The Detroit Lions needed some help in their defensive backfield, and after a workout, they elected to make a signing official.
Late on Monday, the team revealed they had signed cornerback Nickell Roby-Coleman to the roster. Previously, Robey-Colman had visited the team and worked out with them. Apparently, the Lions liked what they saw from Robey-Coleman to add him to the mix.
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The team revealed the news with a tweet on the evening of Monday, August 9. Going the other way in the move was safety D’Angelo Amos.
#Lions have signed free agent CB Nickell Robey-Coleman and waived S D’Angelo Amos.
Now that he is on the roster, Robey-Colman will give the Lions some much-needed depth at a spot where they were pretty thin in terms of veteran production. He’s been solid in the slot, and that is likely what the Lions will ask him to do when he plays defense for them.
Nickell Robey-Coleman Career Stats and Highlights
In 2013, Robey-Coleman broke into the league out of USC as an undrafted free agent. The Buffalo Bills signed him, and he cracked the roster. Robey-Coleman would stay in Buffalo until the Rams signed him in 2017. From 2017-2019, Robey-Coleman was a key member of the Los Angeles secondary and would end up having 122 tackles and 3 interceptions from his time with the team. Robey-Coleman was involved in a controversial play during the NFC Championship when he collided with New Orleans wideout Tommylee Lewis with no penalty called. The Rams used that play as a springboard to the Super Bowl. After his stay with the Rams, Robey-Coleman signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020 where he was for a year.
Here’s a look at some highlights:
As a whole, Robey-Coleman has put up 333 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, 6 fumble recoveries, 49 passes defended, 6 interceptions and 2 defensive scores in his career. He’s a pretty productive option for a team that was clearly looking for a veteran player to fill in for depth at the spot.
Lions Remaking Cornerback Spot This Offseason
From start to finish this offseason, helping to fix the backfield was a huge focus of the team and the front office. For a while, it was figured that Detroit could use a safety but could also look to add a cornerback to the mix as well to help out their young players in finding a footing. With the veteran depth they added, that’s just what the team looks to have done.
With young players like Jeff Okudah and Amani Oruwariye at cornerback as well as Corn Elder and Quinton Dunbar, the depth has been reset in a decent way heading into the season. Young rookie cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu will help as well, and the team could be boosted if they see players like Mike Ford, Amani Oruwariye and others step up from on their roster.
Even though this is the case, the team could use a little bit of help perhaps, which is where Robey-Coleman will now come in.
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Lions Sign Veteran Cornerback to Roster, Waive Rookie Safety