With the Lions preparing to place offensive lineman Corey Hilliard on injured reserve, the team appears likely to add a defensive back to fill Hilliard’s roster spot. As Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com tweets, head coach Jim Caldwell didn’t dispel that notion today, telling reporters that it’s possible the Lions sign a cornerback or safety.
A handful of free agent defensive backs worked out for the Lions last week, including Champ Bailey, Roc Carmichael, Tommie Campbell, Chris Clemons, and Anthony Walters. And today, the team added another name to the list of notable veterans to audition for the team. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter), the Lions had Dimitri Patterson in for a tryout. Patterson, who spent last season with the Dolphins, joined the Jets for training camp and the preseason, but was cut after he reportedly went AWOL about a week before the regular season got underway.
The secondary was already considered one of the weak spots on the Lions’ roster heading into the season, and while it looked solid in the club’s Week 1 win over the Giants, it took another hit during that game. Cornerback Bill Bentley suffered a torn ACL and has since been placed on injured reserve.