After signing a former Michigan tight , the Detroit Lions let go of rookie
After a productive rookie minicamp and tryout session, the Detroit Lions finalized their 90-man roster; however, they are still in the process of rearranging their roster as the start of the official NFL preseason is next week. The Lions announced on Thursday that they had released rookie tight end Isaac Rex, who was not selected, and signed tight end Sean McKeon.
McKeon initially went undrafted after completing his college football career at the University of Michigan in 2020. However, he caught the attention of the Dallas Cowboys during training camp and secured a contract with them. Despite being undrafted, he performed well enough to earn a position on the team’s active roster as their fourth option for the tight end position, even starting a game in his rookie year.
Over the subsequent four years, McKeon participated in 45 games for the Cowboys, making three starts. Although he primarily served as a blocker and contributed on special teams, he garnered positive assessments from Pro Football Focus for his blocking skills (with grades of 79.2 and 81.0 in pass blocking for the years 2023 and 2022 respectively) and as a four-phase contributor to special teams (earning grades of 64.7 in 2023 and 72.2 in his rookie season).
Now, with the Detroit Lions retaining their top four tight ends, McKeon faces a challenge to secure a spot on their roster. However, given the Lions’ inclination towards blocking tight ends and the introduction of new special teams regulations, he stands a chance to compete for the role of TE4 in Detroit.
Regarding Rex, he entered the league as an undrafted free agent but didn’t demonstrate enough during rookie minicamp to earn a place on the roster. The specifics of his contract, including any signing bonuses or salary guarantees, remain unclear, and it’s unlikely that they would have a significant impact on the Lions’ salary cap.