Lions roster cuts: Last eight players released

The Detroit Lions have announced their last eight cuts of the day: fullback Emil Igwenagu, wide receiver Andrew Peacock, wide receiver Patrick Edwards, tight end Jordan Thompson, defensive tackle Andre Fluellen, defensive tackle Jimmy Saddler-McQueen, defensive tackle Xavier Proctor and linebacker Julian Stanford.

Igwenagu ended up spending less than a week with the Lions. He was claimed off waivers on Monday, and now he's once again without a team. The Lions brought him in to play fullback, and he didn't exactly have a lot of time to make an impact. Perhaps he made enough of an impression to earn consideration for the practice squad, though.

Peacock joined the Lions this past offseason as an undrafted free agent out of Appalachian State. He caught eight passes for 74 yards in the preseason, and he seemingly did enough to at least be considered for the practice squad. It wasn't enough to make the 53-man roster, though.

Edwards actually made the Lions' 53-man roster last season, but he was demoted to the practice squad after appearing in only four games. This summer, he had another chance to make the Lions' 53-man roster, but he was behind several guys. Perhaps he will once again end up on the practice squad, but this could be the end of the road for Edwards in Detroit.

Thompson joined the Lions back in April. At the time, he was viewed as a camp body at tight end, and that was especially the case after the Lions drafted Eric Ebron. At that point, their top three was already established at tight end, so Thompson became an even bigger long shot to make the team. Perhaps he has gotten into the mix for a spot on the practice squad, but he was only going to make the 53-man roster if somebody ahead of him got injured.

Getting released by the Lions is nothing new for Fluellen. He was actually on his fourth stint with the team before being released this time around. The Lions drafted him in 2008, and he has been on and off the roster many times since then. With the top four at defensive tackle set once the Lions drafted Caraun Reid, it's no surprise that Fluellen was let go, but if there's ever an injury, he certainly could be brought back at a later date.

Much like last year, Saddler-McQueen and Proctor were always facing an uphill battle to make the team since the Lions have so much depth at defensive tackle. That uphill battle got even tougher with the Reid pick, and there was only going to be room for Saddler-McQueen and Proctor if there were multiple injuries ahead of them on the depth chart. Both players should have a shot at once again ending up on the practice squad, though.

Finally, Stanford was mainly a special teams player for the Lions, so it's no surprise that he has been released. He was potentially in the mix for the final spot at linebacker, but with other players bringing more to the table on both special teams and defense, Stanford wasn't able to make the team.

The Lions have now finalized their 53-man roster (for now, anyway).