Nolan Bianchi asks Dan Campbell about the odds of adding players released from other teams.
Nolan Bianchi asks Dan Campbell about the odds of adding players released from other teams.
The Detroit Lions have begun making transactions to comply with the 53-man roster limit ahead of Tuesday’s cutdown deadline (4 p.m.).
As the news keeps rolling in, follow along with our cutdown tracker. We’ll be covering every move made by the Lions over the next two days, plus some news from around the league that could impact Detroit.
Another DL move
Defensive lineman Myles Adams is being waived, The Detroit News has learned. Adams, who recently earned a shoutout from head coach Dan Campbell, appeared in five games with Detroit last season, notching four tackles and a couple of quarterback hits to help the Lions in the second half of 2024. He’s one to watch to be brought back on the practice squad
Former third-rounder waived
The Lions are waiving defensive tackle Brodric Martin, a source confirmed to The Detroit News. Martin, the 96th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, performed relatively well in the preseason, posting an impressive pass-rush win rate of 16.1%. Ultimately, however, Martin was unable to climb out of the hole he found himself in, behind DJ Reader and newcomer Roy Lopez on the depth chart at nose tackle
Defensive end depth thinned
Another surprising move came in the form of Detroit waiving edge defender Nate Lynn, a source told The Detroit News. Lynn had a very strong preseason and was considered a front-runner by some to earn one of the final reserve spots at that position, which has been picked apart by injuries to Ahmed Hassanein and Josh Paschal.
Lynn would be another candidate to return via the practice squad if he clears waivers.
Wide receiver, tight end waived
The Lions continue to trim down their wide receiver and tight end rooms.
Tight end Gunnar Oakes, who played at Eastern Michigan and with the UFL’s Michigan Panthers, was waived, a source told The Detroit News. As was wide receiver Jakobie Keeney-James, an undrafted rookie from Massachusetts, according to a source.
Hallett, Saylors waived
Defensive back Erick Hallett II and running back Jacob Saylors have been cut, according to a pair of reports from KPRC’s Aaron Wilson. Hallett’s versatility made him an interesting candidate to make the roster, as he’s shown capable of playing outside cornerback, nickel and safety. Saylors, who played for the United Football League’s St. Louis Battlehawks last season, was signed July 29.
Lions waive fan favorite
The Detroit Lions are waiving a pair of fan favorites, cutting wide receiver Jackson Meeks and cornerback Nick Whiteside, The Detroit News has learned.
Meeks, a UDFA out of Syracuse, was one of the top receivers in all of preseason, hauling in 11 receptions for 176 yards and two touchdowns. Whiteside, who was entering his second pro season after a college career at Saginaw Valley State, had a strong camp but had a downturn in his performance during the final week.
The team is interested in signing both players to its practice squad if they clear waivers.
First wave of cuts rolling in
The Lions’ first wave of Monday cuts is rolling in. The big news of the day is that the team plans to waive quarterback Hendon Hooker, but there have been a few other reported moves in the late afternoon.
The Lions are waiving safety Ian Kennelly (per KPRC’s Aaron Wilson) and edge rusher Mitchell Agude (per ESPN’s Adam Schefter).
Kennelly was a highly intriguing player coming out of Grand Valley State, but ultimately couldn’t maintain his momentum long enough to make the roster. He and Agude, who’s been with the Lions’ practice squad since 2023, will be top candidates to rejoin the Lions via the practice squad.
Two injury settlements
The Lions released a pair of players from injured reserve this week, parting ways with offensive lineman Keaton Sutherland (knee) on Friday and cornerback Dicaprio Bootle (lower leg) on Saturday, per the NFL’s transaction wire. Both players received injury settlements, a negotiated agreement to pay them for the time they miss while recovering. It also allowed the Lions to remove them from the roster. Sutherland and Bootle cannot re-sign with the Lions until the settlement expires, but they are free to sign elsewhere at any time. Because both players were on IR prior to their release, neither was counting toward the 90-man roster.
nbianchi@detroitnews.com, rsilva@detroitnews.com
@nolanbianchi, @rich_silva18
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