Allen Park — Talking to a young Detroit Lions player for a story earlier in training camp, I asked him about the relationships he had forged with some of the other guys at his position group.
The player detailed how surprisingly easy it had been to ask questions of the veterans, plus how he and other younger teammates would eagerly share knowledge of what was and wasn’t working during post-practice sessions.
He concluded with, “It's never me versus you. It's us versus everyone else.”
Not every NFL culture shares this mentality. On many rosters, veterans are protective of their job and aren’t eager to help rookies. First-year players can feel isolated in their efforts to improve and contribute. But year after year, under current leadership, there’s a strong sense of unity and a drive to make the guy next to you better.
Months of sharpening swords culminates on Saturday, Detroit’s final preseason game, which is followed a day later by roster cuts.
By the end of the weekend, the team’s initial 53-man roster — or something very close to it — will be established. Waiver additions and a 16-player practice squad will be sorted out a day later. Only then will the Lions will be prepared to march into the season opener against New Orleans on Sept. 13.
Instead of giving you players to watch for Saturday’s matchup against the Colts, here’s a position-by-position rundown of where the lingering roster decisions stand.
Vet or rookie backup QB?
Josh Dobbs remains the frontrunner, but undrafted rookie Luke Altmyer hasn’t conceded the race. Lions coach Dan Campbell acknowledged the value of a veteran in the backup role, but wouldn’t close the door on going with upside.
“I mean, you would like (a veteran) because those guys have played,” Campbell said. “Those are real reps. They've been under real fire in real football games and that is important. But that's not the end all be all, either, if you think there's somebody to work with here and that he's shown enough progress and he's only going to get better. We don't close our eyes to that either.”