The Detroit Lions are still rocking one open spot on their 53-man roster for Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints, even after making a flurry of moves this week to get things sorted. They started the week with two vacancies and managed to fill one, but the big question mark is still hanging over the team as the season opener looms.
Bachie Steps Up While Rolder Heals
Kicking things off, the Lions pulled linebacker Joe Bachie from the practice squad straight onto the 53-man roster. This dude’s a six-year veteran, has seven career starts, and racked up over 1,100 special teams snaps. He’s exactly the kind of gameday depth you need, especially with rookie Jimmy Rolder still out, missing most of training camp and not officially back yet. Bachie’s gonna be crucial for special teams and providing some veteran presence in what’s already a crowded linebacker room. Gotta love a guy who can step in and make an immediate impact!
Practice Squad Shuffle and A Tough Break for Miller
Then we saw center Seth McLaughlin and running back Jabari Small both land back on the practice squad. Honestly, this wasn’t a huge surprise. Both guys made the initial 53-man roster, got waived for some roster maneuvering, and now they’re back where everyone expected them. McLaughlin could totally get elevated for Week 1 because the Lions don’t have a healthy backup center behind Juice Scruggs right now. Small? He could provide depth too, but it sounds like there are other RB2 plans in the works with Isiah Pacheco starting the season on injured reserve.
But man, the real gut punch here is guard Mason Miller. He got placed on the practice squad injured reserve list. This guy was a total standout in the final week of training camp, stepping in as the emergency center for the last preseason game and playing incredibly well with zero experience at the position. Now he’s sidelined for at least four games, and that’s just a massive disappointment. At least he won’t count against their 16-player practice squad limit on IR, but still, a bummer.
The Kennedy Question Mark For Sunday
So, that leaves us with that one remaining empty spot on the 53-man roster. The smart money’s definitely on wide receiver Tom Kennedy to snag it, which makes sense. He’s the leading candidate to be the starting punt returner and would slot in as the fourth or fifth wide receiver. But here’s the kicker, and this is wild: the Lions might be waiting until next week to officially sign him. Why? Because if he was on the Week 1 roster, his contract would become fully guaranteed. It’s a classic move, trying to save a buck, but you gotta wonder if it’s worth the headache for Week 1 prep. Regardless, it sounds like Kennedy will be part of Sunday’s roster one way or another. Get ready for some last-minute roster drama, folks!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pride of Detroit.
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