With injuries mounting at the cornerback position, the Detroit Lions are bringing four defensive backs in for workouts this week with intentions of adding insurance to their roster.
Starting cornerbacks Justin Coleman and Desmond Trufant left Sunday’s season-opening loss to the Chicago Bears with hamstring injuries and could miss this week’s NFC North showdown with the Green Bay Packers.
Lions coach Matt Patricia said Monday he wasn’t sure if either Coleman or Trufant is a candidate for injured reserve, but he acknowledged the likelihood of the Lions making a move at cornerback.
Under new rules this season, players can return after a three-week stint on injured reserve. The Lions have games against the Packers this week, Arizona Cardinals next week and New Orleans Saints on Oct. 4 before their bye.
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“Sometimes it’s not always maybe a one for one,” Patricia said. “It may not always be the same position. Maybe it’s our next best playmaker or another guy in the pass rush, another guy in the front if it’s a DB. It might be the next DB. It just kind of depends with special teams in there, too, of what that player’s impact is in that phase and who’s available to kind of handle some of the duties there. That may free up another guy to have to take the responsibility of someone that has to replace someone with a hamstring injury or something like that.”
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The Lions finished Sunday’s game with Darryl Roberts and Tony McRae playing cornerback alongside starter Amani Oruwariye
Rookie first-round pick Jeff Okudah did not play Sunday because of a hamstring injury, and McRae and Roberts have big roles on special teams.
Cornerback Dee Virgin, one of the Lions’ best special teams players last season, is a candidate to be called up from the practice squad.
The Lions also are working out Jamar Taylor, Jaylen Watkins and Alexander Myres on Wednesday. The Houston Chronicle reported that Grant Haley also will take part in the tryout.
Taylor appeared in 12 games for the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks last season; Watkins played for current Lions defensive coordinator Cory Undlin with the Philadelphia Eagles; Myres spent training camp last year with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Haley was briefly with the New York Giants.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.