The Detroit Lions are once again taking advantage of the new practice squad rules for 2020 and have elevated defensive tackle Kevin Strong and corner/gunner Dee Virgin from the practice squad to the active roster for their Week 2 game against the Green Bay Packers.
The new rule allows the team to elevated up to two players from the practice squad each week, expanding the team’s active roster from 53- to 55-players on game day. At midnight the day of the Lions game, the players will revert back to the Lions practice squad — as long as the player has not been elevated two other times this season, they will not have to go through the waivers process.
With Nick Williams being downgraded to out for this week’s matchup, the Lions need depth on the defensive line and Strong has experience in this scheme after making the 53-man roster as an undrafted free agent in 2019.
Virgin being promoted gives the Lions depth at the corner position as well as a starting gunner. Last week, Darryl Roberts was starting at gunner opposite Tony McRae, but he is nursing a calf injury — is listed as questionable for this game — and potentially taking over the starting slot corner role. So it would make sense for the Lions to shift Roberts’ gunner responsibilities over to Virgin, who held that role the previous two seasons.
