The Detroit Lions signed free agent defensive back Christian Izien because he is versatile and could help with depth in the secondary. So, it should not be a surprise that his snap count has fluctuated in the regular season.
Izien did not play at all in Week 5, and that might be a continuing trend, according to Mike Payton of A to Z Sports. Payton notes that Brian Branch is coming back, and Keith Abney took his role at safety.
So, the former starting safety will either have to move inside to the slot, or remain a depth safety.
“I’d move Izien to the nickel, where he works better,” stated Payton. “He has allowed 12 receptions on 12 targets for 90 yards and a touchdown. That’s a catch every single time teams throw his way. Still, it’s only 7.5 yards per reception, and he’s missed three tackles. That’s why I’d call him a potential matchup liability rather than a disaster.”
Izien has just 29 snaps in the slot this season.
Detroit Lions Have New Role for Christian Izien
When the Lions signed Izien from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he was a versatile option. He was a UDFA in 2023, and that is when he played the most snaps in one season in his NFL career. Izien played 780 snaps, and 657 of them were in the slot.
However, in his second year, the Bucs moved him into more of a safety role. He played 697 snaps, and 205 of them were in the slot. So, he moved around more often.
By his third NFL season, he was just a depth option for the Buccaneers. He played 167 snaps. So, the Lions signed him to a cheap deal in free agency to serve as depth.
Izien Has Bounced Around With Lions
Izien was inactive in Week 1 as he recovered from an illness. Then, he played just 26 snaps in Week 2 as a depth defensive back. In Week 3, he played 64 snaps as the starting safety and followed that up in Week 4.
His worst game was in Week 4, when the Panthers consistently hit passes down the field. So, the Lions decided to bench him for fifth-round rookie Keith Abney.
Abney performed well in his first career start. The Lions are also expected to get Brian Branch back when the team comes back from the bye week. So, they could have two new starting safety options that are much better than what they currently have.
Roger McCreary has been shuffling between inside and outside at cornerback. With Izien now able to play in the slot, the Lions could have McCreary focus on the outside. They could also give Ennis Rakestraw more playing time coming out of the bye week. That would allow the team to play the better of McCreary or Izien in the slot.
The biggest thing is that a team that was forced into starting decisions in the past now is that he has plenty of options.
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