Detroit Lions ease high school depth problems, sign veteran cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman

DETROIT, Michigan – After welcoming free agent cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman for a practice session, the Detroit Lions announced Monday they signed the veteran while relinquishing the safety of Angelo Amos.

The Lions need help in the high school with cornerback Quinton Dunbar out for personal reasons and Corn Elder was also ruled out with a leg injury which kept him out of the scrum team at Ford Field this weekend.

Robey-Coleman has a history with Lions defensive back coach Aubrey Pleasant from their time with the Los Angeles Rams from 2017 to 2019.

The Philadelphia Eagles signed a one-year contract with Robey-Coleman last offseason, believing they had acquired one of the game’s top five corners. The duo fell short of expectations, however, as Robey-Coleman finished with a defended pass and no interceptions in 15 games.

Robey-Coleman, who turned 29 in January, has had more success in his previous saves with the Rams and Buffalo Bills (2013-16), who signed him as an undrafted free agent from USC.

Eight-year-old veteran Robey-Coleman is best known for the pass interference call that was not in the NFC championship game between the Rams and the New Orleans Saints in January 2019. With less than two minutes to play in regulation, he hit the Saints. wide receiver Tommylee Lewis as the ball went towards them, but officials did not report any defensive pass interference. The game proved critical as the Rams finally beat the Saints in overtime to win a trip to Super Bowl LIII.

Robey-Coleman has six career interceptions and 49 assists defended.

ESPN’s Tim McManus contributed to this report.