There are some injuries that open up the roster a bit for some newcomers. I personally think that the best young guys should make the roster and help transform the team by making it younger and stronger longer term.

I am definitely thinking some should go on the Injured Reserve to start the year too to allow them to get back up to full strength before playing. Jameson Williams is an obvious candidate, but there are several others. Romeo Okwara, Dan Skipper, Jerry Jacobs, Josh Paschal, and Levi Onwuzurike are close behind Williams in needing to take more time to heal. This is an opportunity for the Lions too to hopefully avoid some talent getting plucked off of the waiver list. Quintez Cephus might such a guy you want to protect and bring back when he's fully healthy. James Mitchell might be still another guy that is better off getting extra training time before being put on the field.

That is 8 players that should have a good to very good chance of normally being among our top 53 players, but until they are really ready to play, I'd hold them back.

To give us even more ability to keep the best of the best, I'd cut back our quarterback room. Three 27-year old QBs just doesn't make a lot of sense to me. If one or more really aren't likely to ever have an NFL playing career maybe you decide on one to be a coach, or maybe they've done that already with their recent hire. In any case I'm almost of the opinion you only carry 1 QB on the team, and carry 1 more only if they really are the 53rd best player you got.

So I have opened-up up to 10 spots on the 53 man roster with the IR and QB cuts. Here's who I'd like the Lions to keep, as well as hope they'll clear some to keep on their practice squad:

1 - QB Jared Goff, and perhaps retain David Blough on the practice squad

4 - RB D'Andre Swift, Jamaal Williams, Craig Reynolds, and Jermar Jefferson. Greg Bell is already on the IR. Can Jordan Jackson be put on the practice squad?

1 - FB Jason Cabinda

3- TE TJ Hockenson, Shane Zylstra, and Brock Wright, with Mitchell on the IR. Derrick Deese to the practice squad.

5 - WR DJ Chark, Josh Reynolds, Amon-Ra St Brown, Khalil Raymond, and Kalil Pimpleton with Williams and Cephus on the IR. Hopefully Josh Johnson is retained on the practice squad.

8 - OL Taylor Decker, Penei Sewell, Frank Ragnow, Hal Vaitai, Jonah Jackson, Evan Brown, Tommy Kraemer, and Matt Nelson. Skipper goes to the IR. I hope we can retain Obinna Eze and Kevin Jarvis for the practice squad

3 - ST Jack Fox, Scott Daly, and Austin Siebert. Ideally Riley Patterson can be retained on the practice squad.

7 - DE Aidan Hutchinson, Charles Harris, Austin Bryant, Eric Banks, Julian Okwara, John Cominsky, and James Houston. Romeo Okwara and Josh Paschal go to the IR.

5 - DT Alim McNeill, Michael Brockers, Jashon Cornell, Isaiah Buggs, and Demetrius Taylor. Onwuzurike goes on the IR.

5 - LB Alex Anzalone, Chris Board, Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez, and Anthony Pittman.

6 - CB Amani Oruwariye, Jeff Okudah, Will Harris, AJ Parker, Chase Lucas, and Mike Hughes. Jacobs goes on the IR.

5 - S Tracy Walker, D'Shon Elliott, Kerby Joseph, TJ Moore, and Ifeatu Meliwonu. Brady Breeze and Bobby Price I hope make it to the practice squad for us too.

53 with 8 on the IR and up to 9 on the practice squad.