Sunday open thread: How many QBs will the Lions keep on the main roster in 2022?

Year 2 for general manager Brad Holmes was always going to be a pivotal point in this Detroit Lions rebuild. With two first-round picks at their disposal and plenty of holes to patch and areas to improve, every decision seems monumental.

So far so good. Lions fans seem to really appreciate the job that Holmes has done so far, and on paper, it looks a heck of a lot better than it did last year. And as we near the start of preseason, competitions are really starting to heat up.

One area that hasn’t really changed since last year is the quarterback position. Jared Goff has grown a lot since he first touched down in Detroit, and his confidence has skyrocketed since the second half of last year. But as far as the backups are concerned, the Lions are still rocking with Tim Boyle and David Blough as their No. 2 and No 3. options, in no particular order.

Both Boyle and Blough have had their ups and downs, and we’re still at a point where I’m not sure if either player has really separated themselves from the other. But that could change. In the previous couple of years, the Lions went on to keep three QBs when first establishing their 53-man roster. But in a year where there is a ton of depth elsewhere and an opportunity to keep an extra player to avoid a tougher decision, could that change in 2022?

Today’s Question of the Day is...

How many quarterbacks will the Lions keep on their main roster in 2022?

My answer: I think this is the year the Lions stick with only two QBs.

It’s very possible that neither Blough or Boyle end up separating themselves from the other by the time roster cutdowns happen. Though their skillsets aren’t necessarily the same, the impact from each of them seemingly ends up being the same. And that is, if Goff goes down to an injury at any point, neither one of these guys are good enough to win that many games for the Lions.

A lot of teams have elected to keep more than two QBs in recent past because of the added impact of COVID-19. In 2022, that is likely less of a factor than it was a year ago, but it’s still something to consider.

But if the Lions find themselves at a crossroads where they are looking for extra bodies at a more stacked position, then it could make more sense to give up on one of their backups and elect to stack bodies somewhere else.

For example, let’s say the Lions have Michael Brockers, Alim McNeill, Levi Onwuzurike (currently injured), and Jashon Cornell locked in at defensive tackle. You might be able to include Isaiah Buggs and Bruce Hector, too, which makes five, potentially six DTs depending on where Onwuzurike is at.

Considering the injuries to Onwuzurike and Paschal—who can also play inside—that could make them feel a little thinner at the position. That’s where a guy like Demetrius Taylor comes in, who is on the bubble, but is having a great camp so far. If the Lions think that he can make an impact as a reserve DT, well then it makes plenty of sense to add an extra interior lineman that could make an impact right away rather than stashing a third QB—who would never see the field in a perfect world.

Let’s hear it from you. What should the Lions do at the quarterback position?