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One of the most surprising cuts over the weekend for the Detroit Lions was their decision to released DeShawn Shead. Having already given him $1.5 million guaranteed, the Lions were clearly expecting more out of him. And cutting him left the Lions’ cornerback depth extremely bare.
But it appears the Lions may be adding some help on Sunday. Though they’ve already added youngster Dee Virgin, another cornerback is incoming.
Former Chicago Bears cornerback Cre’Von LeBlanc tweeted out something curious on Sunday night:
— Cre'Von LeBlanc (@Strap_Ent) September 2, 2018
And if there’s any doubt to what LeBlanc means, his Twitter bio can put an end to speculation. It reads, “DB for the Detroit Lions.” And in case you think someone hacked his account, his Instagram page reads the same.
At the moment, it isn’t clear whether LeBlanc is joining the practice squad (he is eligible) or the team’s 53-man roster. No reporter has picked up or confirmed the story, nor has the Detroit Lions organization.
UPDATE: Dave Birkett is reporting LeBlanc will join the Lions’ practice squad.
LeBlanc joined the NFL as an undrafted rookie out of Florida Atlantic in 2016. He initially signed with the... guess who... New England Patriots. However, he didn’t make the team’s 53-man roster and the Bears quickly picked him up on waivers.
Since then, LeBlanc has been a decent depth option for Chicago. He’s appeared in 28 games through two seasons (10 starts), picked up 61 tackles, defended 13 passes and picked up two interceptions, including this one you may remember:
lions fans might recognize rumored new signing cre'von leblanc from somewhere
— Mansur (@MansurShaheen) September 2, 2018
(dw guys we won this game because we own them) pic.twitter.com/v9ztCzzx15
As you can see from the clip, the 5-foot-11 cornerback typically plays the nickel spot. In his rookie season, he tallied the second-best passer rating against among rookie corners (82.7), per Pro Football Focus.
If he’s going to be a part of the Lions’ 53-man roster, he could help backup Quandre Diggs, or even free him up to play more of a strong safety role, should the Lions desire. We’ll know more about Detroit’s plans for him once they make the move official.