Niyo: Lions added 'juice,' now it's time to cut loose

At Allen Park, the Detroit Lions are trimming an eight-month offseason and a large pool of 90-plus NFL hopefuls down to a 53-man roster as regular-season play nears. General manager Brad Holmes described last year’s 9-8 finish and missed playoffs as a “disappointment” and “failure,” promising a “long, hard look” at fixes. Coach Dan Campbell emphasized a “no-nonsense” return to fundamentals. The Lions say they’ve checked several boxes: adding veteran center Cade Mays and right tackle Blake Miller to youth the offensive line, signing and extending key players Jahmyr Gibbs and Jack Campbell, and bolstering depth on defense. After Sunday’s cutdown, Detroit kept 11 defensive linemen on the roster and four more on the practice squad.