Taylor Mays to Lions: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction

Safety Taylor Mays' time on the open market didn't last long, as he signed with the Detroit Lions on Saturday just four days after getting released by the Minnesota Vikings.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter on Saturday, citing confirmation from marketing agent Fadde Mikhail, the 27-year-old defensive back has inked an undisclosed deal with one of the Vikes' divisional rivals. "Safety Taylor Mays has officially passed his physical and signed his deal," noted NFL Network's Ian Rapoport on Monday, citing a source.

On June 26, ESPN's Adam Caplan reported the deal is one-year, $745,000 with no guaranteed money.

The Lions mark Mays' fourth NFL team since entering the league as a second-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 2010.

Although his production has been disappointing to this point in his career, with 84 tackles and no interceptions, he seemed like a logical depth option for Minnesota because Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer was his defensive coordinator with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Per Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, though, Zimmer didn't feel as though the former USC standout was a fit for his team:

While things didn't work out with the Vikes, Mays may have better luck in Detroit, especially since the secondary has been the biggest weakness of the Lions defense for the past several years.

Detroit's starting safety tandem of Glover Quin and James Ihedigbo is solid if unspectacular, but there isn't much experience behind them, which suggests that Mays has a decent chance of making the squad.

According to Chris B. Brown of SmartFootball.com, Mays has the skill set to stick in the NFL even though he hasn't put it all together yet:

It is entirely possible that Mays will never realise the immense potential he has always displayed, but players with his type of ability will continue to get chances in the NFL as team hope that the switch suddenly flips.

The Lions ranked second in the league in total defense last season, and while they are undergoing a transformation of sorts, with defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh now playing for the Miami Dolphins, they may still have enough talent to get the most out of Mays.

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