The Detroit Lions are in need of depth in their secondary and may have found some help after one of their former players was released in a surprise move.
The Tennessee Titans announced on Friday that they had waived safety Quandre Diggs, who requested his release. Diggs appeared in nine games this season, making four starts and recording 30 total tackles with one pass defended.
The sudden move could be a boon for the Lions, who have lost several key members of their secondary in recent weeks.
Titans’ Loss Could Be Detroit’s Gain
Before Diggs asked for his release, the Titans bolstered 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 began 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 lingers 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 have stepped up in Detroit’s secondary amid a wave of injuries.
Lions Getting By on Defense
Though the Lions tried — and failed — to bring in 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 on the famed Seattle Seahawks’ “Legion of Boom” defense. Sheppard praised the group for their performance 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 have bounced back after each of their first two losses, and they have now gone close to three years without suffering back-to-back defeats.
“I told the team before it started, and the reality is when you win 15 games and 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 if 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.
