it's widely expected the Detroit Lions will be active before the trade deadline, and early Monday afternoon they indeed made a move. As first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter, they have acquired safety Andre Cisco from the New York Jets for a 2028 sixth-round pick.
Cisco has started four of nine games for the Jets this season, but he has played just 22 defensive snaps over the last six games compared to 107 special teams snaps over that span. The Lions got a close look at him in Week 3, when he played every defensive snap and had six total tackles along with one sack.
This is a depth move for a veteran with 59 starts on his resume, and Cisco is also on an expiring contract. The Jets having no further use for him is not a black mark.
The question is why was safety depth deemed a need for the Lions?
The first and most obvious questions surround Kerby Joseph. The general trend of the news about his return from a lingering knee injury has been positive, but adding a player of some note to the mix at safety shifts that narrative a bit.
Joseph had his 21-day window to be activated from the PUP list opened on Oct. 28. So we're now approaching the two-week mark of that three-week window, with a trip to Germany to take on the New England Patriots coming in Week 10.
A decision to activate Joseph, if it's not done before traveling overseas, would have a tight window to happen after coming home.
It's also safe to say the Lions are hurting for safety depth. Brian Branch is back from an Achilles' tear, but ideally Chuck Clark wouldn't have to play every defensive snap like he did in Week 9 against the Miami Dolphins. Christian Izien has been benched after a bad start to the season, while Avonte Maddox and Thomas Harper are on IR.
Harper has seemed close to returning from an ankle injury, but his 21-day window to come off IR hasn't been opened yet.
Rookie Keith Abney showed himself well when he got some run at safety, but then he played just six defensive snaps against Miami. Adding Cisco could, as the return of Joseph has been in line to, move Abney into a Branch-like hybrid role.
Updated Detroit Lions' safety depth chart after Andre Cisco acquisition
Cisco brings versatility to the mix for the Lions, with ability to play a traditional free safety role and mix it up in the box. He's not far removed from a solid run as a starter with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2022-2024, and he's only 26 years old. And again, the Jets not having use for him means absolutely nothing.
Here's a look at the freshly updated safety depth chart, excluding anyone on IR or the PUP list, for the Lions with the addition of Cisco.
Brian Branch
Chuck Clark
Andre Cisco
Keith Abney?
Christian Izien
READ MORE: Lions trade deadline: Latest rumors, potential targets, biggest needs, and more
Izien hasn't played zero defensive snaps in three of the last four games, as Abney got a chance to play safety. Joseph would bump everyone but Branch down a notch upon his return, if he's able to return. Harper's return, if/when it happens, would also change the equation. At a certain point, Izien could be vulnerable to being cut.
What Cisco's role going forward looks like will be interesting, and somewhat out of his control attached to the healthy return of Joseph and/or Harper. But there was a need for safety depth, if only as a contingency plan when it's all said and done, and Brad Holmes got some at the expense of a Day 3 pick in 2028.
Add us as a preferred source on Google