Jimmy Rolder is making progress. He just may run out of training camp before he’s ready to practice.
The Detroit Lions rookie linebacker spent most of Thursday’s practice working on the side with a trainer as he continues recovering from a leg injury. That’s encouraging considering Rolder has already missed most of camp, but Dan Campbell threw some cold water on the idea that the fourth-round pick will return to team drills before camp ends next week.
“Probably unlikely,” Campbell said when asked about Rolder practicing before camp concludes. “He’s doing well. He is progressing well, but I think it’ll be hard-pressed to see him next week.”
That’s not the update Rolder wanted after he recently expressed optimism about getting back sooner, but it also doesn’t sound like a major setback.
Rolder has progressed to working extensively with trainers on the field, and Campbell specifically said he’s doing well. The bigger question now isn’t whether the rookie can squeeze in a few training camp practices. It’s how Detroit handles him when the initial 53-man roster is assembled.
Rolder’s Injury Creates an Interesting Roster Decision
Detroit selected Rolder in the fourth round with the No. 118 overall pick in April. The former Michigan linebacker led the Wolverines with 73 tackles last season and entered the NFL with a reputation as a physical, instinctive run defender. The Lions’ official roster biography notes that he became just the third Michigan linebacker drafted by Detroit.
Before camp, Rolder looked like a strong bet to make the roster. In fact, he was included among the six linebackers in our pre-training camp 53-man roster projection, with his ability to potentially contribute on defense and special teams making him an intriguing developmental piece.
Detroit also already made a financial commitment to Rolder when it signed him to his rookie contract in May.
The injury hasn’t changed the fact that the Lions drafted him to develop. It has changed the math around the bottom of the roster.
If Rolder is healthy enough to avoid injured reserve, Detroit could simply carry him on the 53 and continue bringing him along. That would force the Lions to use a roster spot on a player who has received very little training camp work, but cutting a fourth-round rookie because he got hurt during his first NFL camp would be a pretty aggressive move.
The other possibility is roster maneuvering. Detroit could use an injured designation depending on Rolder’s recovery timeline and how badly Brad Holmes needs that initial roster spot elsewhere.
That’s where Thursday’s update becomes more encouraging than Campbell’s “probably unlikely” initially sounds.
Rolder doesn’t appear to be headed toward a lengthy absence. Campbell is talking about progress, not a restart in rehabilitation, and Rolder is already doing significant work with a trainer. An outside report earlier this week also indicated Rolder believed he could be close to returning, though Campbell’s timeline is clearly more conservative.
For Rolder, missing training camp isn’t ideal. For the Lions, getting their fourth-round linebacker healthy enough to avoid losing a chunk of his rookie season is considerably more important than squeezing him into a practice or two next week.
If that’s the tradeoff, Detroit should take it.
