All along, with the talent they have in place, it's been easy to confidently project most of what the Detroit Lions' 53-man roster will look like going into the season. On Tuesday, via Lions Wire, head coach Dan Campbell put on a number on how many available roster spots there are.
"Yeah, Brad and I were talking yesterday, we had another evaluation with the coaches, personnel department,” Campbell said. “Probably, he and I – probably five, six, somewhere in there. Five or six give or take.”
That also means the Lions will end up parting with some good players, one way or another. The final preseason game could be a showcase for those kind of guys, putting them on the radar of the other 31 teams for a possible opportunity with one of them.
Moving toward the tentacle of trade possibilities to trim the roster, these three Lions could wind up on the trade block before Week 1.
3 Detroit Lions players who could be the trade block before Week 1
3. TE James Mitchell
Mitchell is firmly on the roster bubble, as multiple players battle for what will likely be two remaining spots on the tight end depth chart. Shane Zylstra seems to be on solid ground for one spot, while Mitchell, Parker Hesse and others vie for the other.
Hesse has fullback utility that seems likely to work to his advantage, with the Lions not carrying a traditional fullback.
It's truly a wide open battle for the TE3 and TE4 spots heading into the preseason finale. But Mitchell may simply need more opportunity to reach his potential. Even if he makes the roster, the path to that with the Lions is just not there with Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright around. That latent, unrealized potential could bring interest from other teams.
2. RB Zonovan Knight
The Lions took an interesting flier on Knight when the New York Jets cut him late last preseason. He was on the practice squad until David Montgomery was injured early in the season, and he was almost lost to another team before they put him on the active roster. Then a shoulder injury ended his 2023 season early, but the Lions re-signed him this offseason.
The Lions have four running backs they're sure to carry on the 53-man roster: Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs, Sione Vaki and Craig Reynolds. That also means the latter two probably won't see a lot of action against the Steelers in the preseason finale, if any, primarily to protect their health.
Knight has gotten a fair amount of work in both preseason games thus far (14 carries, two catches on three targets). But he's also battling with Jermar Jefferson for the proverbial RB5 spot, and it's not out of the question the Lions wind up keeping five running backs on the 53. If Knight is cut, the odds he would make it through waivers and be able to come back on the practice squad feel slim.
Knight had a productive stretch with the Jets as a rookie in 2022 after Breece Hall was sidelined by a torn ACL. Over his final two years in college at N.C. State, he had three kickoff return touchdowns while averaging nearly 31 yards per return. Running backs may be devalued on the whole, but Knight has utility that carries value as the NFL tries to bring kickoff returns back into the game.
On Tuesday Campbell said there will be some players who'll get an opportunity to showcase themselves for other teams against the Steelers, in case they don't make the cut with the Lions.
Knight is an obvious candidate to get the kind of exposure Campbell wants to give guys in the preseason finale. But rather than cut him and get nothing for him, it's not out of the question that he becomes a trade asset as teams make a call.
Note: Craig Reynolds suffered a lower body injury during Wednesday's practice, which is worth keeping an eye on and could alter the equation here. But for now, Knight is a potential trade chip.
1. EDGE James Houston
Houston didn't play in the second preseason game. To think it wasn't because he's locked into a roster spot might be a hill that's stood alone on by whoever thinks it. A knee injury from the preseason opener against the Giants feels like the more likely cause for his not suiting up against the Chiefs, and that game could've been seen pretty important for him based on what preceded it.
The Lions have given up on trying to make Houston into a SAM linebacker, paring his duties back to defensive end/edge rusher to allow him to do what he does best. Diving below the surface of that would put him on the roster bubble, and perhaps put him on the wrong side of it if there are internal questions about his versatility with a reduction of what's he's being asked to do.
But in another sense, Houston looks like a possible tradeable asset for the Lions. Eight sacks over seven games to end his 2022 rookie season showed his potential as a pass rusher, and an injury that cost him most of last season derailed a follow-up. Even if he has ultimately proven to be a one-trick pony, that trick (pass rushing) carries a lot of value.
Health permitting, and he was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Houston is lined up for a showcase game in the preseason finale against the Steelers. Not necessarily just an opportunity to take himself off the roster bubble, but also a showcase to possibly spur other teams' interest in trading for him.
