The Detroit Lions announced on Saturday the roster move that fans have been anticipating for months now: Left tackle Taylor Decker has officially been taken off the Physically Unable to Perform list and is now on the 53-man roster. The Lions had the free roster spot after waiving-injured tackle Greg Robinson on Friday.
#Lions activate T Taylor Decker and T Corey Robinson. pic.twitter.com/Z8VoetYt3l
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) November 11, 2017
Decker was widely considered Detroit’s best offensive lineman going into offseason, but a shoulder injury sustained during offseason workouts ended up tearing his labrum and requiring surgery. But after five months of rehab, Decker is now back on the team and eligible to start.
Though the Lions didn’t officially announce that Decker will start on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, it is presumed he’ll be in the starting lineup. Earlier in the week head coach Jim Caldwell said, “When Deck’s ready, Deck’s going to play.”
Well, he’s ready enough to be back on the 53-man roster, which presumably means he’s going to play on Sunday. That will be huge for Detroit, considering the Lions have struggled to pass protect this year and first overall pick Myles Garrett (4.0 sacks in three games) is in town this week.
In addition to Decker, the Lions also activated fellow offensive tackle Corey Robinson. Robinson suffered a foot injury that required surgery late last season, but didn’t fully heal before training camp. The Lions opted not to put him on Physically Unable to Perform list to start the regular season, but ended up placing him on IR just a week into the season.
Robinson, 2015 seventh-round pick, will provide some much needed depth along the offensive line, especially now that Greg Robinson has been waived. In 2016, Corey Robinson started three games at right tackle as an injury replacement and fared okay.
To make room for Robinson, the Lions waived wide receiver Jace Billingsley.
To make room for one extra roster spot, the team waived WR Jace Billingsley.
— Tim Twentyman (@ttwentyman) November 11, 2017
Of course, the big news is here is the return of the franchise’s left tackle. Welcome back, Taylor! We’ve missed you!
Let’s see some more of this on Sunday:
Taylor Decker looks to finish. Really appreciate his competitive toughness in both facets of the game. pic.twitter.com/HVThTSHAKm
— Brandon Thorn (@VeteranScout) December 14, 2016