The Detroit Lions made two roster changes public on Thursday, one day before their official first practice of Week 4. First, defender Abraham Beauplan was added to the practice squad and seasoned wide receiver Allen Robinson was added to the regular roster. The Lions had an opening on their roster that will now be filled by Robinson after placing wide receiver Tim Patrick and Derrick Barnes on injured reserve earlier this week.
After cutdowns, the Lions added Robinson to their practice squad in an attempt to add more wide receiver depth, particularly someone who could fill the WR-X position. Robinson was promoted off the practice squad for the Lions’ Week 3 matchup against the Cardinals after a few weeks of getting used to the new surroundings, however he only saw one snap. There were less snaps overall for the receiver group than in prior weeks, but there are still games on the schedule that will require a deeper receiving group. The Lions have been watching 11-year veteran Robinson for some time because he is a willing and efficient run blocker as well as a consistent presence both on and off the field.
“Allen Robinson, he was a guy that we wanted to add in free agency a couple of years ago.” Lions general manager Brad Holmes said after Detroit signed Robinson to the practice squad. “Obviously, a Detroit kid from here, but that’s not the reason why he’s here, he’s another guy that can step in and we know he can play. So right now, it’s all about getting them acclimated. Just however fast that happens, we will see. If it’s one week, two weeks, three weeks, we’ll see, but it gives us a lot of comfort knowing that it’s guys that have real stripes on the wall. They’re good character guys, they’re spoken highly of, so we know that they’re going to be culture fits, it’s just how quickly they can get acclimated.”
As for Beauplan, he joined the Lions in the middle of training camp and performed well during the preseason. He was a player many considered a viable option for the practice squad, but after the Lions kept seven linebackers on their active roster, they used spots on other positions. Now, with Barnes on injured reserve, Beauplan returns to the roster on the practice squad to give the team more depth.
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