The Detroit Lions hosted free agent safety Dean Marlowe on Wednesday and struck quickly to wrap him up on a new contract by the end of the week.
On Thursday morning, the Lions revealed they were signing Marlowe to a deal. Terms of the contract were not immediately disclosed, but considering how quickly the agreement happened, it’s clear the Lions wanted to get Marlowe into the mix.
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Marlowe has been stuck behind Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde, but in Detroit, he should be able to compete for snaps a bit more quickly.
#Lions have signed unrestricted free agent S Dean Marlowe
Revered by Buffalo fans for his special teams work and solid attitude, Marlowe is the type of addition that could fortify the depth at safety ahead of the draft. The Lions have Tracy Walker and Will Harris at safety already, but could be looking for a bit of a veteran presence at the spot to help boost the young players. Marlowe could bring that to the team now that he is coming into the fold.
Brad Holmes said he was prepared to address needs in the secondary, and it’s clear he meant business with his recent moves including this one.
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Marlowe’s Stats and Highlights
An undrafted free agent out of James Madison, Marlowe cracked the Carolina Panthers’ roster in 2015, and stayed there until he signed with the Bills in 2017. From 2017 to 2020, Marlowe played a key role for the Bills in terms of being a glue guy on special teams. He’s also produced a bit when given a shot. In his career, Marlowe has just 38 tackles and 2 interceptions to go with 1 fumble recovery, 1.5 sacks and 5 passes defended, but the majority of his production came late in 2020 when he was allowed a bigger chance to play on the defense. Perhaps if he signed in Detroit, he could see more defensive snaps and come into his own.
Marlowe can be an instinctive playmaker who can certainly get after it on the field and be in the right place at the right time as this clip reveals.
Giving him a bigger chance in a rebuilt Detroit secondary could prove to be a very good idea.
Lions Addressing 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 has been a concern after some cuts recently, but adding both Quinton Dunbar and Corn Elder can help that. Getting some help at safety with Marlowe is a good addition for Detroit.
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Lions Officially Sign Key Former Bills Defender to Deal