The Detroit Lions are coming down the stretch, and for the second straight year, they’re looking for more bodies than they have on the active roster. One of the areas where Detroit is banged up is at the tight end position, where Sam LaPorta is likely out for the season with a back injury, Brock Wright is nursing a neck injury, and Shane Zylstra has been on injured reserve with an ankle injury.
The lack of depth at tight end makes it somewhat surprising that the Lions released Ross Dwelley on Tuesday to clear a spot on the active roster for defensive back Arthur Maulet. But while the move appears to be a game of “Whack-A-Mole” on the surface, it may come with a reason that could show the Lions have a plan ahead of Sunday’s showdown with the Los Angeles Rams.
Shane Zylstra’s Week 15 Odds Just Went Up Following Lions’ Ross Dwelley Decision
Zylstra has been on the shelf since suffering his injury on a kickoff during a Week 2 win over the Chicago Bears, but he had been making strides to return to the field. The Lions opened Zylstra’s 21-day practice window on Dec. 1, and they have until Dec. 22 to activate him before the team’s Christmas game against the Minnesota Vikings, or he will be out for the rest of the season.
The Lions' schedule may have suggested that would be the likeliest path. With Detroit traveling to Los Angeles on Sunday and hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 21, they could have avoided having to use Zylstra for a stretch of three games in 11 days and risking an aggravation of the injury. Then again, Dwelley’s performance may have been the reason to accelerate the process.
Dwelley was signed to the Lions practice squad on Sept. 16 and was promoted to the active roster on Sept. 24. But while he was counted on as an “in case of emergency” player, he saw an increased role after Zylstra’s injury and an even bigger one in the last two weeks, logging a season-high 47 loss against the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving and 18 snaps in last Thursday’s win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Unfortunately, those snaps didn’t amount to much. Dwelley earned a 44.4 overall grade and 45.2 run-blocking grade against the Packers, according to Pro Football Focus. While he played better against the Cowboys with an overall grade of 57.0 and run-blocking grade of 58.2, it came with a reduction in playing time, perhaps signaling the Lions were done with the experiment.
With just six total snaps and one offensive snap on the season, Zylstra isn’t likely to be a major upgrade on Dwelley or make anyone forget about LaPorta’s absence. But he’s also a player who knows the system and could mesh better with recent pickups Anthony Firkser and Hayden Rucci.
It could also be another handshake agreement between the Lions and Dwelley. If he clears waivers, the Lions can sign Dwelley to the practice squad again while activating Zylstra, giving them the same group of tight ends down the stretch.
Either way, it appears the Lions may have something up their sleeve, which allowed them to bring in Maulet to help the secondary and possibly activate Zylstra to help against the Rams.