News Report: Detriot Lions enters transfer portal…
Throughout the offseason, one of the common themes from analysts and media is that the Detroit Lions have one of the deepest rosters in the NFL. On Tuesday, that point was illustrated when former Lions rookie linebacker Steele Chambers was claimed off waivers by the New England Patriots.
At this time in the offseason, the NFL waiver system is still based on last season’s record, meaning the Patriots held the third option in the pecking order of waiver claims. Therefore, it’s unclear if they were the only team to put in a claim, or if others also did so, and New England beat them to the punch.
During the Brad Holmes/Dan Campbell tenure with the Lions, we have seen the organization build the roster brick by brick, slowly filling holes and expanding deep position groups even further. It’s been an impressive process to watch unfold.
In the past few offseasons, we have regularly seen players released by the Lions get claimed by other NFL teams and carve out roles. Just last season, the Arizona Cardinals alone claimed Starling Thomas after training camp, then Trevor Nowaske off waivers late in the season, with both seeing regular season action in the desert.
For perspective, Thomas was beaten out by Steven Gilmore for the last cornerback spot on the Lions roster in 2023. Gilmore was active for three games, with his final game coming in Week 7 of the regular season. Meanwhile, Thomas played in 12 games for the Cardinals and started seven games after Week 7. Furthermore, Nowaske actually made the Lions’ roster during the season after the Cowboys tried to claim him off Detroit’s practice squad, but the Lions were forced to waive him late in the season in order to make room for players returning from injured reserve. They wanted to keep him but simply didn’t have the space.
