The Detroit Lions added more depth for their offensive line Tuesday, signing veteran offensive tackle Germain Ifedi, according to NFL Network.
Ifedi, who has starting experience at both right guard and right tackle, was released by the Atlanta Falcons last week. He played in all 17 games for the Falcons last season, primarily on special teams.
A first-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks in 2016, Ifedi started at right guard as a rookie before moving to right tackle in 2017. He spent four seasons with the Seahawks and two with the Chicago Bears before joining the Falcons last year.
The Lions return four starters on their offensive line in tackles Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell, left guard Jonah Jackson and center Frank Ragnow, but have health concerns across the unit.
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Ragnow suffered a toe injury last season that could be an issue the rest of his career, and projected starting right guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai missed all of last season after undergoing back surgery. The Lions signed Graham Glasgow to backup Ragnow and compete for the starting right guard job this offseason, and used a fifth-round pick on William & Mary tackle Colby Sorsdal, who projects to play guard in the NFL.
Ifedi should compete with Logan Stenberg, Kayode Awosika and Matt Nelson, among others, for backup jobs in training camp.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.