It’s gameday again, and that means it’s another opportunity for players on the roster bubble to make their case for a spot on the 53. It’s been an up and down week of practice with the New York Giants, so Friday night could be drastically important for some fringe players. After all, cut day is just over two weeks away, and opportunities to impress are running out.
Last week, there were a few standouts that certainly helped their cause. Leo Koloamatangi stood out among reserve offensive linemen. Ameer Abdullah made a really strong case for keeping him on the roster, and rookie Tracy Walker seemed to make an impression on head coach Matt Patricia.
But who will be this week’s standout player? Today’s Question of the Day is:
Who will be the player of the game in the Lions’ preseason matchup against the Giants?
My answer: I’m finally buying into the Hakeem Valles hype. Having seen him blow away the Giants’ second and third stringers all week, I’d be very surprised to see him struggle Friday night against the same players. Heck, Valles even got significant time with the first stringers this week, so we could even see him play earlier than expected.
And considering the poor play of the reserve quarterbacks as of late, don’t be surprised to see them check down to safe passes underneath, paving the way for Valles and his other tight end compatriots to put some serious numbers.
Valles is firmly the Lions’ No. 4 tight end on the depth chart, with no real competitors behind him. The question is whether Valles can push the likes of Luke Willson, Levine Toilolo or Michael Roberts for their spot. If not, Valles has been making a serious case to keep four tight ends, especially since none of the three above him have consistently impressed this preseason.
Your turn.