Lions sign veteran cornerback Tramaine Brock to practice squad

With both Jeff Okudah and Desmond Trufant currently on injured reserve, and Darryl Roberts battling an injury of his own, the Detroit Lions are in desperate need of cornerback help. That help is apparently on the way, because according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, the Lions are signing veteran cornerback Tramaine Brock to their roster.

UPDATE: The team has confirmed this signing, but Brock will start on the team’s practice squad.

Brock entered the league as an undrafted rookie in 2010, but quickly made a name for himself with the San Francisco 49ers. Brock would end up spending six season in the bay area, working his way up from special teamer to full-time starter. In 2013, he recorded five interceptions.

His time in San Francisco came to an abrupt end, however, when Brock was arrested after a domestic violence incident. Those charges were later dropped, and Brock did not face any punishment from the NFL.

Since then, Brock has been a bit of a journeyman. He spent a season with the Vikings and Broncos in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Last year, he split his time with the Cardinals and Titans, starting 11 games and tallying five passes defended in 2019.

This year, Brock signed with the Jaguars in August but was placed on injured reserve a month later. He was released with an injury settlement a few days later, making him a free agent.

At 6-foot, 188 pounds, Brock fits the profile the Lions like in their cornerbacks. Most importantly of all, he’s a healthy body for the Lions to play, if necessary. Currently, the only healthy cornerbacks the Lions have are Amani Oruwariye, Justin Coleman, and Mike Ford.

The Lions won’t need a corresponding move, as placing Okudah on IR earlier in the week opened up a roster spot.

Since Brock has been signed to the practice squad, the Lions had to make a corresponding move. Dee Virgin has been released, per the team. With Okudah officially being placed on IR, the Lions currently have a spot on the 53-man roster open.