Detroit Lions Weblog

Make that 11, Manuel Joins Expanding List of IR Additions for the Lions

Over the last couple of days, the Lions added two DB’s to their IR list, Marquand Manuel and the recently-acquired-and-all-too-Lionesque-injured-on-his-first-play-in-uniform, Jack Williams. The Lions now have 11 players on IR, with Stephen Peterman and Ernie Sims also remaining as potential additions, as injuries take their toll on an already undermanned Lions roster.

With two open roster spots, the Lions added OL Melvin Fowler and snatched up a DB/KR DeAngelo Smith from the Bears practice squad. Each player could see playing time in Sunday’s game with the Browns.

The word is that Lions CB/S Anthony Henry could work exclusively at safety to help the Lions issues in their defensive backfield. As it stands, with both Kalvin Pearson and Philip Buchanon likely limited, if they are able to play at all, the Lions will have CB Will James, CB Kevin Hobbs, S/CB Anthony Henry, S Ko Simpson, S DeAngelo Smith, and S Louis Delmas as the only player’s guaranteed to be available to play.

The Lions are likely still trying to sort out who is going to start at RG, although, the likely front-runner is their recently deposed starter at LG, Daniel Loper, over a cast of millions, or Jon Jansen, Dylan Gandy, and the newly-acquired Fowler.

With the questions surrounding Peterman and Sims, and the high level of attrition that the team is currently suffering from, the Lions are surely not done with acquiring more roster plug-ins such as the player they recently fired Jason David, recently released Ahmad Carroll, or nearly anyone who is breathing and has a minimum of experience. The situation is approaching desperate, and I’d assume that the Browns will utilize more multi-receiver sets, even without Josh Cribbs’ availability, to attempt and expose the weaknesses in the Lions secondary, as it approaches complete disarray.