Detroit Lions add CB Nickell Robey-Coleman on one-year deal for banged up secondary

Detroit Free Press

The Detroit Lions are bringing in help for their depleted secondary, signing cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman to a one-year deal, the Free Press confirmed on Monday.

Robey-Coleman is a familiar face to many on the Lions coaching staff. He played the 2017-19 seasons with the Los Angeles Rams under Lions secondary coach Aubrey Pleasant (and with general manager Brad Holmes in the front office), and he spent last season with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he played special teams under Lions coordinator Dave Fipp.

[ Lions will play starters about a quarter in Friday’s preseason opener vs. Bills ]

The Lions have been shorthanded at cornerback most of the summer, with Quinton Dunbar away from the team dealing with a personal matter.

Corn Elder did not practice Monday for undisclosed reasons, leaving Mike Ford, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Alex Brown and undrafted rookies A.J. Parker and Jerry Jacobs as the only backups for starters Jeff Okudah and Amani Oruwariye.

Robey-Coleman has six interceptions in his eight-year career. He played the 2013-17 seasons with the Buffalo Bills and was the defensive back in coverage on the infamous blown pass interference call in the Rams’ 2019 NFC championship game win over the New Orleans Saints.

Lions coach Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn were assistants with the Saints for that game.

Campbell did not offer a timetable Monday when asked about the return of Dunbar, who practiced sporadically even before leaving the team.

“He’s communicating,” Campbell said. “We know where he’s at. We know what’s going on and we’re thinking about him.”

The NFL Network was first to report the deal.

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

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