Former Lions CB Justin Coleman signing 1-year, $2.75 million deal with Dolphins

Former Detroit Lions nickel cornerback Justin Coleman found a home quite quickly this free agency period. Just five days after the Lions officially released the veteran defender, he has agreed to terms with the Miami Dolphins on a one-year deal per Tom Pelissero.

For Coleman, it’s a new opportunity to prove he’s still a talented player after a couple of rough seasons in Detroit. Unfortunately for him, it’s a significant decrease in pay. In 2019, he signed a four-year, $36 million deal with the Lions and was set to have a base salary of $8.95 million this year. His deal with the Dolphins: one year, $2.75 million. In other words, he’s betting on himself.

The Lions released Coleman in a move that saved $4.9 million in cap space. Now the Lions must figure out what they plan on doing at the nickel cornerback position for the 2021 season. As of now, they only have three cornerbacks signed for the year—Jeff Okudah, Amani Oruwariye, and Mike Ford—and none of them are capable of being a full-time starter at the nickel.