Could the Detroit Lions still be in the market for a potential upgrade at the backup quarterback spot? Head coach Dan Campbell flung open that door of opportunity prior to Thursday’s practice session.
Here’s what Campbell said when asked if the Lions were open to bringing in another quarterback after the final set of roster cutdowns, which takes place next Tuesday, August 30th:
“There’s always a possibility. That goes with any position. I mean, we’re still number two on the claim list. So, at the end of this, there’s nothing to say that just because somebody has made our roster that they’re staying that way. And those guys know that, they understand that.”
Reading between the lines, Campbell continues to show a relative lack of enthusiasm in the battle between Tim Boyle and David Blough. Prior to the answer above, Campbell offered this assessment of the ongoing competition between the two QBs the Lions re-signed this offseason,
“Yeah, I mean I think what we need is we need somebody to really take the reigns here (at backup QB),” Campbell stated. “I mean, somebody needs to step up out of the two and I thought they both progressed last week. Now, somebody needs to step up and run this offense, play efficient, play smart, take care of the football, get us the first downs, and when we get down to the red zone, score touchdowns for us.”
Campbell said that he sees Boyle earning the start in the preseason finale in Pittsburgh. Neither Lions passer showed much in Saturday’s preseason win in Indianapolis, with Boyle at least being accurate and avoiding mistakes. Blough threw a bad interception a week after giving away a costly fumble in the preseason opener.
The lack of confidence in the status quo has been a constant presence amongst both the fans and Lions media all summer. Boyle appears to have the inside track, but his underwhelming play in three games in 2021 in Detroit is difficult to overlook.
The current available QB market isn’t exactly inspiring, to say the least. Brett Hundley, Kurt Benkert and Anthony Gordon are the only current free agents under 30 years old who could even be considered as upgrades to Blough or Boyle, and none of them have any experience in the Lions’ offense or chemistry with the receivers. That market could change after next week’s roster cutdowns, however.
One wild-card choice I personally would have liked Detroit to consider is Nathan Rourke of the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. The former Ohio Bobcats standout is having an astonishing CFL season, his second north of the border. Alas, Rourke quite recently suffered a Lisfranc injury to his foot and is out for some time.
