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The Detroit Lions have decided to put running back Montell Owens on injured reserve with the designation to return, according to Dave Birkett. This means that Owens will be out for at least six weeks, and the move will open up a roster spot next week when it can be made official.
Since the Lions have to wait a few days to actually put Owens on IR, this move doesn't open up a roster spot right now. As a result, they still have 63 players on their roster, but it is an indication that they want to free up a spot, perhaps to keep wide receiver Matt Willis or running back Steven Miller.
In any case, Owens is headed to IR after suffering a non-contact knee injury against the New England Patriots. Upon first glance it looked like he might have torn his ACL, but it turned out to not be quite that serious. He will miss the first part of the season, though, so the Lions will be without one of their top contributors on special teams during that time.