The month of May is an exciting time for NFL players. After a few months to digest how last year ended, the Detroit Lions will head back to Michigan later this month to take part in the bulk of their offseason program. While a crop of new faces adds some anticipation for fans, veterans see it as competition as they look to keep their job heading into next year.
The Lions aren’t alone in this development. Teams across the league will open their offseason programs this month and while the competition won’t heat up until training camp in July, the groundwork for those battles are laid right now.
It has several former Lions players worried about their jobs this month and could leave them unemployed by the time the calendar turns to June.
1. WR Isaiah Williams (Bengals)
Being a wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals is tough if your name isn’t Ja’Marr Chase or Tee Higgins. But it’s increasingly difficult when you’re a fringe player like Isaiah Williams.
An undrafted free agent out of Illinois, Williams made the 53-man roster for Detroit last season. After catching two passes for six yards over two games, Williams was released by the Lions in November and signed with the Bengals after punt returner Charlie Jones went down with an injury.
Returning punts is a good way to find a job somewhere and Williams did a decent job with 11 returns for 93 yards. But the Bengals depth chart is loaded with Jones returning, Andrei Iosivas manning the slot and Kendric Pryor ahead of Williams on the depth chart.
With so many players in front of him, Williams could be expendable and looking for a new job by the end of the month.
2. C Ryan McCollum (Steelers)
The Pittsburgh Steelers are trying to get back to their smashmouth ways but a casualty could be former Lions center Ryan McCollum. The Texas A&M product went undrafted in 2021 and signed with the Houston Texans. While he ultimately wound up on the practice squad, he was signed to the Lions’ active roster the following October and re-signed with the Lions for the 2022 season.
McCollum’s time in Detroit didn’t last long as he was waived during training camp but he latched on and found a long-term home with the Steelers. He has been waived or released by Pittsburgh three different times since his arrival and could be in line for a fourth with the addition of Lecitus Smith this offseason.
We are talking about the backup center spot and it may benefit Pittsburgh to let things play out through training camp. But McCollum’s limited playing time may inspire the Steelers to look for an upgrade or let Smith earn the job in the offseason program.
3. DE Jonah Williams (Saints)
Jonah Williams is a fifth-year player that took a tour around the NFC last season. After starting the year with the Minnesota Vikings, Williams spent time with the Los Angeles Rams before heading to Detroit at the end of the year. The results weren’t great as Williams posted an overall grade of 38.2 but he was able to secure a contract with the New Orleans Saints.
While Williams is likely to accept any opportunity, the Saints may not be as promising as he would have hoped. Chase Young and Cameron Jordan are occupying the starting spots for New Orleans while Isaiah Foskey (2023 second-round) and Fadil Diggs (2025 seventh-round) are two recent draft picks the Saints are unlikely to give up on.
This creates an uphill climb for Williams to make the roster and could have him expanding his NFL tour next month.