The Detroit Lions have largely set their 53-man roster ahead of their Week 1 action against the New Orleans Saints, but the team is still fine-tuning its unit ahead of the start of the regular season. Unfortunately, a handful of recent injuries have forced the Lions to make some changes, which is never something you want to see happen.
Over the past few days, running back Isiah Pacheco and center Cade Mays have both landed on injured reserve, meaning they will miss at least the first four games of the season. Rather than adding more depth at these spots, though, Detroit opted to release running back Jabari Small and center Seth McLaughlin on Wednesday in the wake of receiving this news.
Lions Release Jabari Small and Seth McLaughlin
Injuries had been a big topic of discussion for Detroit throughout the summer, but its issues were primarily popping up on the defensive side of the ball. But with Pacheco, who was set to be the team’s No. 2 running back behind Jahmyr Gibbs, and Cade Mays, who was in line to be the starting center, forced to miss time, the Lions have had to scramble on offense.
With these guys missing time, that could have resulted in both Small and McLaughlin getting an opportunity to earn snaps on offense. A pair of former undrafted free agents, both Small and McLaughlin performed well enough to surprisingly earn spots on the initial 53-man roster, and with Pacheco and Mays landing on injured reserve, it seemed like this was some good business by Detroit.
Instead, the front office has turned around and proceeded to rid itself of some of the depth it was set to rely on in the wake of these injuries. On Wednesday, the team announced that it was releasing both Small and McLaughlin, meaning that two positions that were already short on depth will need to be reinforced in the near future.
Lions announced they waived C Seth McLaughlin and RB Jabari Small,” Adam Schefter of ESPN shared in a post on X.
Lions Latest Roster Moves Leave Fans Scratching Their Heads
The Lions likely kept Small and McLaughlin on their roster knowing that they would need depth early in the season at their respective positions. With that in mind, releasing them now is rather confusing, simply because it creates more work for the front office. General manager Brad Holmes may have replacements lined up for these guys, but if he doesn’t, this is a rather risky decision.
As long as Gibbs is healthy, Detroit will be fine at running back, but it needs an answer at the center position, and soon. Right now, Juice Scruggs appears set to be the starter, with Ben Bartch also being an option, even though it is not his natural position. More moves are likely coming for the Lions, so it will be worth keeping an eye out for any additional activity in the coming days.
Lions Make Pair of Unexpected Roster Moves After Isiah Pacheco, Cade Mays Injuries