Lions sign Alex Carter from practice squad, waive Corey Lemonier

The Detroit Lions are preparing to be without Darius Slay for Monday night’s game against the Dallas Cowboys, as he continues to miss practice with a hamstring.

Last week, the Lions had Asa Jackson assume a much larger role with the team once Slay went down and it did not go well. The Lions are changing plans this week, and have activated former third-round draft pick Alex Carter from the practice squad and have released defensive end Corey Lemonier to make room.

The move comes as a pretty big surprise. While Detroit was expected to add a cornerback to the active roster, most assumed it would be Adairius Barnes, who was the team’s starting nickel when Quandre Diggs was first placed on injured reserve. But the Lions clearly didn’t like what they got out of Barnes and actually waived him last week. They did end up bringing him back to the practice squad, but instead of promoting him, the Lions chose to go with Carter, who has never appeared in an NFL game before.

Monday is a huge game for the Lions and while it would be nice to see what the Lions finally have in their 2014 draft pick, this is a tough spot to be putting Carter into. The Cowboys have one of the best offenses in the league and Carter is coming in with no experience.