The Lions started the process of paring their roster from 90 to 53, releasing a couple of veteran pass-catchers.
The team announced they had released wide receiver Keshawn Martin and tight end Tim Wright.
Martin was signed in March after spending an unremarkable year with the 49ers. The former Texans fourth-rounder topped out with the Patriots in 2016, catching 24 passes for 269 yards in nine games, but hasn’t found a stable role since.
Wright also had the requisite Patriots background to make the Lions take a look. He suffered a torn ACL last offseason and missed the 2016 season. He caught 54 passes for 571 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie for the Bucs in 2013, but hasn’t shown that kind of production since.
Getting cut now gives them a head start on the weekend land rush of unemployed football players, as 1,184 players are about to be consciously unrostered between now and Saturday afternoon.
