The Detroit Lions have dealt with some much publicized injuries this season. What a lot of people tend to ignore is that they’re going to get back a healthy amount of players very soon. 

Alex Anzalone, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Ennis Rakestraw, Kalif Raymond, and Aidan Hutchinson are all expected to be back either soon or at some point in the playoffs. That means the Lions are going to need at least five spots open. Here are seven guys that could potentially be cut by the Lions to open those spots: 

DL Chris Smith

The Lions really like Smith because he’s one of those lunch-pale guys who will do whatever is asked of him. That’s why if he’s waived to make room for the Lions, he’ll be right back on the practice squad. Ultimately while they like him, they don’t play him a whole lot. He’s played 29 snaps in three games this year. He’s always going to be around in some way though. 

LB Ezekiel Turner

It started out really well with Turner, but he has had two really bad games in a row. With Reeves-Maybin and Anzalone coming back, the Lions need linebacker spots open. They have to keep the guys that have been playing well. 

WR Tom Kennedy

With Kalif Raymond coming back, the Lions aren’t going to need to carry the extra receiver on the 53-man roster. Like Smith, Kennedy is a guy who will be right back on the practice squad. The Lions love this guy. 

LB Kwon Alexander

His game against the Bills was particularly rough. So rough that he was a healthy scratch against the Bears. Again, with Anzalone and Reeves-Maybin coming back, the Lions have to go with the linebackers they can get the most out of and they might not feel that way about Alexander right now. 

OL Michael Niese

Chrisitan Mahogany’s performance against the Bears really sealed the deal on him being a future starter and even brought up the idea of him finishing the year as a starter. Niese, who hasn’t seen play a snap this year despite being on the 53-man roster all year, might be the odd man out. That is unless they see something for him in the future and have been stashing him this whole time. 

WR Allen Robinson

You might not notice it, but the former Pro Bowler plays every week, You don’t notice it because he doesn’t really get targeted and he only plays a handful of snaps. With Raymond coming back, the Lions will have someone they can do a lot more with. Does that make Robinson expendable? 

Emmanuel Moseley

We did a bit of a deeper dive into why Moselely could be cut below.