The Detroit Lions have placed safety Erik Coleman on injured reserve, ending his season. They have signed tight end Joe Jon Finley to take his spot on the roster.
Coleman had been absent from practice since he suffered an ankle injury against the Dallas Cowboys, and he missed Monday's game against the Chicago Bears. The Lions added depth to the safety position by signing Vincent Fuller, and it looks like Fuller isn't going anywhere with Coleman out for the year.
Finley returns to the Lions after being let go during the final round of NFL roster cuts. I thought he played well enough in the preseason to show he deserves a spot on the roster, but, of course, there just wasn't room with Brandon Pettigrew, Tony Scheffler and Will Heller locked in at tight end.
With Scheffler potentially being out this week with a concussion, Finley will be there as extra depth. Since he already knows the offense, he should be ready to play against the San Francisco 49ers, which had him on their practice squad in 2008 and 2009.