The Detroit Lions’ roster cuts are officially underway, and three names have now emerged as Detroit works toward its initial 53-man roster.

Veteran linebacker Troy Reeder, defensive lineman Myles Adams and tight end Zach Horton have all been informed they will not make Detroit’s initial roster. The moves come one day after the Lions wrapped up the preseason with a 25-16 win over the Indianapolis Colts.

Detroit has until 6 p.m. ET Sunday to trim its roster to 53 players as part of the league-wide cutdown process. NFL roster rules and deadlines make Sunday one of the busiest transaction days of the year.

Lions Move On From Reeder

Reeder entered camp with a legitimate opportunity to earn one of Detroit’s final linebacker spots.

The seven-year veteran brought extensive special-teams experience and 38 career NFL starts, making him one of the more established players competing for depth behind Detroit’s core linebackers.

His chances appeared to improve after Damone Clark landed on injured reserve, but Detroit ultimately decided to move in another direction. The Lions still had several linebackers competing for spots late in camp, including Trevor Nowaske, Jimmy Rolder, Joe Bachie, Amen Ogbongbemiga and Erick Hunter.

Because Reeder is a vested veteran, he does not have to pass through waivers and can immediately sign elsewhere. A return to Detroit’s practice squad could also remain possible if both sides are interested.

The linebacker competition had already become one of the more difficult pieces of Detroit’s final roster projection.

Adams Cut Despite Sack in Preseason Finale

Adams also became a victim of a crowded roster battle.

The veteran defensive lineman recorded a sack against Indianapolis on Saturday after dealing with a back injury earlier in training camp. That strong finish was not enough to overcome the numbers along one of Detroit’s deepest position groups.

The Lions spent August evaluating a crowded defensive front that included Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill, Tyleik Williams, D.J. Wonnum, Derrick Moore, Tyler Lacy, Ahmed Hassanein and impressive rookie Skyler Gill-Howard.

That depth made the defensive line one of Detroit’s most competitive remaining roster battles entering cutdown weekend.

Adams is also a vested veteran and can sign with another team immediately.

Horton Waived

Horton’s departure comes as less of a surprise.

The young tight end had already been waived once during training camp before returning to Detroit. He showed some interesting versatility in the preseason finale, including snaps from a fullback-style alignment, but faced difficult roster math behind Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright and Tyler Conklin.

Horton will be subject to waivers. If he clears, Detroit could potentially bring him back on the practice squad.

His release does not necessarily settle every question at tight end, but it removes another name from the competition as Holmes and Campbell continue making decisions.

Detroit’s initial cutdown moves began surfacing Sunday afternoon, and many more are expected before the deadline.

Lions Cuts Are Picking Up

Reeder, Adams and Horton represent only the beginning.

Detroit entered Sunday with difficult choices across the defensive line, linebacker, receiver, secondary and offensive line. Some players fighting for the final few spots have spent the entire summer making themselves difficult to release.

Now the numbers win.

The Lions have started making the calls.

Many more are coming.