The Detroit Lions are in dire need of reinforcements at the cornerback spot, with Terrion Arnold and D.J. Reed banged up. The Lions took the first step towards remedying their CB issues on Tuesday, reportedly signing veteran Tre Flowers to the practice squad.
On Wednesday, Detroit officially announced the signing of Flowers to the taxi squad, along with the return of preseason standout Nick Whiteside. Whiteside was one of the stars for the Lions during the exhibition slate and made a strong push for a roster spot.
However, the Lions released Whiteside following the team’s last preseason game against the Houston Texans. The 25-year-old defensive back didn’t play well in the preseason finale, as he gave up seven receptions (eight targets) for 94 yards.
That said, given the current state of the Lions’ CB room, general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell felt comfortable with bringing back Whiteside.
Nick Whiteside Returns to Detroit After Preseason Release
As things currently stand, the only healthy cornerbacks that the Lions have on the active roster are Rock Ya-Sin, Avonte Maddox, and Amik Robertson. Detroit will hope to have Arnold for this weekend’s game, who was listed as a limited participant on Wednesday.
Khalil Dorsey would be considered a potential starting option at corner for the Lions, but he’s dealing with a concussion and was a DNP on Wednesday. With Reed on injured reserve, the Lions will for sure have to call up someone from the practice squad.
And due to his experience with the club this summer, Whiteside could get a shot to be on the field against the Cincinnati Bengals. In the four preseason games, he recorded 12 combined tackles and two pass deflections.
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound cornerback reportedly caught the attention of Campbell during the summer, who gave him the nickname “ironsides” for his play on the field. Even Ya-Sin was impressed with what Whiteside showed in preseason and training camp, highlighting his physicality and how “sticky” he is as a corner.
Detroit could use a big and physical cornerback heading into this week’s matchup against the Bengals, who boast a dynamic WR duo that features Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, who are not easy covers.
Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see how the rest of the week plays out for the Lions and if they’ll call on Whiteside to fill in against Cincinnati.