Keeper: Jamal Agnew, Slot Corner/Punt Returner
If you noticed, we didn’t list any backups in the secondary. So, we’ll start there. Our first guy who makes a lot of sense is Jamal Agnew. Agnew ticks several boxes for the Detroit Lions. Firstly, he’s a Pro-Bowl caliber punt returner.
A player like Mike Ford or Marcus Cooper may slip in due to their flexibility in coverage and as experience behind starters like Slay but Agnew can flip the field position for the offense.
Agnew was close to being the starting slot corner prior to being injured last year, but even with the signing of Justin Coleman, it is a spot that is featured in many formations of the Matt Patricia defense which employs five defensive backs as a base set. The slot cornerback has to match up well with quick, elusive smaller receivers and Agnew’s speed allows him to do just that.
At the bottom of the roster, special teams contributions are often what the team is most looking for. That bodes well for Agnew if he regained his 2017 form.