Lions sign Lamar Jackson mimic and George Kittle's former backup

Billy Heyen

Lions sign Lamar Jackson mimic and George Kittle's former backup image

The Detroit Lions added some intriguing depth on Tuesday.

They've signed both a player to mimic Lamar Jackson, and a former backup to George Kittle.

First, the Jackson impersonator: That's Malik Cunningham, whose signing was reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Cunningham began his NFL career with the New England Patriots, then played for the Baltimore Ravens, the team the Lions face on Monday night in Week 3. Cunningham has spent NFL time at both quarterback and wide receiver.

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Schefter speculated that Cunningham may be used in practice this week to imitate Lamar Jackson ahead of the tough matchup for the Detroit defense.

Then later on Monday, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported that the Lions are also signing Ross Dwelley.

Dwelley was a tight end for the San Francisco 49ers who was a steady reserve presence behind the All-Pro Kittle.

Both Cunningham and Dwelley signed to the practice squad in Detroit.

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It's not clear what Cunningham's long-term future might be. If he really was signed mostly to play as Jackson for the scout team, his role would soon disappear. But he's also got an intriguing enough skillset that maybe the Lions see what they can do with him.

Dwelley has enough NFL experience that it wouldn't be shocking to see him climb Detroit's tight end depth chart, but for now, he'll have to prove himself as a member of the practice squad.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle