The final round of NFL roster cuts took place today, and the Lions trimmed their roster down to 53 players by parting ways with the following:
RB DeDe Dorsey
WR Brian Clark
WR Tim Toone
WR Mike Moore
OG Noah Franklin
OT Jon Jansen
OT Cliff Louis
C Dan Gerberry
DT Landon Cohen
DT Jaron Baston
DT Robert Calloway
LB Caleb Campbell
LB Vinnie Ciurciu
CB Dante Wesley
CB Paul Pratt
CB T.J. Rushing
CB Dre' Bly
CB Eric King
S Ko Simpson
K Steve Hauschka
Waived/Injured - DE Korey Bosworth
Also, as previously mentioned, TE Dan Gronkowski was traded to the Denver Broncos along with what is thought to be a late round draft pick for second year CB Alphonso Smith.
I guess the surprises today are probably Jansen, Bly and King. Jansen appeared to be a lock as he and Cherilus shared time with the starting unit throughout the preseason, but in the end, the youth movement sealed his fate. King was made expendable by a trade few saw coming. Although his play left a lot to be desired, I believed that he would make the final roster for his contributions at the nickel spot. As for Bly, I'm not sure what to think. I guess once again getting younger as a team is the likely reason, but I sure thought there was a place for him on this roster.
In case you didn't notice, Kevin Smith is not on this list.