‘There’s no turds here’: Dan Campbell says grit will determine Detroit Lions’ final roster spots
Dan Campbell will be looking for players with one trait in particular as he whittles the Detroit Lions‘ roster down to 53 players in the coming weeks.
“It’s grit is No. 1,” Campbell said Tuesday. “It’s always been from Day 1. It’s grit.”
A month out from their Sept. 12 regular season opener against the San Francisco 49ers, the Lions appear to have most of their starting lineup set on both sides of the ball.
Campbell said Monday the majority of players on the two-deep roster will be evident in the coming weeks, and that only about the final three to five roster spots will be up for grabs by the time the Lions close the preseason Aug. 27 against the Indianapolis Colts.
More than players who flash potential, Campbell said he wants resilient, tough, hard-nosed players he knows he can trust at the back end of his roster.
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Teams must cut from 90 to 85 players on Aug. 17, from 85 to 80 players on Aug. 24, and be down to 53 players by Aug. 31.
“You’re a guy that your body demeanor never changes (no matter) what happens to you,” Campbell said. “You’re dependable, you’re accountable. It’s everything that you would want in somebody. If you said I need one guy to do a job for me, this is the guy that I’m, really a guy that I’m good with, I trust you. I know exactly who you’re going to be every day, you’re not up and down. You’re the same guy every day. I know who you are.”
dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.