Although the Lions aren’t exactly loaded with impact players in the secondary, cornerback Drayton Florence was unable to stick with the team, lasting less than two weeks on the roster. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter), Florence has been released by the club.
Florence, a second-round pick back in 2003, had a previous stint in Detroit in 2012, and has also played for the Chargers, Jaguars, Bills, and – most recently – the Panthers. In Carolina last season, the 33-year-old made 26 tackles, defended nine passes, and grabbed a pair of interceptions, ranking an impressive 19th among 110 qualified cornerbacks, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required).
With Rashean Mathis and Darius Slay projected to start for the Lions at cornerback, Florence was viewed as a contender for the third or fourth spot on the depth chart, after signing with the team earlier this month. Instead, it seems Detroit will look elsewhere to fill those roles, either leaning on in-house options or perusing the free agent market again when roster cutdowns begin next week.
I think the Lions realize that they have the best CB’s available on the team right now.