The Detroit Lions had their share of injuries on the defensive side of the ball this season. Their secondary has been decimated by injuries, forcing Kelvin Sheppard and Dan Campbell to put together patchwork defenses consisting of backups and practice squad members. The Lions survived this stretch and are now getting their key backfield defenders back. DJ Reed made his return in Week 12, and Terrion Arnold is getting ready to get out of concussion protocol. As a result, the Lions released veteran Arthur Maulet on Tuesday, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
Maulet played a key role for the Lions after signing with the team in October. During the aforementioned period when the Lions' secondary was depleted, the 32-year-old cornerback gave Detroit valuable snaps, recording one interception in six games. In his 105 defensive snaps, Maulet received a 62.1 defensive grade on Pro Football Focus. His versatility came in especially handy as he found playing time both in the slot and on the outside.
Lions Nearing Full Strength in CB Rotation
This means that the Lions' secondary is nearing full strength. Terrion Arnold has yet to be cleared for Week 13, but upon his return, the Lions will have their ideal trio back. Robertson will move to nickel with Reed and Arnold on the outside. Avonte Maddox will exclusively be a backup for Robertson, while Rock Ya-Sin and Nick Whiteside will be the CB3 and CB4 in the rotation, respectively.
This couldn't have come at a better time. The Lions play three top-ten offenses in the next three weeks. The Packers may not have an elite receiver, but the Cowboys and the Rams in the ensuing two games provide a very difficult challenge for any secondary. The Lions' defense looked vulnerable against the Giants on Sunday, giving up over 500 yards to a Jameis Winston-led offense. The Giants moved the ball in the air comfortably with deep passes down the field.
Arnold has been in and out of the lineup this season, and Reed was sidelined for the majority of the season. Robertson is the only member of the Lions' secondary to play every game so far, and he has been trending downward in recent weeks. A position that was considered a strength before the season hasn't had a chance to play together for long stretches yet, but Lions fans hope that this will change, starting on Thanksgiving.