The Detroit Lions have plenty of issues in their secondary this season. Despite winning their past three games to enter the bye week with a 3-1 record, the Lions could use some help at cornerback as D.J. Reed suffered a serious hamstring injury, and Terrion Arnold hasn’t had the second-year breakout that many have hoped.
With that in mind, the Lions could probably use a cornerback for depth, but they can cross one of their former players off the list. According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, former Lions corner Amani Oruwariye is signing with the Baltimore Ravens after they lost Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins due to injury, giving Oruwariye another chance to stick in the NFL.
Ravens Hope Ex-Lion Amani Oruwariye Can Help Fix Struggling Defense
Oruwariye began his career with the Lions as a fifth-round pick in the 2019 draft and immediately became a ballhawk for the Detroit defense. While he had 172 total tackles, 24 pass breakups, and nine interceptions over four seasons, his best year came in 2021, when he grabbed six interceptions. A regression the following year sent him to the journeyman carousel, and he’s had issues earning a job since.
After spending training camp with the New York Giants and appearing in one game with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2023, he found his way to the Dallas Cowboys last season. While he appeared in seven games, his notable achievement was a gaffe on a blocked punt that allowed the Cincinnati Bengals to claim a victory at AT&T Stadium last December.
Oruwariye looked for a fresh start with the Tennessee Titans, but he didn’t make the team out of training camp. He’s spent the first four weeks of the regular season looking for a job and now joins a Baltimore defense that has allowed the most points (133) and tied for the sixth-most yards per play (5.7) in the NFL through four weeks.
You could argue the Lions may have been served by giving Oruwariye a call to add depth to their secondary. But it’s also alarming that nobody decided to pick him up after he was released by the Titans. It’s a career that has taken an interesting turn since his breakout season in Detroit and will now look to get going again in Baltimore.