The Detroit Lions shook off a season-opening loss and have climbed their way back to the top of the NFC North. But a glaring concern entering a Week 6 showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs is the status of their secondary.
D.J. Reed remains on the shelf after being placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. While the Lions received some good news on Terrion Arnold’s shoulder, he’ll still miss some time after admitting he’s been playing “at 75% this season.”
With this in mind, the Lions have been looking for secondary help before facing Patrick Mahomes in primetime. Now, they may have finally found a solution after NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reported that they have signed veteran slot corner Arthur Maulet to their practice squad.
Arthur Maulet Adds Some Much-Needed Depth to Lions Secondary
Maulet is an interesting addition who has previous experience with Lions head coach Dan Campbell. While the two spent time together with the New Orleans Saints during Campbell’s stint as an assistant head coach and tight ends coach in 2017 and 2018, Maulet has bounced around the league since spending time with the Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, and Houston Texans.
Aside from being a serviceable corner in the slot with a 98.6 passer rating allowed in coverage during his career, according to Pro Football Focus, Maulet also has plenty of experience, logging 2,238 total defensive snaps during his career. Having played for that many teams, Maulet has exposure to several different systems, which should help him quickly pick up defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard’s scheme.
This is a solid move for a team that needs help at the cornerback position, not just in the short term but also when looking at the bigger picture. According to Ourlads’ unofficial depth chart, Detroit is currently down to Rock-Ya Sin, Amik Robertson, and Avonte Maddox ahead of Sunday’s game against the Chiefs. Reserve cornerback Khalil Dorsey is also out for an extended period with a wrist injury, making it a real possibility that Maulet will be on the active roster if all goes well in practice.
Even when Reed and Arnold return, there’s still a good chance Maulet will remain with the Lions. Maddox is a converted safety, and Ya-Sin was used more at safety toward the back end of the preseason, meaning Detroit will need corners if another injury pops up down the road.
Finding a serviceable veteran on the free agent market instead of moving assets at the Nov. 4 trade deadline seems like a good way to handle things. Maulet could wind up being a solid signing that pays big dividends for the Lions down the road.