Getty Randy Bullock attempts a kick in 2019 with the Bengals.
The busiest time of year is wrapping up around the NFL, and the Detroit Lions are no different as they start the process of pairing down their roster.
Every season, the roster cut dance is a tough time for NFL veterans and rookies alike. Nobody knows who could be the next to leave, and plenty of players aren’t safe no matter their standing on rosters across the league.
The latest Lions news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Lions newsletter here!
Several reports streamed in early Monday, and the Lions also added multiple others to the mix including a few surprises. Final cuts came in on Tuesday afternoon.
What players have been handed their walking papers? Here’s a look at the list.
Breshad Perriman, Wide Receiver
This offseason, Perriman was signed as a reclamation project this offseason as one of the bigger free agents the Lions brought in. He struggled to live up to expectations in camp and the preseason around injury, however, and quickly found himself on the outs with the team.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Lions are releasing wideout Breshad Perriman to kick off their week of cuts. Schefter tweeted the news early on Monday, August 30, just a day before the league’s official cut deadline.
First of many cuts this week is a notable one: Lions have released WR Breshad Perriman, per source.
Perriman has struggled in camp with health, and that culminated him being inconsistent early in camp. During the first preseason appearance, Perriman dropped a few catchable balls, which may have aided in his struggle in making the roster. In 2015, Perriman was a first-round pick out of UCF by the Baltimore Ravens. He played with the Ravens from 2015 to 2017, then playing for the Washington Football Team and Cleveland Browns in 2018 before joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2019. In 2020, Perriman joined the New York Giants. In terms of stats, he has put up 2,006 yards and 14 touchdowns in his career, but has not been consistent enough to sick in one place. That continues as his time in Detroit expires quickly.
Mike Ford, Cornerback
One such surprise in terms of cuts was revealed on Monday in the form of Ford. After cracking the Lions as an undrafted free agent a few years back, Ford will now be on the outside looking in with regards to the Lions’ roster bubble.
Detroit Free Press writer Dave Birkett first reported the news on Monday, August 30 that Ford would be moving on from the Lions.
The Lions have cut CB Mike Ford, per a source
Obviously, Ford’s release is more than a bit of a surprise for the team. He had played decently well the last few seasons after clawing his way on the roster, and was a success story from the team’s previous regieme. Still, this offseason, Ford found his roster situation in-flux thanks to additions at cornerback. The Lions watched as another UDFA A.J. Parker stepped up and played well, and have veterans like Nickell Robey-Coleman and Corn Elder in the mix for roles as well. Add it all up and playing time likely became a big issue for Ford’s future with the team.
Ford made the roster as an undrafted free agent back in 2018 and has played a solid role as a depth piece on the team since then. He didn’t intercept a pass during his time with the Lions, but Ford has put up 49 tackles in his career, and 4 passes defended on the field. Impressively, the former UDFA has been able to hang on the roster as a depth piece and a special teams stud and could be a guy a new team looks to depend on for solid play on the back end.
Alijah Holder, Safety
The third player to learn he would be leaving the mix on Monday was young safety Alijah Holder. Holder came to the roster this offseason in May as a signing, but according to NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero, will be released by the team.
The #Lions waived safety Alijah Holder, per source.
Holder was signed this offseason to come in and add depth at the safety spot, a place the Lions did not add much to this offseason. Still, he was buried on the depth chart behind the likes of C.J. Moore and Jalen Elliott. Holder is a player out of Stanford who was with the Denver Broncos for the 2019 and 2020 seasons, and bounced between the Denver practice squad and roster late last season before being released. He has not registered an NFL stat in his young career.
Victor Bolden, Wide Receiver
Bolden hasn’t spent much time in the NFL, but the time he has spent, he has racked up the return yards. Bolden has only caught 1 pass for 10 yards so far in the NFL, but he has 535 return yards to his credit, which is a very respectable total given the low amount of games he’s played in his career in the league. It is perhaps telling that Bolden did not stick on the roster, meaning the Lions’ return role is going somewhere else. The former Oregon State wideout was with the San Francisco 49ers from 2017-2018, the Buffalo Bills in 2018 and was picked up by the Lions in 2019. Now, he will become a free agent once again.
Miles Brown, Defensive Line
Brown cracked the league as an undrafted free agent out of Wofford back in 2019, but he hasn’t made much of a splash in the NFL to this point. Brown hasn’t registered a single NFL stat, but he has hung around a couple of NFL camps. Out of college, he cracked the Cardinals roster in 2019 and played in three games, but ended up being waived and signed to the practice squad. From there, Brown joined the Tennessee Titans in November 2020 following a September release in Arizona, and he stayed with the Titans until January 2021, when he became a free agent. Brown was never likely to last in Detroit given the depth up front.
Evan Heim, Offensive Line
The Lions signed Heim, a former college offensive lineman, this past offseason in May and it represented a dream come true for the former Amazon driver. Heim played his college football at Minnesota State-Mankato, and was trying to make a case to stay on a crowded Detroit offensive front. It didn’t work out for Heim, however, who is leaving and will have to look for an opportunity elsewhere.
Damion Ratley, Wide Receiver
The Lions didn’t see a lot from Ratley this preseason after signing him, so he gets waived at wideout. At just 25, it’s clear that Ratley is the type of player that perhaps could have plenty of time and opportunity left to make a big difference in the league if only he is given the chance perhaps somewhere else. Thus far in his NFL career, Ratley has 407 yards and 1 touchdown to his credit. Those aren’t huge numbers, but Ratley has also not been given a huge chance to make an impact. Ratley attended Texas A&M where he put up 920 yards and 8 scores in a three-year career. While his production has not been high, he has solid size at 6-3 to rely on. He will have to look elsewhere for a job after not making the most out of an opportunity in Detroit. Others in a similar position contractually such as Kalif Raymond managed to do just that.
Tyrell Crosby, Offensive Line
Since being a fifth-round pick of the team back in the 2018 draft, Crosby has been seen as a player who was a steal given his body type and also what he has been able to do at times as a starter in the league. So far in his career, Crosby has played in 38 games with 11 starts, making him a pretty durable contributor to the team’s offensive front all things considered. The injury in camp this year was amongst the worst pieces of news for Crosby in terms of his ability to stay with the roster. Crosby gets waived-injured designation, which means he could return to Detroit if unclaimed. The chances of that may be low given the need for good line help around the league.
Dan Skipper, Offensive Line
Skipper was an undrafted free agent out of Arkansas in 2017, so he undoubtably has a good relationship with Frank Ragnow, Detroit’s center. Ragnow is a fellow Razorback and both he and Skipper’s time overlapped in Fayetteville while in college. Interestingly enough, at 6-10, Skipper is one of the tallest players in the NFL, which is why teams have appreciated his tools up front. With a body that size, he can move around and serve as a key blocker, even though he has yet to carve out a role up front in the league. Skipper had a decent preseason, but was injured in the finale last Friday, which means he may yet end up on Detroit’s IR if unclaimed.
Craig Reynolds, Running Back
When Reynolds entered in Detroit, he came to the Lions short on NFL experience but long on intrigue given his work in college and what he did in a short time in the NFL. He came into the league as an undrafted free agent of the Washington Football Team in 2019, then signing with the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press first revealed the cut.
Lions are waiving RB Craig Reynolds, who had a really nice couple weeks. I’d like to believe he did enough to find work somewhere.
Interesting and surprising not to see Reynolds make the Lions, and given he isn’t, it’s possible the Lions could be keeping someone else at the spot, or not keeping as many runners. Reynolds impressed this preseason with a pair of scores in Detroit, and might latch on somewhere else now.
Jahlani Tavai, Linebacker
Tavai has done a bit of everything for the Lions and has been a jack of all trades but a master of none. He’s collected 116 tackles, 2 sacks and 1 fumble recovery coming into the 2021 offseason. Known mostly for his hair, Tavai has not made a ton of big plays for Detroit the last few seasons and has been an up and down player who has needed to show more consistency. Adam Schefter of ESPN confirmed the news on Tuesday morning.
Lions are waiving third-year linebacker Jahlani Tavai, the 43rd overall second-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, per source. They tried to trade him but no takers.
As a result of this, Tavai is unsurprisingly is moving on, and the Lions are starting over at linebacker. It was the biggest question the team had, arguably.
Geronimo Allison, Wide Receiver
In his career, Allison has put up 1,045 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns. He played three seasons with the Packers after being signed as an undrafted free agent out of Illinois. While with the Fighting Illini, Allison put up 1,480 yards and 8 touchdowns in a pair of seasons. Allison originally started at Iowa Western Community College and transferred to Illinois before beginning his NFL career. In Detroit, Allison opted out of his first season thanks to COVID-19. NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero broke news of this release.
The #Lions are releasing WR Geronimo Allison, source said.
Not a surprise to see Allison moving on given he didn’t produce a ton, but it’s another veteran wideout getting slashed at a position of need.
Tavante Beckett, Linebacker
Beckett was the best tackler in Conference USA and has some intriguing tape which shows him as a prospect with burst and good pursuit and instincts. The Lions need depth at linebacker, so it’s more than possible that Beckett could be a practice squad player as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press explained. Beckett impressed the Lions in camp and in the preseason.
Lions are waiving LB Tavante Beckett, but I expect he’ll be back on practice squad if he clears waivers
Detroit needs help at linebacker, and Beckett could be a guy who needs more seasoning to be able to make it in the NFL. It will be interesting to see if the Lions can get him that seasoning or if he lands elsewhere.
Darrin Paulo, Offensive Line
A four-year starter at Utah, Paulo was part of an offensive front which helped the Utes lead the PAC-12 in rushing during the 2019 season. Paulo also had 40 career starts and played in 53 career games during his college career. In spite of this, and his status as a three-time all-academic player in the conference, Paulo went undrafted in 2020, and had to latch on with the Saints in the offseason. He was released, then signed again by the Denver Broncos. Eventually, he was cut there and went to free agency, where the Lions scooped him up. Now, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Paulo is being cut.
Lions have waived OT Darrin Paulo. Could be a PS candidate. As Dan Campbell hinted yesterday, the Lions could be looking for backup OL depth on the waiver wire in the next 24 hours.
Paulo could be a player the Lions like for depth on the practice squad, and their line could benefit from additions such as this for depth.
Bruce Hector, Defensive Line
Hector has bounced around the league in several different spots, and he came into the league as an undrafted free agent out of USF in 2018. In college, Hector was very productive as a pass rusher, racking up 90 tackles and 18 sacks. In the NFL, Hector hasn’t gotten as big of a chance to shine, bouncing from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Arizona Cardinals back to the Eagles, to the Carolina Panthers and finally ending up with the Tennessee Titans. In the league, Hector has only collected 2 tackles and 0.5 sacks, but he hasn’t seen much of an opportunity to shine as of yet given his experience level. According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Hector is moving on.
The #Lions are waiving DT Bruce Hector, per source.
A surprise indeed here considering how solid Hector was in the preseason and in camp, but potentially, he could return to the Detroit practice squad.
Final Lions Roster Cuts
Some surprises for the Lions here including slashing both kickers, going with only a pair of tight ends and releasing veteran cornerbacks.