Detroit Lions sign veteran cornerback, tight end to practice squad

The Detroit Lions had a somewhat busy Tuesday, even though it was the players’ day off, as they made a few transactions, with the most significant being the addition of veteran cornerback Anthony Averett to the practice squad.

This move should come as no surprise since the Lions have been dealing with injuries in recent weeks. Rookie Brian Branch was sidelined during Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers with an ankle injury, and during the same game, cornerback Emmanuel Moseley tore his ACL after just two snaps into his season debut, effectively ending his season.

Averett entered the NFL in 2018 as a fourth-round draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens. Over his five seasons in the league, he split his time between Baltimore and the Las Vegas Raiders, with whom he signed last March. In his NFL career, which includes 51 games with 27 starts, Averett has accumulated 114 tackles, 23 pass deflections, and three interceptions. Notably, he recorded these three interceptions during his most productive year in the league, which was his final season in Baltimore (2021) when he started 14 games, in addition to contributing 54 tackles and 11 pass deflections.

Averett’s most recent stint was with the San Francisco 49ers, where he signed to the practice squad on Aug. 3. However, the 49ers parted ways with Averett on Aug. 17, shortly after placing him on the injured reserve list to make room for their acquisition of Breeland Speaks.

Anthony Averett: I'm Confident and Comfortable in Defense | Baltimore Ravens - YouTube

In addition to adding Averett, the Lions also signed tight end Anthony Firkser to the practice squad. Firkser entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2017 from Harvard, initially signing with the New York Jets’ practice squad before joining the Kansas City Chiefs in the same capacity. He later had stints on the active roster with the Tennessee Titans and the Atlanta Falcons. Over his five years in the NFL, Firkser has amassed 115 receptions for 1,207 yards and five touchdowns.

Following the signings of Averett and Firkser, the Lions made subsequent moves by releasing cornerback Darius Phillips and wide receiver Trey Quinn from the practice squad.