Dan Campbell may have hinted at a Lions veteran winning a roster spot in press conference
Dan Campbell may have accidentally given away one of the Detroit Lions’ final roster decisions. A veteran who entered camp looking like a potential long shot just got mentioned in a VERY telling conversation. And at this point, it feels like he’s making the 53.
The Detroit Lions are just over a week away from final roster cutdowns, and Dan Campbell may have tipped his hand about which linebackers are making the 53-man roster. During his Thursday press conference, Campbell was asked about the green dot and who would wear it if All-Pro linebacker Jack Campbell couldn’t go. His answer gave us more than just a backup plan. It gave us a potential roster spoiler.
A reporter asked Campbell the hypothetical, and even he seemed reluctant to entertain it, joking about doom scenarios and knocking on wood at the podium. But when he answered, he named three guys. This is what he had to say:
“There’s a number of guys we like. You know, Rodrigo (Malcolm Rodriguez) could take the green dot. (Joe) Bachi could take the green dot. Now (Trevor Nowaske), there’s a chance Now takes green dot. Now had the green dot the other day. So we’ve got guys that can do that, but that’s not going to happen. You know, I guess if his (Campbell) shoe comes off, yes, one of those guys can do that.”
The shoe comment got a laugh. Campbell clearly isn’t worried about losing Jack Campbell for any stretch of time. But I don’t care about that part. What I took from it was this: here are three guys the Lions trust enough to run the defense if needed. And that tells us a lot about where the roster is headed.
Malcolm Rodriguez is the obvious one
Nobody ever questioned whether Malcolm Rodriguez would make this roster. We all knew that was happening. Rodriguez has been a staple of this defense, and his name coming up in the green dot conversation is no surprise.
Trevor Nowwaske is trending the right way
I’ve had Nowaske on the bubble for most of this summer, but I’ve been leaning more and more toward him making the roster. At this point, I think he’s going to make it for sure. Campbell mentioning him by name as a potential green dot carrier only reinforces that. You don’t hand the defensive communication responsibilities to a guy you’re about to cut.
Joe Bachi is the real story here
Here’s the thing. When the Lions signed Joe Bachi, the general reaction was that he’s a camp body. Somebody who can help out in camp, maybe earn a practice squad spot out of it. But now Dan Campbell is out here saying Bachii could be one of the guys who takes the green dot if Jack Campbell can’t go. Bachi is the backup middle linebacker on the depth chart, sitting right behind Jack Campbell. That’s not a camp body. That’s a roster lock.
I put Bachi on my initial 53-man roster projection after last Thursday’s preseason game against the Bengals, and nothing has changed my mind since. He keeps showing up in practice over and over again on the defensive side of the ball and on special teams.
That second part matters. Special teams coordinator Dave Fipp said on Wednesday that the days of making the team based on special teams play alone are over. You have to be able to do special teams plus play on defense or offense. Fipp mentioned there are a couple of guys who are special-teams-only players, and that’s about it for them. But Bachi is doing exactly what Fipp is asking for. He can play defense. He can play special teams. You’re not going to get starts out of him, and you hope you never have to. But if you put him out there, he can do some things. He’s going to be your special teams guy who also gives you legitimate depth at linebacker.
Campbell just spoiled it. Bachi is making this roster. I’m keeping him in my 53-man projections, and we’re going to find out soon enough — the Lions have to make their final cutdowns on Aug. 30.
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