Lions elevate veteran cornerback, wide receiver off practice squad for Bengals game

Allen Park — After placing Quintez Cephus and Corey Ballentine on injured reserve this week, the Detroit Lions are adding some depth at cornerback and wide receiver ahead of Sunday's matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals.

The team elevated veterans Nickell Robey-Coleman and Geronimo Allison off the practice squad on Saturday.

Robey-Coleman, in his ninth season, signed with the Lions during training camp, but he was unable to beat out rookie AJ Parker for the team's starting slot cornerback job.

Primarily a nickelback, the 5-foot-8, 180-pounder does have experience playing both inside and outside. He appeared in 15 games for the Philadelphia Eagles last season, making seven starts.

That short stint was directly preceded by the best three-year stretch of Robey-Coleman's career, where he was a key piece of the Los Angeles Rams defense and coached by current Lions defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant. 

Allison signed with the Lions ahead of the 2020 season but opted out due to COVID-19 concerns. He previously spent four seasons with the Green Bay Packers, appearing in 46 games and catching 89 passes for 1,045 yards and six touchdowns.

jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @Justin_Rogers