Add wide receiver Derrick Williams to the Detroit Lions’ final wave of roster cuts. The final cuts won’t be officially announced until 8 p.m ET, but Williams’ agent informed the Detroit Free Press of the move Saturday afternoon.
Williams’ release seemed like an inevitability when the Lions selected receiver Titus Young in this year’s draft. The emergence of Stefan Logan as a kick returner last season took care of Williams filling that role on the roster, as well.
During the preseason, Williams caught four passes for 64 yards. In 18 games over two seasons with the Lions, the third-year receiver out of Penn State compiled nine receptions for 82 yards. He showed promise as a return specialist, returning 42 kickoffs for 931 yards in 2009. But as mentioned, Logan snatched that job away from him.
Fellow wide receiver Dominique Barnes was also released. He signed with Detroit as an undrafted free agent out of Youngstown State and caught one pass for 14 yards during the preseason.
Other players among the Lions’ cuts include tight end Gijon Robinson and center Dan Gerberry. Robinson spent his previous three NFL seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and signed with Detroit in mid-August. Gerberry had been off and on the Lions’ roster over the past three years, most recently re-signing with the team in January.
(Also possibly interesting: If you mash Gerberry’s name together and take out the capital letters, you get “dangerberry.” Danger berry. That better be his Twitter handle.)