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The Jets could take a swing on free agent Quandre Diggs ahead of training camp.
The Detroit Lions are in need of some depth in their secondary, and may have found some after one of their former players was releaed in a surprise move.
The Tennessee Titans announced on Friday that they waived safety Quandre Diggs, who requested the move. Diggs appeared in nine games this season and made four starts, making 30 total tackles with one pass defensed.
The sudden move could be a boon for the Lions, who have lost several key members of the secondary in recent weeks.
Titans Loss Could Be Detroit’s Gain
Before Diggs asked for his release, the Titans had boosted their secondary by claiming Jerrick Reed off waivers. John Maakaron of SI.com suggested that Diggs could make his way back to Detroit, where his NFL career started in 2015.
“It was reported the Lions were potentially seeking safety help at the trade deadline. With Kerby Joseph still dealing with knee irritation, the team could bring in a veteran to add depth at the position, if the issue is going to linger further,” Maakaron wrote. “Detroit’s top safety will miss his third game in a row this week, as he will not play against the Washington Commanders.”
Maakaron noted that Thomas Harper has played well in relief of Joseph, and head coach Dan Campbell praised the reserves who stepped up in Detroit’s secondary amid a wave of injuries.
Lions Getting By on Defense
Though the Lions tried — and failed — to bring help for the secondary before this week’s NFL trade deadline, the coaching staff has been impressed by the group of veterans who have stepped up in light of the injuries.
Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard dubbed the group the “Legion of Whom,” a play off the famed Seattle Seahawks “Legion of Boom” defense. Sheppard praised the group for performing well in the win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, then the NFC’s top team.
“But those guys never saw themselves lined up man-to-man on Puka (Nacua),” Sheppard said, via MLive.com. “They never saw themselves lined up on Mike Evans. That’s real, guys. For them to not only get that opportunity but make the most of it — Erick Hallett, Art Maulet, Tyrus Wheat — the names go on and on of guys who went out and not only played and held the line, but put some pressure on some of our starters.”
Though the Lions have already lost more games than last season, when they went 15-2 and earned the top overall seed in the NFC, head coach Dan Campbell said he’s happy with where they stand. The Lions bounced back from each of their first two losses, having now gone close to three years without suffering back-to-back losses.
“I told the team before it started, and the reality is when you win 15 games and you only lose two in a season, then boy,” Campbell said, via the team’s official website. “It’s going to be looked at differently when you lose a game. And surely if you lose more than two games, you only lost two last year, so you lose three, ‘What’s going on?’ So, I told our guys to be ready for that.”
After last week’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings, the Lions will now face a shorthanded Washington Commanders team that lost quarterback Jayden Daniels to an elbow injury.
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty
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