Lions Cut Veteran Wide Receiver, Defensive Lineman From Roster

The Detroit Lions, like all of the other teams in the NFL, had to get down to 85 players which meant it was time for some roster cuts, and Tuesday afternoon, the team revealed the decisions they had made.

Leaving the roster were defensive lineman Michael Barnett and wideout Chad Hansen, who was waived with an injury settlement. Linebacker Sean Dion Hamilton was placed on the reserve/injured list as part of the move as well, which was also revealed.

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Here’s a look at the full line of announcements as posted on Twitter:

Barnett had just been signed a few weeks back as a defensive lineman to provide some depth at the spot while some other players healed up. Hansen joined the roster earlier this summer as a wideout, and was a player who had knowledge of Jared Goff given their connection in college.

Both wideout and defensive line are two of the deeper spots on the roster right now, so both of these cuts make sense at this point in terms of the entire roster

Barnett and Johnson’s Career Stats and Highlights

When Barnett joined the team, he had no previous ties to the organization at all. Barnett went undrafrted out of Georgia in 2020, and signed with the New England Patriots last season. He spent last season in New England before being released in April of 2021. A powerful nose tackle, Barnett had 47 tackles and 2 passes defended for the Bulldogs in college.

Barnett will move on from the Lions now, and will have to find a new team in which to play this season. Detroit added him for some depth, but ended up not needing Barnett at all at this point.

Hanson’s Stats and Career Highlights

Hanson started his collegiate career at Idaho State, and after a year there, transferred to Cal. While with the Golden Bears and also Goff, Hanson put up a solid 1,498 yards and 12 touchdowns en-route to becoming a first-team All-PAc-12 in 2016. He became a noteworthy player thanks to his ability to get up and down the field for the Bears, and as a result, he put himself on NFL radars. In the 2017 NFL Draft, Hanson was a fourth-round pick of the New York Jets.

From the Jets, Hanson went to the New England Patriots in 2018, then signed with the Tennessee Titans in 2018, joined the Denver Broncos shortly after that, signed with the New Orleans Saints in 2019, then landing with the Houston Texans in 2019 and 2020. In the NFL, Hanson hasn’t put up huge stats, but does have 330 yards and 1 touchdown to his credit on 26 catches.

In terms of highlights, Hanson made his biggest impact in the league so far in Houston as this highlight shows.

Now, like Barnett, Hansen is moving on on from the roster and this is merely the first round of cuts the team will have.

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