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Former Lions DT Andre Fluellen released by Bears

Former Detroit Lions defensive tackle Andre Fluellen is once again a free agent after being released by the Chicago Bears.

USA TODAY Sports

If the Detroit Lions are interested in bolstering their depth at defensive tackle, it's now once again possible that they could re-sign Andre Fluellen. That's because Fluellen is once again a free agent after being released by the Chicago Bears on Monday.

Fluellen signed a one-year deal with the Bears back in April. As far as we know, the Lions hadn't expressed any real interest in bringing him back after he spent three games on the roster in 2012. He also played for the Miami Dolphins in 2012, although he was only active for two games.

A third-round pick in 2008, Fluellen spent the first four seasons of his career with the Lions. He was let go during the final round of cuts before last season because the numbers simply didn't work out for there to be five defensive tackles on the roster. The Lions later brought him back at the end of the season when injuries piled up at defensive tackle.

Right now, the Lions have six defensive tackles under contract: Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley, C.J. Mosley, Ogemdi Nwagbuo, Jimmy Saddler-McQueen and Michael Brooks. Suh, Fairley and Mosley form a solid top three, but the thinking has been that the Lions could use a bit of an upgrade at the fourth spot at defensive tackle. I personally still like the idea of re-signing Corey Williams as added depth, but there doesn't seem to be any movement on that front right now.

I'd also be in favor of bringing back Fluellen to compete for a spot in training camp, but it's unclear if the Lions have any interest in re-signing him. If they wanted him back, you'd think they would have re-signed him before he joined the Bears. Then again, it's also possible that the Lions' assessment of the defensive tackle position has changed since early April, and perhaps Fluellen's release will cause them to revisit the situation.