The Detroit Lions continue to churn the bottom of the roster as they adjust to injuries. On Wednesday, they announced that they’ve claimed veteran safety Jalen Mills off waivers (from the Texans) and waived tight end Hayden Rucci in a corresponding move.
As a defensive back at LSU, Mills was drafted by the Eagles in the seventh round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He began his career as a cornerback, but eventually shifted to safety in his fifth season. Following his rookie contract, Milles joined the Patriots for two seasons, then spent last year in New York, starting on the Giants’ practice squad and then joining the Jets’ active roster. This offseason, he joined the Texans but was active in only four games, playing on 48 defensive snaps and 31 special teams snaps.
In Detroit, Mills will offer the Lions veteran depth in their secondary—similar to what they have in Avonte Maddox, another Eagles corner who was converted to safety—as they adjust to losing Pro Bowl safety Brian Branch to a season-ending achillies injury.
In addition to Mills, the Lions also re-signed nickel Arthur Maulet on Tuesday, thus allowing them to move Maddox to safety full-time, and potentially into a starting role while All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph works through a lingering knee injury. The team also signed veteran safety Damontae Kazee to their practice squad on Monday.
The move to release tight end Rucci—especially after they released tight end Ross Dwelley on Tuesday—is a bit surprising, as it leaves the team with just one tight end on the active roster: Anthony Firkser. That being said, the Lions have been utilizing offensive lineman Dan Skipper as a blocking tight end, and there is a realistic chance that Shane Zylstra returns from injured reserve this week. A trio of Zylstra, Skipper, and Firkser would provide the Lions with enough depth to run their offense, even if it leaves minimal depth behind them.
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