Randy

Phillips

Phillips has clearly fallen out of favor as the Lions brought back Dante Wesley in his place. It’s a bad sign for the undrafted free agent out of Miami.

He takes Matthew Stafford’s spot on the active roster. Phillips, an undrafted rookie out of Miami (FL), is needed with FS Louis Delmas banged up.

We’ll be hoping for an update from secretive coach Jim Schwartz after practice is over. Brown, who was perhaps the worst cover safety in the league last year with the Giants, is the Lions’ starting strong safety. Rookie Randy Phillips stepped in with the first team.

It may be too early to call Phillips a surefire first-teamer, but it certainly looks that way. The undrafted free agent is healthier than C.C. Brown, and couldn’t possibly be a downgrade in coverage. If Phillips bookends FS Louis Delmas as the Week 1 strong safety, he’ll be worth a shot in deeper IDP leagues.

He quickly passed Marvin White on the depth chart behind injured starting FS Louis Delmas. Phillips went undrafted out of Miami, mostly because of a torn right labrum that sabotaged his 2009 season. His quick rise is an indictment of the Lions’ secondary, which is the dregs of the NFL.

Phillips will try to make the team as an undrafted free agent from Miami. The Lions are very weak at safety behind Louis Delmas, so it’s a fine landing spot.

Phillips was one of the former Hurricanes named in the University of Miami scandal on Tuesday, though this transaction has nothing to do with that. The Lions also released OG Jeff Maddux and injured DB Maurice Leggett.