Lions release Jon Morgan

The 2014 NFL Draft may almost be here, but that doesn't mean that all other business in the league has suddenly come to a halt. Teams are still making moves before the draft begins, including the Detroit Lions. Case in point: According to Dave Birkett, the Lions decided to release linebacker Jon Morgan on Thursday.

Morgan actually received an injury settlement along with his release, so it's likely that he was let go with the waived/injured designation. Birkett reports that Morgan injured his knee at the Lions' voluntary minicamp in April, and the team decided on Thursday to part ways with him.

So, why did the Lions wait until the day of the draft to make this move? Their roster was at 78 players before Morgan's release. With eight picks scheduled to be made by the Lions in the draft, they were only going to have four spots for undrafted free agents. The Lions now have room for five UDFAs with Morgan off the team.

In all likelihood, Morgan won't be the only one let go by the Lions in the coming days. I'm guessing they will want to sign more than just five UDFAs, so there's likely going to be a decent amount of turnover at the bottom of the roster.