Lions Likely Have Five to Six Roster Spots Available

Dan Campbell offered clarity on the state of the roster ahead of final preseason game.

Detroit Lions defensive end Isaac Ukwu (45). / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The deadline for the Detroit Lions and the rest of the NFL to trim their rosters down to their final 53-man form is fast approaching.

General manager Brad Holmes, coach Dan Campbell and the rest of the Lions' brass will have to finalize their roster in its initial form by 4 p.m on Aug. 27, which is just one week away. The preseason finale, set for 1 p.m. Saturday, will be a pivotal showcase for players on the fringes of making the roster.

As the deadline gets closer, Detroit may have very few spots on what is one of the league's most talented rosters. Campbell provided some clarity on the situation the team faces during his press conference Tuesday.

“Yeah Brad and I were talking yesterday, we had another evaluation with the coaches, personnel department," Campbell said. "Probably, he and I, you know, probably five, six (spots available), somewhere in there. Five or six, give or take. And one could have another bearing on another position and vice versa. I told the team this morning, for a number of those guys, there’s still open spots here. So if you want it, go get it."

Ever transparent, Campbell identified rookie undrafted free agent Isaac Ukwu as a player who is competing hard for one of the final available spots on the roster. A defensive end/outside linebacker hybrid, Ukwu has notched a sack in each of the first two preseason games.

As a result, he's caught the eye of the coaching staff and has made a compelling case to be among the players the Lions keep at the end of the preseason.

"I just bring up a guy like Ukwu, man. When he got here in the spring, he was last on the depth chart. It was, ‘Where can this guy play?’ He’s not the biggest guy, he’s not really a SAM," Campbell explained. "Is he a defensive end? And he’s just steadily got better and better and better. He plays much bigger than he is, he plays longer than his length says. Every time you give him an opportunity he just shows up. He’s just an example of some guys we’ve got our eyes on. So there’s still some spots available here.” 

Campbell has plans to get the developmental players plenty of reps once again, as has been the case through the first two preseason games. For the players who aren't fortunate enough to crack the Lions' roster, this game could serve as a showcase for the rest of the league as to what they can offer.

"It’s not just for us. You want to get these guys exposure so if they don’t make it with us, they make it with another team," Campbell said. "Maybe somebody else sees what they’ve got and if it doesn’t work here, they’ve got a chance to be on somebody else’s roster. You want that for them, especially these guys that bust their rear to give you everything they’ve got. So that’s what it’s about, too, understand that 31 other teams are watching what these games are about and what’s going on in them.”