Lions roster cuts: QB Jake Rudock waived

After a training camp and preseason full of speculation about the rookie quarterback, Jake Rudock is headed to waivers. The Lions saw no reason to run with the rookie quarterback, a sixth-round draft pick out of the University of Michigan, over established backup quarterback Dan Orlovsky, or to carry three quarterbacks on the final 53-man roster. The report initially came from Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press:

Over the course of the past four months, Rudock has quickly become a fan favorite. That’s not all that surprising given he hails from the University of Michigan, but it goes beyond that. Rudock had a rough initial adjustment period to the NFL, as Jim Caldwell alluded to several times over the course of training camp. However, as time went on, Caldwell became more and more complimentary of the rookie quarterback. “He’s throwing the ball better,” Caldwell said on Tuesday. “He’s stronger in the pocket, more decisive.”

But that improvement, even with a solid performance in the final game, wasn’t enough to land Rudock on the final 53-man roster. The Lions are more than content having Orlovsky as a backup and apparently do not feel Rudock is worthy of utilizing a roster spot on a third quarterback. Presuming that Rudock doesn’t get picked up on waivers, he is a likely candidate to return on the Lions’ practice squad.