Lions Upgrade Special Teams by Acquiring Mike Thomas from Jacksonville

Mike Thomas is a Detroit Lion, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. That means only one thing: Stefan Logan better watch his back.

It's no surprise to any Lions fan that Logan has been poor on special teams this year, booting more than his fair share of balls in his role as returner.

Thomas had a brief stint as a reliable receiver for Jacksonville—most effectively in a slot or No. 2 spot—but was terrible when pressed into service as the primary target.

What likely attracted the Lions to Thomas was his success when primarily on kick/punt return duty back in 2009. This will likely be his primary duty with the Lions.

Sure, he'll serve as depth behind Titus Young and Ryan Broyles—two young receivers who are still a bit raw. The Lions lost Nate Burleson, so adding another veteran isn't a bad thing. It isn't likely he takes on a big role or one even approximating what Burleson had.

As long as he does a good job protecting the ball and getting positive yards returning it, he will see the field that way more frequently than any other. So it comes down to an attempt to shore up the return game and a special teams unit which hasn't been very special so far.

In order to get Thomas on the roster, the Lions released Justin Miller, according to MLive.com's Anwar Richardson. As bad as the secondary has been (and with Louis Delmas having more knee issues), that's not a good sign for Miller's chances to have an impact with another team.

The Lions are reportedly looking for more safety help as well, according to the NFL Network's Jason La Canfora, so this may not be their last move.

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