One of the most surprising roster decisions the Detroit Lions made over the weekend was to cut veteran wide receiver Greg Dortch. He was widely seen as the WR4 and was considered a lock to make the 53-man roster. Instead, he was cut, much to the surprise of Lions fans.
In fact, it sounds like even Dortch himself was surprised by the decision. In his first remarks following his release, the 28-year-old playmaker couldn't hide his disappointment.
Greg Dortch clearly didn't expect to be cut by the Lions
Speaking to the media following his first practice as a member of the Buffalo Bills' practice squad, Dortch said, "I have been through that situation before. Getting cut... This one was a little bit different. It kinda caught me off guard. I didn't think I was going to be put in that position," per team insider Matt Parrino. Dortch went on to add that he was now glad to have landed in Buffalo.
These remarks are hardly surprising. Just like many training camp watchers and fans, Dortch must have felt like he had a good chance of making the roster. He had worked closely with offensive coordinator Drew Petzing during their Cardinals days, and there wasn't anyone particularly standing out in the receiver room who could challenge Dortch.
And that is perhaps the more surprising part of the decision. The Lions brought only four WRs onto their final roster. No other team had fewer than five receivers on their 53-man rosters. Detroit decided to give the WR4 job to unproven veteran Tay Martin over Dortch. It also means that the Lions now don't have anyone who has returned a punt in their careers, something Dortch has thrived in during his Arizona tenure.
If Dortch knew any more details about his release, he didn't share them with the media. The Lions haven't necessarily discussed the reasoning behind their decision to move on from Dortch.
One has to wonder whether the Lions wanted to bring Dortch back onto the practice squad. Perhaps the veteran return man was upset with the organization enough to choose the Bills over a return to Detroit.
Dortch must have the Week 2 matchup between the Lions and the Bills circled on his calendar. Whether he will get an opportunity on the active roster for a revenge game remains to be seen. Lions fans hope that they don't regret the decision to let him go.
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