The Lions have signed free agent defensive tackles Ego Ferguson and Bruce Gaston, the team announced. To make room on the roster, the Lions waived defensive tackles Nick James and Maurice Swain.
Ferguson has now signed contracts with three of the NFC North’s four teams this offseason. After being cut by the Bears in April, Ferguson’s deal with the Packers was scuttled when he could not pass a physical. Apparently, he was healthy enough this week to sign a deal with Detroit. If he doesn’t make the Lions’ 53-man roster, perhaps he can try his luck with the Vikings.
Ferguson, 26 in September, appeared in all 16 games during his rookie campaign with the Bears in 2014, but ailments have limited him to just four games since then. The Raiders auditioned him after the Packers deal fell through, but the Lions are the only other team we’ve heard linked to him in the last two months. As Justin Rogers of The Detroit News (on Twitter) notes, Lions fans may remember Ferguson from a 2014 incident in which Lions center Dominic Raiola stepped on Ferguson’s leg. That dirty play resulted in a one-game suspension for Raiola.
Gaston, another former Bear, appeared in seven games for Chicago in 2015. Last year, he was with the Panthers’ practice squad. Gaston had shoulder surgery in 2016, but he has likely recovered by now.