The Detroit Lions announced on Tuesday that they have re-signed cornerback Arthur Maulet to the 53-man roster and waived tight end Ross Dwelley to make room for him.
Maulet signed to the Lions’ practice squad back in early October, and when the injury bug hit at cornerback, he got some significant playing time. Most notably, he was the team’s nickelback in the “Legion of Whom” win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In that game, he tallied five tackles and this key interception:
Maulet would go on to play nickel for Detroit for three more games before the Lions got back to a healthier secondary. Maulet was waived in late November when Detroit brought back Khalil Dorsey from injured reserve and needed to create extra roster space for tight end Anthony Firkser and receiver Tom Kennedy.
Maulet, a nine-year veteran, adds experienced depth to the secondary as the Lions continue to navigate injuries. Cornerback Terrion Arnold is out for the year with a shoulder injury, Brian Branch reportedly tore his Achilles last week, and Detroit is still evaluating when safety Kerby Joseph can return from his knee injury.
Dwelley’s waiving is also moderately interesting. Detroit is shorthanded at tight end after both Sam LaPorta (back) and Brock Wright (neck) were placed on injured reserve recently due to season-ending injuries. Dwelley played 47 offensive snaps on Thanksgiving and 18 against the Cowboys on Thursday night. Detroit appears to favor Anthony Firkser last week (35 snaps).
The Lions now have just two tight ends on their 53-man roster: Firkser and Hayden Rucci. Last week, the Lions were awarded Rucci off waivers, but he did not play in the Thursday night game against the Cowboys. Rucci—who went undrafted in 2024—appeared in four games for the Dolphins earlier this year, logging his first 39 NFL offensive snaps. The Lions also recently signed Giovanni Ricci to their practice squad.
Detroit also started the evaluation clock on Shane Zylstra last week, but he practiced just a single time before being sidelined with a new knee injury.
We’ll see what the Lions’ plan is at tight end as the week progresses.
