Detroit Lions: 10 Players Who Could Be Gone in 2016

Oct 11, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky (8) adjusts his helmet before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Ford Field. Cardinals win 42-17. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Dan Orlovsky

The Lions gave Kellen Moore every opportunity to unseat Dan Orlovsky as the Lions number two quarterback but it didn’t happen. That was partly because Moore didn’t seize the opportunity by playing as well as he should or could have but also because Orlovsky played well during the preseason.

Orlovsky may have earned his spot as the number two but that says more about the competition for the job than Orlovsky himself. Kellen Moore and Garrett Gilbert didn’t prove to be real competition, and the Lions entered the season with just two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster as a result.

Matthew Stafford has quieted critics about his standing as the team’s starting quarterback beyond this season but that doesn’t mean the Lions can continue to ignore the quarterback position behind him. Even if Stafford returns as the unquestioned starter in 2016, the quarterback depth chart needs to be rebuilt.

Orlovsky is not signed beyond this season so there is no penalty, but also no salary cap benefit, for saying “thanks for your years of service” and moving on. If the Lions feel the need to add a veteran backup, they should aim higher than what Orlovsky can bring at this point in his career. Regardless of whether or not they add a backup in free agency, a developmental quarterback in the middle rounds of the draft is a definite need.

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What do you think? Do you predict any of these ten players will be with the Lions next season or what players not mentioned do you think are playing their last games with the team?