A day after the Detroit Lions suddenly cut defensive end Robert Ayers, the mysterious situation remains a mystery after general manager Bob Quinn ignored a question about Ayers.
At the annual Lions' kickoff luncheon Wednesday at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center, moderator Dan Miller asked Quinn about the roster churn and the recent additions of Ayers and fellow pass rusher Eli Harold.
"The roster's constantly evolving," Miller said. "Bob, there are two players you picked up recently. I don't know if there's anything you can share on what happened to Robert Ayers. But Eli Harold is very interesting."
Miller, the Lions' play-by-play announcer on WJR-AM and the sports director at Fox 2, continued his question to include more background on Harold. Quinn said nothing about Ayers and answered only the portion of Miller's question regarding Harold, whom he acquired Aug. 23 in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers for a 2020 seventh-round pick.
Ayers practiced Monday with the Lions. On Tuesday, he was not at practice or in the locker room afterward. The Lions announced in a brief statement later in the day that the nine-year veteran had been released.
Just 20 minutes before Tuesday's practice, coach Matt Patricia spoke with reporters. He complimented Ayers' versatility and said "it'll be a good opportunity for us to just take a look and see how (he) fits us."
On Wednesday, Quinn shed no light on Ayers' situation. Instead, he explained the value of adding Harold to a defense that has just one sack through three preseason games.
"We obviously scouted Eli out of college a few years back and followed his career in San Francisco," Quinn said. "And he's a versatile guy. He can play on the line of scrimmage. He can play off the ball. He can rush the passer, the set the edge, he can play in coverage. So these guys that are versatile, athletic and long, we're going to find a role for those guys in Matt's defense.
