Detroit Lions Sign Safety Taylor Mays

On July 22nd, the Detroit Lions signed Safety Taylor Mays.

Taylor Mays was drafted in the second round of the 2010 draft by the San Fransisco 49ers. He was the fastest safety in the combine, running a 4.24 40-yard-dash time. For them, he started 6 games and played in 16, amassing 38 tackles in his rookie season. From there, he was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals and played there from 2011 – 2014. In his 4 seasons there, while managing only 4 games started, he played in 54 total games netting 60 tackles. Half-way through the 2013 season, he was put on IR with a dislocated shoulder and made a full recovery. After 2014, he was released by Cincinnati and picked up by the Minnesota Vikings as an unrestricted free agent in March of 2015, where his stay didn’t last long and he was released just last week.

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Sep 29, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns running back

Chris Ogbonnaya

(25) is tackled by Cincinnati Bengals strong safety Taylor Mays (26) during the first quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

While Taylor Mays adds depth to the secondary, he isn’t exactly known for having the best coverage.

For that reason, Chris Wesseling of NFL.com feels that “If he makes the Lions roster, it will be as a special teamer and subpackage option on defense.” I tend to agree with him. The Detroit Lions are solid at the Safety position with returning veterans Glover Quin and James Ihedigbo. Add to them Isa Abdul-Quddus, and the position is pretty solid. But, it never hurts to have depth. We have all seen seasons where a starter and a 2nd-team player were both injured at the same time, and depth was relied on.

However, there is one bonus that Mays brings to the table, he is a hybrid player.

He can also play nickel linebacker, and that may prove to help with depth as well. While I don’t expect him to be a standout or a starter, with his speed, he could also bring some assistance to the special teams.

So all-in-all, while not a big name signing or superstar talent, the Detroit Lions have added not only depth to their secondary, but also a possible nickel linebacker and special teams player to contribute.

If he makes the cut down to the final 53 man roster, I would be lying if I said I was not surprised. But at the same time, the Lions have a strong coaching staff in place that may be able to work with him and fit him into this program. We will have to wait and see what happens between now and September.

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