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On Saturday, the Detroit Lions waived cornerback Ethan Davis. The move came just four days after Davis joined the team, indicating that they quickly decided to use that roster spot at another position.
Fast forward to Monday and the Lions have in fact used that roster spot elsewhere. Specifically, they got back to 90 players by signing tight end Jacob Maxwell.
This is Maxwell's second stint with the Lions. He first joined the team in May 2014 as an undrafted free agent out of Louisiana-Lafayette. He spent the rest of the offseason and most of the summer with Detroit before being released toward the end of August. After that, he spent around a month on the Miami Dolphins' practice squad, and he later ended up on the Chicago Bears' practice squad for the rest of the season. He remained with Chicago until being released this past June.
So, why the need for another tight end? Well, David Ausberry is currently out with an undisclosed injury, and Joseph Fauria just returned to practice on Monday after dealing with an injury of his own. Fauria may not play in Thursday's preseason opener, so in order to add some extra depth to the tight end position, the Lions decided to bring back Maxwell. He has experience in the Lions' offensive system, and he's someone who could potentially suit up and play on short notice as a result.