How many Detroit Lions free agency losses made new team’s 53-man roster?

This offseason, the Detroit Lions moved on from over a dozen players from the 2023 team and practice squad who ended up signing free agency deals with other teams. With roster cuts coming down on Tuesday, many of those players did not end up sticking around with their new team. Of course, it’s quite possible they’ll find their way back onto their team’s practice squad or another roster entirely.

But for now, here’s a look at the status of the notable players who left the Lions this offseason.

Made their initial 53-man roster

TE Zach Ertz — Made the Commanders roster
WR Josh Reynolds — Made the Broncos roster
OG Jonah Jackson — Made the Rams roster
DT Benito Jones — Made the Dolphins roster
CB Will Harris — Made the Saints roster
DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson — Made the Eagles roster

Didn’t make their initial 53-man roster

OT Matt Nelson — Released by Giants
EDGE Julian Okwara — Released by Eagles
LB Anthony Pittman — Released by Commanders
CB Chase Lucas — Waived by 49ers
CB Cam Sutton — Placed on reserve/suspended list of Steelers
CB Jerry Jacobs — Waived (w/injury settlement) from Rams
S Tracy Walker — Released by 49ers

In total, just six of the 13 players who parted ways with the Lions this offseason managed to stick to their new team’s 53-man roster. That said, it would not be surprising to see a few of the cut players return to their new team’s practice squad.

Still, it’s interesting to see that guys who were once considered major parts of the Lions’ future—like Tracy Walker and Jerry Jacobs—find themselves looking for jobs on Wednesday. It’s a stark reminder that things change in a hurry in the NFL.

In case you’re wondering if any of these waived/released players could return to Detroit, it’s hard to say. The Lions moved on from many of them for a reason. I could see some interest in guys like Pittman and Lucas for their special teams skills, but Detroit seems to have already have each of their replacements in Ben Niemann and Loren Strickland.

Regardless, we wish these guys the best, and we’ll update this post after the second wave of roster moves and practice squad signings.