While it was reported that the Detroit Lions had interest in signing cornerback Kenny Moore II in free agency, they lost out on him to the Philadelphia Eagles. The NFC East powerhouse is bringing in the former Indianapolis Colts defensive back and 2021 All-Pro as they look to reinforce their secondary.
Meanwhile, the Lions have only been working out some smaller names this week, and brought former Lion defensive back Jalen Mills back onto their practice squad ahead of Week 3. It's unclear whether they plan to elevate him or someone else from the squad ahead of their game against the New York Jets, but they are down a starting safety.
This is yet another free agency target that Detroit has seen snagged from right under them when they could've really used their services. Obviously, Moore's had some injury woes in recent seasons, but he's healthy and ready to go for this season. And, the Lions just couldn't net him.
Detroit misses out on another free agency target amid major secondary woes
The Lions have some other options at safety - Mills, Aamaris Brown, and Nick Whiteside are options for Detroit from their practice squad, while free agents like Mike Edwards and Jordan Fuller are also still available. At cornerback, Marshon Lattimore, Trevon Diggs, and Sean Bunting sit atop the current FA list.
The thing is, none of those names are inspiring. Quite frankly, there are no inspiring options for the Lions at safety right now, and they're likely hoping to just stay afloat there until at least Brian Branch returns from the PUP list. He and Chuck Clark would then form the Lions' starting duo at the position.
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Cornerback feels like the more obvious hole to fill, which is why losing out on Moore is really disappointing. Without a trade, there's no obvious path for Detroit to improve at that position. And, we know that general manager Brad Holmes has a propensity for avoiding big swings like a mid-season trade.
Maybe Ennis Rakestraw Jr. or Roger McCreary can provide some answers for the Lions at outside corner, but right now, it feels like the team is between a rock and a hard place as it pertains to their options at cornerback. If they genuinely want to be competitive this season, trading for a starter at outside corner is their only hope - or, you know, signing someone like Moore.
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