The Detroit Lions have added some depth at linebacker, signing veteran Zach Cunningham on Tuesday.
Cunningham, a second-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft who led the league in tackles as a member of the Houston Texans in 2020, is joining the Lions ahead of Detroit’s first batch of organized team activities (OTAs), which will run from Wednesday-Friday.
The Lions, who are allowed to have 91 players on their roster this offseason (one more than the usual 90-man maximum) due to Ahmed Hassanein’s exemption as a qualifier for the International Player Pathway program, waived linebacker Abraham Beauplan to make room for Cunningham.
An off-ball linebacker and former four-star recruit who attended Vanderbilt from 2013-16, Cunningham has played more than 5,300 defensive snaps in his professional career, notching 709 total tackles (31 for loss), 23 pass deflections, 6½ sacks, five forced fumbles and an interception. He spent his first four full seasons with the Houston Texans before he was waived in December 2021 and subsequently claimed by the Tennessee Titans. Cunningham stayed with the Titans through the 2022 season and later joined the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023 and Denver Broncos in 2024.
Cunningham, 30, was signed to Denver’s practice squad in September last season and appeared in seven games. His last notable role came with him on the Eagles in 2023, when he tallied 85 total tackles and an overall grade of 67.6 from Pro Football Focus. That rating from PFF ranked 29th among the 56 linebackers who played at least 700 snaps.
There are nine other linebackers on Detroit’s roster, including Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes, Jack Campbell, DaRon Gilbert, Trevor Nowaske, Anthony Pittman, Malcolm Rodriguez, Grant Stuard and Ezekiel Turner.
rsilva@detroitnews.com
@rich_silva18
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