Allen Park – The Detroit Lions have parted ways with Michael Burton, waiving the fullback to clear room for the signing of running back Matt Asiata. The team also added guard Connor Bozick and waived-injured linebacker Brandon Chubb.
The writing had been on the wall for Burton, a fifth-round pick out of Rutgers in 2015. It wasn’t his performance as much as the team’s decreased usage of a fullback in the offensive scheme.
After averaging 15 snaps as a rookie, his playing time dipped nearly 60 percent in 2016. Burton didn’t see the field for more than two offensive plays his last five games and was inactive the final two weeks, including the playoff loss to Seattle.