Breaking news: Former jets’ Favorite Star Signed a Blockbuster Deal With the Lions.
The Detroit Lions are adding a defensive lineman at the last minute.
The team signed cornerback Rachad Wildgoose, who played for the New York Jets and Washington Commanders and started three games in 2022, prior to their August 21 practice. The signing helped close a roster gap and occurred shortly before Detroit’s final offseason session, as observed by Jeff Risdon of USA Today.
Rachad Wildgoose Played in the NFL and UFL
The 24-year-old Wildgoose was selected by the New York Jets after missing the team’s final roster cut in 2021, when he was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round. After two NFL seasons and twenty appearances, he joined the Birmingham Stallions for the just concluded UFL season.
The Lions have been bolstering their secondary lately, as Risdon pointed out, and they had a space on the roster available to sign Wildgoose.
In the past few days, Essang Bassey and Javelin Guidry were also recruited to the Lions secondary, which now includes Wildgoose, according to Risdon’s writing. “With LB Malik Jefferson and WR Tre’Quan Smith placed on injured reserve, Detroit had an opening on the 90-man roster.”
Whether Wildgoose would play in the team’s last preseason game on August 24 against the Pittsburgh Steelers was unclear.
Lions Will See a Redesign in 2024
Using their first-round draft pick on Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold and their second-round selection on Missouri cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr., the Lions already made a number of significant upgrades to their secondary this summer.
Along with cornerback Carlton Davis III, the Lions acquired the seasoned defensive back in exchange for a 2024 third-round selection pick from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
After his 2023 season ended in his first game back following an ACL tear, the team signed veteran cornerback Emmanuel Moseley, but Moseley sustained a torn pectoral and is likely to miss the most of the 2024 campaign.
With the arrivals, Wildgoose might have to compete for a spot on the practice squad; however, his special teams experience from the Commanders season may help him in his quest for a roster spot.
After having trouble the previous year, Christian Booher of SI.com said that there may be a lot of pressure on the secondary to perform better.
Booher noted, “The Lions’ pass-defense was appalling in 2023.” “Later in the season, the unit was exploited by elite wideouts like Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb, finishing 29th in passing yards allowed.
“Even if the staff has improved, there is now pressure on the new hires to start out doing well right away. If Detroit hopes to make it to the Super Bowl in 2024, it will need to demonstrate significant progress in this area.
The Lions didn’t have a set starting lineup at the beginning of the summer, according to Booher, which gave some of the newcomers a chance to establish themselves.
He wrote, “With all the new faces in the secondary, it’s basically the entire unit up for grabs.” Arnold seems to be the frontrunner to start opposite Davis at cornerback. Davis is the clear favorite to be the starting cornerback. But because the Lions have always been a meritocracy, every position will have to be earned.
