The Detroit Lions were awarded two players off the waiver wire following Saturday’s cuts that trimmed their roster down to only 53 men.
By Saturday afternoon, the Detroit Lions along with every other team were required by the NFL to trim their rosters from potentially as many as 90 players to just 53. Following those massive cuts, the Lions went about the business of searching the waiver wire for players that they could add to their newly slimmed down roster.
The Lions found out on Sunday that they were awarded two players that they had put waiver claims in on. Those players being cornerback Dee Virgin and offensive tackle Andrew Donnal.
Virgin is most famous for getting kicked off the Tennessee Chattanooga football team after being arrested for stealing a MacBook Tablet. He then transferred to West Alabama and was signed as an undrafted free agent to the Houston Texans’ practice squad last season.
The second-year corner shined on Thursday night in the Texans’ final preseason matchup against the Dallas Cowboys recording eight total tackles, two pass defends and an interception in the win. Virgin comes to Detroit as the fifth cornerback on their depth chart after the Lions opted to part ways with defensive backs DeShawn Shead, Sterling Moore, and Chris Jones on Saturday.
Donnal was originally a fourth-round selection out of Iowa by the then St. Louis Rams. He played 21 games for the Rams between 2015-2017, starting in six total contests. Donnal was waived last November and picked up by the Baltimore Ravens, playing in six games for them.
Along with late round rookie Tyrell Crosby, Donnal will add depth at the offensive tackle position in Detroit behind starters Taylor Decker and Rick Wagner. On Saturday, the Lions parted ways with offensive tackles Jamar McGloster, Corey Robinson (trade), and Dan Skipper, creating a need at the position.