Lions add a cornerback, put a tight end on IR

On Monday, the Detroit Lions completed a cornerback-for-tight-end swap by signing tight end Jacob Maxwell. A couple of days earlier, they waived cornerback Ethan Davis, meaning they shifted a roster spot from the secondary to the tight end position.

On Tuesday, the Lions shifted a roster spot back from tight end to cornerback by signing CB Jocquel Skinner and putting TE David Ausberry on injured reserve. The move was announced on Tuesday morning, meaning Skinner will presumably be on the practice field for the Lions later in the day.

Skinner joins the Lions after a brief appearance with the Carolina Panthers back in June. He spent less than two weeks with Carolina, and before that he was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the first four months of the 2015 offseason. Last year, Skinner entered the NFL by signing with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent out of Bethel University, but that stint only lasted a month.

As for Ausberry, it's no surprise that his time with the Lions has likely ended via a trip to injured reserve. When the Lions signed him, he seemed like an intriguing player based on what he did in Oakland, but the phrase "if he can stay healthy" was a common refrain. Injuries were an issue for Ausberry in the past, and that continued to be the case this year with him missing practice and ending up on IR.

With the preseason about to begin for the Lions, they ended up swapping out Ausberry for Maxwell and Davis for Skinner in order to ensure there is enough depth at the tight end and cornerback positions.