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The Detroit Lions have their newest cornerback. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Lions have signed former Raiders defensive back Rashaan Melvin to a one-year deal worth $3.5 million.
Lions reached agreement with free agent CB Rashaan Melvin on a one-year deal, $3.5 million deal, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 23, 2019
Melvin visited with the Lions on Wednesday, and now joins safety Andrew Adams and cornerback Justin Coleman as the newest class of secondary defenders.
The 29-year-old corner was having a promising year with the Indianapolis Colts, recording a team-high 13 passes defended and three interceptions in 2017. However, when he moved to Oakland in 2018, his performance dipped, making him an easy player to move on from for Jon Gruden and company.
With Detroit, Melvin will have the opportunity to compete for the outside cornerback position left vacant by the release of Nevin Lawson. At the moment, he’ll have to beat out Teez Tabor and Mike Ford for the outside position, although newly-signed Justin Coleman could also be a candidate for some outside cornerback snaps, even though he proved quite valuable as the nickel corner for the Seahawks.
Melvin’s contract is big enough where it looks like he’s a serious candidate for some starting time, but we’ll have to wait to see the contract breakdown to see if Detroit is banking on him winning a roster spot in August.