Allen Park — A few days after placing cornerback Bobby Price on injured reserve because of a knee injury, the Detroit Lions are bringing back a familiar face to fill the void on special teams, signing safety C.J. Moore off the Houston Texans’ practice squad.
Initially signed as an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi in 2019, Moore spent his first three seasons with the Lions, developing into one of the team’s top special-teams contributors, averaging 285 snaps with those units during that stretch.
The Lions released Moore, with an injury settlement, in late August. He had opened training camp on the non-football injury list and suffered a lower-leg injury after returning to practice, necessitating the move.
At the time of Price’s injury, he was leading the Lions with 120 special-teams snaps, making Moore a logical replacement. The move also gives the team some safety depth, following a season-ending injury to Tracy Walker and reserve Ifeatu Melifonwu dealing with an ankle injury that sidelined him last Sunday against Dallas.
In addition to re-adding Moore, the Lions made a practice-squad swap, signing safety J.R. Reed and releasing defensive lineman Bruce Hector.
Listed at 6-foot-1, 194 pounds, Reed has spent time with five teams since going undrafted out of Georgia in 2020, including a stint with the Los Angeles Rams from 2020-21. There, he played under Detroit defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant. In 16 games, Reed has played mostly on special teams, logging 15 tackles in 16 appearances.
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