Why the Lions signed LB Trevor Nowaske from the practice squad

The Detroit Lions raised some eyebrows when they signed rookie linebacker Trevor Nowaske from the practice squad to the active roster during the heart of the team’s bye week. With no players in the building and six linebackers already on the active roster, it seemed like an unusual timing for such a move.

Head coach Dan Campbell explained why the Lions signed Nowaske, a Detroit-area (Canton) native from Saginaw Valley State, to the active roster.

“Yeah, he was being poached, potentially,” Campbell told reporters on Monday. “We didn’t want to lose him. We felt like we had the flexibility to make that move. We felt like we’re going to need him before it’s all said and done.”

It was the most likely explanation for the move, given the crowd at linebacker. Nowaske joins Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes, first-round rookie Jack Campbell, Malcolm Rodriguez, Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Anthony Pittman on the 53-man roster. That’s a lot of LBs for a team that runs a base 4-2-5 defense. It’s an indication of how much the team likes the undrafted rookie.

“We like where he’s going,” Campbell continued on Nowaske. “He’s another young guy that we’ve got on this roster that’s really developing and growing. That’s a good room, all seven of those guys, counting him. It’s an outstanding room, between what they’re able to do defensively, but special teams too. We rely on them for a lot. So, he was a guy we didn’t want to lose.”