Detroit Lions announced that it has signed three more players for future deals: defender Godwin Igwebuike, tight end Hunter Thedford and defender Robert McCray.
No, these changes were not made by newly hired general manager Brad Holmes, but most likely by the Lions interim management team that has been making decisions since Bob Quinn was fired.
With all three signing a future contract, Lions will be able to put them on their list of 90 men, but they will not count towards the team limit until the new year begins in early 2021 – usually in early March.
Igwebuike (5-11, 213) is the most intriguing of the group. A strong safety who likes to hit, he can push the linebacker in subpackages and contribute to special teams – think of Miles Killebrew lightweight.
There was a lot of enthusiasm around him during the 2018 draft, but all the NFL teams went through him and he was not called up. He initially signed with the Buccaneers, then with the 49ers, Eagles and Jets, before joining the XFL Seattle Dragons. He was not in the league last year.
Thedford (6-6, 260) played a tight end at SMU before moving to Utah for his last season of eligibility. He auditioned for Lions last August, but he didn’t catch it at that time.
McCray (6-1, 266) played his high school ball in Indiana, but was not chosen in 2018. He initially signed with the Chiefs, falling on his training team, but in 2019 he joined the Browns and played in a game, registering a tackle.