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With Jason Fox signing with the Miami Dolphins on Wednesday, there was a vacancy on the Detroit Lions' depth chart at offensive tackle. The starting spots are set with Riley Reiff and LaAdrian Waddle, but Corey Hilliard was the only backup offensive tackle under contract.
The Lions changed that on Thursday by signing offensive tackle J.B. Shugarts, who played college football at Ohio State. He shared the news on Twitter:
I cannot thank everyone enough for all the love and support! Keep the faith and never give up! Now the real work starts. Go Lions!!
— Jeff Bret Shugarts (@JShugs76) April 3, 2014
Shugarts entered the NFL in 2012 by signing with the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent. He was let go during the final round of cuts, and he then joined the Dallas Cowboys last May. They released him in July, but he was quickly picked up by the New York Jets. Once again, he was let go during the final round of cuts, and he spent a few days on the Jets' practice squad before becoming a free agent again.
As of right now, Shugarts is in position to make the Lions' 53-man roster simply because they have only four offensive tackles. That will likely change later in the offseason when they add draft picks and UDFAs to their roster, though.