The Detroit Lions made three roster transactions ahead of the Week 1 matchup with the Green Bay Packers, placing offensive tackle Jamarco Jones on injured reserve, signing running back Jacob Saylors to the active roster, and elevating linebacker Anthony Pittman from the practice squad for this game. All three moves were direct results of injuries on the roster.
Jones was a surprise inclusion to the Lions’ initial roster, edging out Dan Skipper for a spot on the 53. One of the many reasons most were surprised he made the roster was due to his inability to stay healthy. Throughout training camp, Jones was consistently dealing with some ailment. While not all injuries forced him to miss time, he did have several injuries that he was dealing with.
Jones started the week healthy and practicing in full, but on Thursday, he appeared on the injury report with an ankle injury, which has led to this stint on injured reserve. Jones will miss the first four games of the regular season and will be eligible to return in Week 5.
While this seems like a prime opportunity for Skipper to return from the practice squad to the active roster, he has been unable to practice all week and, unfortunately, will also be unavailable to play in this game.
That means the Lions will turn to either second-year offensive tackle Giovanni Manu or position-flexible offensive lineman Kayode Awosika for their OT3 role in Week 1. While Awosika has primarily played at guard for the Lions, he entered the league as an offensive tackle (the position he played in college), and offensive line coach Hank Fraley said that in addition to guard, Awosika was also the team’s “emergency tackle and center” when speaking to the media this week.
Saylors was signed to the active roster following running back Sione Vaki being ruled out with a hamstring injury. Saylors figures to slot into Vaki’s RB4 and special teams roles, similarly to what he did during the preseason. While Saylors is currently on the active roster, that doesn’t necessarily mean bad news for Vaki’s recovery. It’s commonplace for the Lions to sign players to the active roster in these situations, in order to save their roster elevations (players are only allowed three elevations per season). It wouldn’t be surprising to see Saylors waived on Monday, clear waivers on Tuesday, and then be back on the Lions practice squad on Wednesday.
Pittman’s roster elevation was likely a direct response to the Lions ruling linebacker Trevor Nowaske out with an elbow injury. Pittman’s skill set is similar to Nowaske’s in that he can play the Lions’ MIKE and SAM roles, while also contributing in all four phases of special teams. This will be Pittman’s first elevation of the season, and he will revert back to the Lions’ practice squad following the game without needing to go through the NFL’s waiver system. He’ll have two more roster elevations remaining for the remainder of the season.
0 CommentsSee More:
