Lions cutting former 7th-round pick RB Dwayne Washington, placing Zach Zenner on IR

The Detroit Lions’ backfield just got a little smaller. Despite a pretty impressive preseason finale, the Lions are cutting running back Dwayne Washington, per Dave Birkett.

Originally a 2016 seventh-round pick, we may have seen the last of Dwayne Washington in a Lions jersey. After adding both Kerryon Johnson and LeGarrette Blount this offseason, the Lions set up a tough uphill climb for Washington to make the roster.

But Washington never really got much of a chance to make an impression in the preseason. He barely saw any playing time, either on offense or special teams, putting his chances at making the roster at nearly zero. That is, until the preseason finale where he played nearly the entire game against the Cleveland Browns. He played well enough where he could get some interest from some other teams.

He still has practice squad eligibility, but the Lions may want to use the spot a little more wisely considering their strong depth at the position. In 17 career games with the Lions, Washington has 110 carries for 309 yards (2.8 YPC) and a touchdown.

Update: In addition to cutting Washington, the Lions are also placing fellow running back Zach Zenner on injured reserve. The undrafted back suffered a back injury in the preseason finale.