Michael Roberts opening the door for other Detroit Lions tight ends

An overlooked battle in the Detroit Lions training camp is starting to get interesting. The tight ends are fighting for those coveted roster spots. Could the Lions end up carrying four tight ends this year?

When the Detroit Lions released Eric Ebron and Darren Fells signed with the Cleveland Browns in the offseason, the tight end situation in Detroit was in flux. The only returning tight end was fourth-round pick, Michael Roberts. Roberts had a uninspiring first season recording only four catches and mostly regulated to blocking duties. To help the situation, the Lions went out and signed two free agents, Luke Willson from Seattle and Levine Toilolo from Atlanta. The Lions also had one more they had stashed on their practice squad last year, Hakeem Valles.

For all intents and purposes, everyone anticipated Michael Roberts to walk in this year as the Detroit Lions starting tight end hands down. He is a year into the system. With his big body, he’s poised to have a big role in the red zone. Roberts has missed some practice time due to injuries. Because of that, he has had an uninspiring camp so far. The other tight ends have been able to take advantage of his absence and show what they can bring to the table.

Luke Willson has proved to be the most reliable target within the tight end group. He has shown to not only be a solid pass catcher, he has impressed with his blocking ability as well. Most people had Willson behind Roberts in the depth chart the start of camp. Willson might be able to take the starting tight end spot after showing he can be the all-around tight end the Lions need on top of the depth chart. Roberts’ struggles opened the door for him.

Toilolo is a monster of man coming in at 6-8 and 268 pounds. With his frame, he is able to block pretty much anyone and offers a big catch radius. Through camp so far, he has lived up to the billet as a blocking tight end. More times than not he is able to hold his blocks and in some cases planting someone in the ground. This is exactly what the Lions brought him in here to do. He only had 12 catches last year, but he does offer some receiving capabilities.

Valles was a practice squad player last season. He opted out of joining Arizona’s 53 man roster in favor of playing on the practice squad for Detroit. Then Arizona tried to poach him again, but like the first time, he felt Detroit is where he needed to be. Valles was a raw prospect coming of college playing tight end for only two years.

Valles has been quite the pleasant surprise through camp. With Roberts nursing an injury, no one has taken more advantage of rep time than Valles. He has made some nice catches and turned some heads during their weekend scrimmage. Coach Patricia gave out some nice praise towards Valles in his press conference. He talks about his route running, blocking ability, and all around intelligence. With weak depth in the tight end spot, he could easily take over if someone gets injured. He is still behind Roberts, Willson, and Toilolo in the pecking order, but he could make things very interesting come roster cut time.

This was a battle everyone thought to be locked up before camp even started. Roberts was going to start and Willson and Toilolo were going to back him up. With Willson’s emergence as an all-around tight end, Toilolo showing what he does best in his blocking ability, and Roberts inconsistencies it has made people rethink their depth charts. Valles is even making an argument that Detroit could carry four tight ends instead of five receivers this year.

General Manager Bob Quinn probably won’t cut bait with Roberts so soon, but he has shown he is not afraid to cut his draft picks if they are not performing like Antwione Williams. If Roberts doesn’t pick up the pace, he will continue his fall in not only the depth chart but also with the coaches graces as well. Jeff Risdon from Lions Wire said Roberts could be a surprise cut for the Lions.

With Willson and Toilolo having a strong camp, they could have a firm grasp on the top tight end spots in Detroit. Hopefully, Roberts is able to break out of his slump and perform at a higher level. If Valles continues his current trajectory he could make things captivating towards the end of camp and make a case for a roster spot. Keep your eyes on this unexpected camp battle.