As camp injuries mount, UFL has served as valuable source of replacement talent for Detroit Lions

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Allen Park — The Detroit Lions have dealt with plenty of injuries during the first few weeks of training camp, including a handful still lingering from last season. However, they’re hardly alone. A quick look around the league reveals many teams dealing with double-digit concerns.

In the case of longer-term issues, teams eventually are forced to replenish the depth chart. Since camp started, the Lions have added 10 players to the roster, including four on Sunday, following the team’s preseason game against Atlanta.

Within that, a unique trend has emerged. The Lions have turned to the UFL, a professional football league, whose season runs from late March to mid-June, to restock the cupboards.

Of those 10 camp signings, eight played in the UFL this spring. With the inclusion of kicker Jake Bates, the league’s alums now represent nearly 10% of Detroit’s 91-man roster.

“I think it’s because you have instant tape on those guys, right?” Lions coach Dan Campbell said about the emerging pipeline. “They’re fresh. (General manager) Brad (Holmes) does a great job, and that’s one of the things that he’s made a point of, like, ‘Man, let’s get guys in here that have just played. They’re in shape, we’ve seen the tape.’

“These aren’t guys that haven’t been moving, man,” Campbell continued. “They’ve been in football shape doing real things, real cuts, real contact, real all of it. So that’s important to get you through camp, and then you get a look at these guys.”

The first two UFL signings this offseason, cornerback Nick Whiteside and running back Jacob Saylor, both from the St. Louis Battlehawks, have had an impact in their limited time with the Lions.

Saylors played 17 snaps against Atlanta and ran well, racking up 49 yards from scrimmage, including 35 yards on nine carries, despite playing a little more than a quarter.

Meanwhile, Whiteside has routinely made plays on the practice field, racking up several pass breakups the past couple of weeks. He came off the bench in the early stages on Friday to log 16 defensive snaps and nine special teams reps.

“I love those guys that come in (and compete),” Campbell said. “That was like (quarterback Jake) Fromm last year, right? He just showed up like three days before the last preseason game.

“…I mean, you can call it what you want, that’s hard on some guys,” Campbell said. I’ve got to just jump in and know what I’m supposed to know, and then I’m in practice, then I’m immediately in a game. So, the ones that can figure it out quickly, they stand out like a sore thumb. And so, I like Whiteside, man. Just the fact that he comes in, he competes, he’s a pro, he jumps into every drill, even if he’s not supposed to be in there. He wants it. He’s a sponge and he likes to compete.”

Will any of the UFL guys be able to make Detroit’s 53-man roster as Bates did a year ago? That’s admittedly a long shot. However, Whiteside and Saylors are putting themselves on track for practice squad spots, which often lead to regular-season opportunities with the Lions later in the season. The others just got here. It remains to be seen what kind of impression they can make in the next three weeks.

In addition to Saylors and Whiteside, the Lions have also signed cornerback D.J. Miller (Michigan Panthers), tight end Steven Stilianos (San Antonio Brahmas), running back Deon Jackson (DC Defenders), tight end Gunnar Oakes (Michigan Panthers) and offensive linemen Gunner Britton (DC Defenders) and Keaton Sutherland (Birmingham Stallions).