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In a bit of a surprising move, coming in with just over 24 hours remaining before the Lions kick off their season, Bob Quinn and the front office have cleared space on the injury reserve. Josh Bynes, originally designated during the cuts from the 75 to 53-man roster, was released by the team on Saturday.
The #Lions announced today that they have released LB Josh Bynes from Reserve/Injured.
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) September 10, 2016
The Lions had originally signed Bynes off the Baltimore Ravens practice squad back in the 2014 season. In 2015, the team re-signed him to a two-year contract. Bynes had been placed on IR with a knee injury, and the Lions had claimed Jaguars linebacker Thurston Armbrister off of waivers to replace him.
The release will require a injury settlement from the Detroit Lions.
The move is a clear sign that the team had no intentions to keep him on the IR spot designated to return; the team may only designate one player from IR to return during the NFL season.
However, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press points out, there is a chance that Bynes might return to the Lions after the settlement. Whether that scenario actually pans out given the circumstances is to be determined.
FYI: Players released with an injury settlement only have to wait 3 games beyond the settlement to re-sign with their old team this year
— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) September 10, 2016