The most surprising roster decision made by the Detroit Lions was parting ways with veteran wide receiver Greg Dortch.
Many fans and pundits attempted to rationalize why general manager Brad Holmes made this decision and incorrectly came up with the conclusion it was some form of roster manipulation.
After seeing he was cut, many were hopeful he would eventually return to the teams 16-man practice squad.
It is not hard to understand why eyebrows were raised seeing a free agent signing, who also has familiarity with new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, hit the streets.
As training camp progressed, the 28-year-old saw his opportunities with the first-team offense diminish. He was not a player the coaching staff felt sure enough about to keep him off the field during the preseason.
He played 21 offensive snaps against the Colts in the Lions’ preseason finale.
Dortch had a productive camp, with many indicating he outplayed second-year wideout Isaac TeSlaa the entire summer.
Veteran Kalif Raymond departed for the Chicago Bears in free agency, giving many hope that Dortch could be a solid replacement, given how productive the saavy wideout was in Detroit’s offense the past few seasons.
The other challenging aspect of moving on from the former Arizona Cardinals wideout is wondering who is going to be return kicks and punts.
Holmes also made the decision to cut players with return experience in Tom Kennedy and Dominic Lovett. It is possible Kennedy, who is now on the practice squad, can be one of the early elevations.
The coaching staff could also feel comfortable with running backs Jacob Saylors and Jabari Small handing returns.
Given every NFL team had the opportunity to sign Dortch and he eventually landed on the Buffalo Bills practice squad indicates there are still deficiencies talent evaluators find concerning.
Dortch is undersized for a wide receiver, which makes his blocking abilities and ability to shed tackles something to always monitor on film.
He is not going to be a deep-threat option in most offenses and Holmes likely felt the emergence of Tay Martin, who can also play special teams, made him a more desirable option to keep on the active roster.
While there are some question marks regarding why Dortch departed, it should not significantly impact Detroit’s chances for success this upcoming season.
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