The Detroit Lions signed former Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Mac McClain III to their 90-man roster Thursday.
McClain spent most of last season on the Eagles practice squad and was with the team for its Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. He appeared in one game in 2021, making three tackles in the Eagles’ Week 18 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
The grandson of civil rights activist Franklin McCain, who was a part of the “Greensboro Four,” a group of North Carolina A&T students who organized a sit-in protest at a Woolworth’s counter in Greensboro in February 1960, McClain originally signed with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted rookie out of North Carolina A&T in 2021.
The Lions finished 30th in the NFL against the pass last season and are expected to make significant changes to their secondary this spring.
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Starters Jeff Okudah and Jerry Jacobs are under contract for 2023, but the Lions could add a starter via free agency or the draft. Cornerbacks Will Harris, Mike Hughes and Amani Oruwariye and starting safety DeShon Elliott are free agents.
The Lions also signed cornerbacks Jarren Williams and Khalil Dorsey to futures contracts earlier this offseason.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.