Whether it’s a roster adjustment during these uncertain times or part of a pre-planned offseason strategy, the Detroit Lions are just over a week away from the NFL draft and their 90-man roster appears to be maxed out.
With 81 players having contracts in place and nine draft picks in their possession, the Lions don’t have any room to add any undrafted free agents. Meaning if they want to sign any UDFAs after the draft, they will have to start cutting players off of their active roster to make room.
Typically, general manager Bob Quinn has entered the draft with double-digit open spots on the 90-man roster — he had 12 open roster spots in 2016, 14 in 2017, 14 in 2018, and 11 in 2019 — but this year he has zero.
This doesn’t mean the Lions won’t pursue any UDFA’s, they always do as part of their team-building strategy, but it could mean they will be more selective in the offers they make.
Quinn does have some room on the roster to maneuver if he needs to clear space. Here’s a look at the number of players the Lions currently have at each position:
| Quarterback | 3 |
| Running back | 6 |
| Wide receiver | 11 |
| Tight end | 5 |
| Offensive tackle | 5 |
| Interior offensive line | 9 |
| Interior defensive line | 7 |
| EDGE rusher | 4 |
| Off-the-ball Linebacker | 12 |
| Corner | 9 |
| Safety | 5 |
| Kicker | 1 |
| Punter | 2 |
| Long Snapper | 2 |
Off-the-ball linebacker, punter, and long snapper stand out as overloaded positions that could be altered, and for every player drafted, that position group could also see adjustments.
The Lions will surely bring in UDFAs, but will it still be the double-digit amount we have seen under Quinn in the past? We will find out in 10 days.
