Getty Corn Elder fights to break up a pass in 2020 for the Panthers.
The Detroit Lions were looking to add another player to the mix for the defensive backfield, and they have struck with a move to get that done.
Detroit will be signing cornerback Corn Elder to the roster after he visited the team on Thursday morning. It was a short visit, and clearly, the team liked what they saw enough to make Elder a depth signing for the roster and a backfield that could need some help.
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The move was first revealed by Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. It will be a one-year deal for Elder in Detroit for the 2021 season.
The #Lions are now signing free agent DB Corn Elder, per @AgentButler1 of @agency1amg. Elder, on a visit today, gets a 1-year prove-it deal for the opportunity to contribute in Detroit.
With the Lions, Elder can be expected to be a depth piece for the team’s secondary. He’s not an everyday cornerback, but the kind of player who can fill in with nickel snaps and add a hitting dynamic to the group as well as bring some toughness to the position.
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Elder’s Stats and Highlights
A former fifth-round pick out of Miami (FL) by the Carolina Panthers in 2017, Elder lasted a couple of seasons in Carolina before signing with the New York Giants in the 2019 offseason. He then went back to the Panthers in 2019 where he stayed until 2021 when he became a free agent. In the NFL, Elder hasn’t done much but be a solid special teams player and a cult hero. He’s put up only 43 tackles, 1 forced fumble and 1 pass deflection. With Miami, Elder was productive with 117 tackles, 6 sacks, 3 interceptions and 5 fumble recoveries with 27 passes defended.
Obviously, if the Lions could get the kind of player in Elder who was dominant in college, it could prove huge for the depth in their backfield moving forward.
Lions Still Have Major Defensive Needs This Offseason
The Lions have needs not only in the trenches and at linebacker but on the back end of their defense as well. 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. The team could also look to make more additions at linebacker and along the defensive line, although bringing back Romeo Okwara was a great start for Detroit as it relates to that up front. Getting Michael Brockers in the mix will help the Lions to fortify their line in a big way, too.
With young players like Jeff Okudah and Amani Oruwariye at cornerback, the depth is a concern after some cuts recently, but adding a player there could help as well. Getting another free agent or two and supplementing through the draft should be the goal for the Lions at this point in time.
Someone like Elder could be the perfect fit for what the team wants to do on defense, and now he will be coming into the mix with something to prove.
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