The Detroit Lions are facing significant challenges in their secondary, prompting analysts to suggest the team may need to seek veteran reinforcements ahead of the playoffs.
Recent setbacks include placing cornerbacks Carlton Davis III and Khalil Dorsey on injured reserve, further depleting an already thin group. While the Lions have internal options to address the issue, Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder has proposed turning to free agency for additional depth.
Lions Could Add Accomplished Veteran
Despite holding the NFC’s No. 1 seed, the Lions face a demanding end to the season and won’t have the luxury of resting players. Their final game, a critical matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, could determine who secures a playoff bye and who heads to the wild-card round.
Holder has suggested the Lions explore free-agent veterans to stabilize the secondary for this pivotal stretch.
“At this point, the club should be looking into any veteran available to give the secondary more options heading into the playoffs. A couple of names to float around would be Patrick Peterson or Xavien Howard,” Holder wrote.
Patrick Peterson, who played the 2023 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, offers an intriguing option. Starting 16 games last year, he tallied 42 tackles and 11 passes defensed. The eight-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro also spent two seasons with the Vikings, allowing Lions head coach Dan Campbell to become well-acquainted with his abilities.
Lions Considering All Options on Defense
The Lions may also look internally to strengthen their defense. According to Tim Twentyman of the team’s official website, Campbell has indicated that veteran cornerback Emmanuel Moseley could see an expanded role after being a healthy scratch in recent weeks.
Another option could involve the versatile Brian Branch. Twentyman noted that Campbell is considering moving Branch from safety to a cornerback role, while Amik Robertson may also slide into an outside position.
“The potential to move Brian Branch out of the safety spot and into a cornerback role is something Campbell said they’ll talk about too. Amik Robertson could also slide outside, per Campbell,” Twentyman wrote.
The Lions are also expecting a boost from a returning player.
“The Lions plan to start the practice window for Ifeatu Melifonwu this week, and maybe he can be ready to play Sunday, though Campbell said he’ll have to wait until he sees him practice to make that determination,” Twentyman wrote. “Campbell said they’re open to seeing if Melifonwu can play some different roles in the box when he returns.”
Jeff Risdon of USA Today’s Lions Wire highlighted another potential move: bringing back a familiar face from last year’s NFC Championship run.
“Old friend Jerry Jacobs is the most appealing option on the free agent market,” Risdon wrote. “Jacobs started 29 games in three seasons in Detroit, including 12 last year.
His coverage work was inconsistent, and he too has not latched on anywhere despite several workouts with different teams–including the Broncos just last week. Jacobs knows the defensive system and at least provides strong run support on the outside, making him a worthwhile candidate to return to Detroit.”
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