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One month ago, Quinton Dunbar was penciled in as a starting cornerback for the Detroit Lions. He was one of the bigger free agents signed by new Lions GM Brad Holmes in hopes of bolstering the historically bad secondary from 2020.
It’s a good thing pencils have erasers. The Lions released Dunbar on Thursday after the veteran CB had been away from the team for over a week while dealing with a personal issue, per coach Dan Campbell.
The most immediate beneficiaries are Amani Oruwariye and Mike Ford. The veteran holdovers each solidified their spots as the No. 2 and No. 3 outside cornerbacks, though that order has yet to sort itself out. But Dunbar’s departure also frees up another roster spot at cornerback, and the Lions have a pair of worthy undrafted rookies who can step up and seize the vacancy.
A.J. Parker and Jerry Jacobs have both been quite impressive throughout training camp. Parker has been good enough that he’s seen first-team reps in the slot, though the recent acquisition of Nickell Robey-Coleman likely ends that run. Jacobs has proven physical, quick and a sponge to coaching while reliably taking a lot of second-team reps on the outside.
With Dunbar out of the picture, that’s a definite opening for at least one of Jacobs or Parker to secure a spot on the final roster. Preseason performance will matter, obviously, but the door is open. Do not be at all surprised if one — or both — walk through it and seize the opportunity.