Lions release Braylon Broughton after failed physical

Defensive end Braylon Broughton's tenure with the Detroit Lions didn't last long. The Lions released him on Thursday, just two days after claiming him off waivers from the New Orleans Saints. The reason for his release was cited as a failed physical, meaning he wasn't healthy enough to officially join the team.

Considering the Lions hosted Broughton for a pre-draft visit last year, they were already somewhat familiar with him when they decided to claim him off waivers. The Saints released him on Monday, and the Lions were awarded him via the waiver wire a day later.

Broughton was really viewed as nothing more than a camp body, but he fit the profile of the Lions' kind of defensive end given his height (6-6). The Lions drafted a pair of tall defensive ends in Ziggy Ansah (6-6) and Devin Taylor (6-8), and they also signed a tall defensive end in Jason Jones (6-5). They now want their DEs to be big, and Broughton would have been a good fit in that regard.

With Broughton not joining the team, the Lions still have 89 players. This leaves one spot open that the Lions will presumably fill at some point in the next week.