The best move for the Lions would be to not send Carlton Davis to injured reserve, here's why

Just thinking out loud about the injury situation for the Detroit Lions. It keeps getting worse as the weeks go on, but they still have some expectations that some guys could be coming back. Those guys are the following: 

1. Alex Anzalone
2. Aidan Hutchinson if the Lions go deep in the playoffs
3. Jalen Reeves-Maybin
4. Ennis Rakestraw
5. Ifeatu Melifonwu
6. Kalif Raymond
7. John Comninsky maybe
8. Derrick Barnes maybe

That's eight players and now the Lions have three for sure that are heading to IR as well. Alim McNeill, Khalil Dorsey, and David Montgomery. 

You might think that the right idea would be to also send Davis to IR, but that would be a big mistake considering that he is the one player who can actually make a comeback at some point during the playoffs. 

Every year a team is granted eight IR returns that they can use during the season. If you make the playoffs you get an extra two. The Lions have used three of them so far on Ifeatu Melifonwu, Brodric Martin, and Emmanuel Moseley. That means they have seven spots left. 

Christian Mahogany doesn't count by the way because he returned from the Non-Football-related injury or illness list and each team gets two spots for that. 

So there's five guys that we know are coming back for sure. Now there are two spots left. You have to leave those spots open for Aidan Hutchinson, John Cominsky, and potentially Derrick Barnes. Barnens and Hutchinson are long shots, but you have to do it.

Sending Davis to IR knowing that he can potentially come back late in the run would end the possibility of one of those players coming back. It would also probably end his season for sure as well. 

There are a finite amount of spots left and the Lions need to make sure they leave them open for the best players they can get don't he field. If Davis hits IR, that pretty much means he's done for the year. If he;'s not, that means someone else is.