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An NFL roster can be a very fluid thing during training camp, and just a few days after the Detroit Lions filled up their roster, they elected to subtract from it once again.
On Tuesday, August 4, the team revealed that they had released linebacker Reggie Gilbert from the roster. Gilbert’s stay with the team was short-lived given he had previously joined the roster on June 7 of this year.
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Gilbert’s release perhaps leaves some wiggle room for the Lions if they see a veteran player at a spot of need get cut, or want to make an addition to the roster of their own choosing. Some spots that have been speculated as needs for the team include running back, wide receiver and safety.
With Gilbert moving on, the Lions may have the flexibility in the coming days for such a move.
Gilbert’s Stats and Highlights
Coming into the league in 2016 out of Arizona, Gilbert went undrafted but was scooped up by the Packers, who placed him on the roster and got almost immediate results, putting up 38 tackles and 2.5 sacks in his rookie season. Come 2019, Gilbert had fallen out of favor in Green Bay, and the team shipped him off to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for a seventh-round pick in the 2020 draft. Gilbert didn’t last long in Tennessee, and bounced around to Arizona and more recently Jacksonville afterward. So far, he’s put up 62 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, deflected 3 passes and recovered a fumble in his career.
A look at the tape shows some of the athleticism that the Lions may have liked in Gilbert:
With Gilbert moving on, the hope is the Lions believe they have enough players to step up and provide some havoc in the trenches.
Lions Linebacker Depth in 2021
If there’s a positive to this move for the Lions, it could be that the team is starting to be satisfied with the players they have seen step up in recent days at linebacker in practice. This offseason, it seemed the group was thin until Detroit made a few additions in Shaun-Dion Hamilton, Derrick Barnes and Alex Anzalone. They still have an inconsistent Jahlani Tavai on the roster looking to improve his standing, and have seen others shift from defensive end to outside linebacker such as Trey Flowers, Julian Okwara and Romeo Okwara. So far in camp, Anthony Pittman has been impressive for the team.
Gilbert seemed like he could have a chance to crack what was a relatively thin group at linebacker and impress some coaches, but it’s possible the Lions might be deeper than first thought at the position. It will be interesting to see if Gilbert gets snapped up in the coming days by a linebacker or edge needy team. He could be a good candidate for a practice squad if he is able to carve out a role somewhere in the league.
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