Brad Holmes, Lions seeking help at safety: 'We need to bring in some fresh players'

Brad Holmes and the Lions are looking high and low for help in the secondary.

From veteran free agents to younger players on opposing practice squads, Dan Campbell said Monday the Lions are exploring multiple options to add more talent in the defensive backfield as injuries mount at safety. The Lions have allowed the second most points and passing yards in the NFL through two games.

Avonte Maddox is done for the season after undergoing surgery on the foot injury he suffered last Thursday against the Bills, and neither Brian Branch nor Kerby Joseph is ready to start practicing yet. Branch and Joseph aren't eligible to return to game action until Week 5 at the earliest after starting the season on the PUP list.

Dan Campbell said Monday that Branch is likely closer to a return than Joseph, who's been sidelined since last October by a chronic knee injury. Joseph, at this point, might not play at all this season -- or ever again for the Lions -- given the hurdles he continues to hit in his recovery and the fact that surgery isn't an option.

Joseph was gone from the team for personal reasons toward the end of training camp, but has since returned. The Lions apparently had to stall his rehab during that period.

Asked Monday about Joseph's outlook and when the team will feel comfortable pushing his knee in practice, Campbell said, "It's a good question. There is nothing I'm going to say that is going to make anybody feel better about anything."

"I just know we were strengthening the knee, and it wasn't a setback, but there was a little time there where we weren't able to do everything we needed to do. So now we're back at it. And until we can get the knee to a certain point to where it feels strong -- as strong as we can possibly get it -- and he feels comfortable, we're not going to put him out there until he's ready," Campbell said.

The Lions worked out a group of veteran free agent safeties over the weekend, featuring Jordan Fuller, Mike Edwards and Jalen Mills, the later of whom had a brief stint in Detroit toward the end of last season. They have also reportedly checked in on former Pro Bowl nickel Kenny Moore II, who received his release from the Colts this offseason and is expected to choose a new team soon.

"Brad's been working on getting some guys in here," Campbell said. "We had a workout this morning just looking for a veteran guy. And then we're looking for some of these safeties that are on other teams right now that are promising young players that we could potentially poach and bring in and let them compete."

The Lions' interest in said players, particularly the safeties, is the direct result of a thinned-out depth chart. Their starting safeties in Week 3 are slated to be Chuck Clark and Thomas Harper, or they could move Christian Izien to that role and go with Keith Abney II or Roger McCreary in the slot.

"Right now we got Chuck and Izzy and Harper, but we need to bring in some fresh players and get a look at them," Campbell said. "And look, we're going to do a couple of things defensively. We're going to move some guys around. We're going to give some guys some more opportunities to play here and shake it up a little bit, because they've earned that. We've got some guys in here that have earned some play time who deserve a chance to do more for us.

"And then like I say, Brad's bringing in some more guys in the immediate and we'll see what they can do. The faster we get them here, the faster we get a look at them, they get acclimated with what we do, and then we'll see."

The Lions have also been identified as a team to watch in the trade market for Steelers star cornerback Joey Porter Jr., but a move of that magnitude feels unlikely. And at this point, it appears the club is more focused on its needs at safety than corner.