Skipper, with Kayode Awosika and Michael Niese around to fill any need at guard if an injury hits.
Sorsdal seems likely to clear waivers and be able to be brought back on the practice squad. If he was claimed, the Lions can easily just move on.
4. LB Trevor Nowaske
Carrying seven linebackers on the 53-man roster was always felt superfluous, unnecessary and ripe for a reduction when the right time comes, which has been proven by Nowaske being a healthy scratch in each of the first two games. Alex Anzalone's concussion situation could alter that equation for the Lions this week, but it's not like the Saginaw Valley State product would suddenly be in line for a noticeable defensive role.
If it becomes a numbers game at another position to make room for Patrick, Nowaske is set to lose that particular battle as the seventh linebacker currently on the 53-man roster.
3. S Loren Strickland
To his great credit, as an undrafted rookie out of Ball State, Strickland went out and won a spot on the 53-man roster during camp and the preseason. But his path to playing time has always felt pretty blocked, with the action he does see mostly (if not entirely) to come on special teams. He missed Week 1 with a thumb injury, then played five special teams snaps in Week 2.
To be frank, 5-10 special teams snaps a week are easy to replace. Even with Ifeatu Melifonwu's injury situation taking a negative turn last week, it's unlikely Strickland would see defensive snaps at safety.
Strickland is another guy who can probably land back on the practice squad if/when he clears waivers. If it means making room for Patrick, losing him is an easy risk to take.
2. WR Isaiah Williams
Even seen as redundant in the Lions' wide receiver corps, as a smaller, slot receiver type, Williams simply made himself impossible to ignore with his preseason showing. Campbell's call for someone to step up was only answered by him.
But Williams did not play a snap in Week 1, and a midweek abdomen injury sidelined him in Week 2. His injury outlook is simply unclear right now, but more missed games would not be surprising. Placement on IR wouldn't be out of the question, for that matter, but that's very speculative.
Williams is a great story and he won a spot on the 53-man roster. But he's simply buried on the depth chart, and a 1-for-1 swap out at wide receiver looks like the cleanest way to make room for Patrick on the active roster. Maybe the rest of the league has forgotten about Williams and he comes back on the practice squad if he is let go.
1. EDGE James Houston
This dead horse is getting another beating. Houston barely won, or actually didn't really win, a spot on the Lions' 53-man roster. He has also been an exception to Campbell's doctrine that essentially says "the more you can do", with the plan to make him into a SAM linebacker scrapped during the preseason.
Houston was a healthy scratch in Week 1, which invited questions about his already tenuous status on the 53-man roster. Heading into Week 2, Campbell talked around the idea of Houston being able to offer enough to be in uniform on game days.
Later in the week, Campbell outright didn't mention Houston as someone who could help fill the void left by the likely absence of Marcus Davenport against the Buccaneers.
Houston was in uniform in Week 2, but you're excused if you blinked and missed it when he was on the field. He played three defensive snaps, and zero special teams snaps.
Houston can no longer live off his eight-sack breakout from late in his rookie season and keep a spot on the Lions' roster. He's probably better off elsewhere, and it's pretty clear his time in Detroit is coming towards an end. Creating a roster spot for Patrick looks like a convenient way to move on here, perhaps very, very soon.
