Drayton Florence cleared to return to action for Lions

He hasn't been activated to the 53-man roster yet, but Detroit Lions cornerback Drayton Florence is expected to return to action this week. He has been out since breaking his forearm against the San Francisco 49ers back in Week 2. Thanks to a new rule implemented this year, the Lions were able to put him on injured reserve with the designation to return. His return should be this week, as he is now eligible to come off of IR.

Now, just being eligible to return doesn't necessarily mean a player will in fact be back. He actually has to be healthy to play. Thankfully, Florence has already been cleared physically, meaning his broken forearm has healed. From MLive:

"He's eligible to come back and he's physically cleared, so we'd have to make a roster spot for him," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. "We've missed him on the field. He's a good veteran presence. Particularly with the injuries we've had, it would be good to get him returned."

With the Lions releasing Alphonso Smith on Monday to make room for Pat Lee, another move will have to be made to clear room for Florence. Looking at the roster, there really aren't any other cornerbacks who seem expendable at this point, so the Lions will likely have to release somebody who plays another position to make room for Florence.

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