This week has presented a feeling that maybe Detroit Lions fans aren't totally used to. I can personally tell you that this is something I haven't seen a lot of or remember seeing. Two players rejected the Lions in favor of other teams this week.
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First, it was BYU cornerback Jakob Robinson. He turned down the Lions in favor of playing for the 49ers. Then it was International Pathways defensive lineman Laki Tasi. He decided to go to the Raiders instead.
So what's going on? Why do players not want to play here right now? We think there are a few different reasons. Let's talk about it.
The roster is loaded
I don't mean that the roster is loaded with so many good players that some guys decide not to take a chance; I mean that the Lions have so many players on their roster already. In 2023, the Lions signed 15 undrafted free agents. In 2024, the Lions again signed 15. This year, the Lions have only signed 11.
The reason is that going into the draft, there were already a finite number of spaces on the roster, and the team already had to release Jake Fromm and Antoine Green to make room.
Players may look at the smaller number of spaces and fear that they have a smaller chance of making the 53-man roster.
The roster is loaded
Ok, now I mean this is the way where there are too many good players. Robinson would have had to try to make the roster in a spot with D.J. Reed, Terrion Arnold, Amik Robertson, Ennis Rakestraw, Rock Ya-Sin, and Khalil Dorsey. That is a really hard thing to take on. That spot is pretty much figured out for Detroit, and you're looking at the opportunity to just make the practice squad.
In San Francisco, there has been some turnover at the cornerback position, and that presents a better opportunity to make the 53-man roster.
The same goes for Tasi. Lions GM Brad Holmes was talking about how heavy the Lions are on the interior defensive line weeks ahead of the draft. Then they took another interior lineman.
On top of that, Tasi was coming to Detroit for a tryout, essentially. In Las Vegas, he gets a spot on the 90-man roster. You can't blame him for taking the deal over the tryout.
This actually happens all the time
That's the last thing. This happens more than you think; we just happen to know it more right now. The thing about undrafted free agents is that while we get the notifications that they're signing with a team and we build the trackers, those signings aren't official until a few days after the draft. So players will often times opt out and go elsewhere. It's just not something you usually hear about a lot.
This doesn't mean the tides are turning in Detroit, and people don't want to play here. It just means there's better opportunity for them elsewhere, and you can't fault anyone for going for that.
