The loss of wide receiver Nate Burleson for the rest of the season has left the Lions short at wide receiver as they try to turn a 2-4 start into a more impressive finish.
They spent some time Tuesday trying to find a player to help them make up for Burleson’s absence. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports that the team worked out wide receivers on Tuesday, including a trio of players who have washed out on other teams already this season.
Deon Butler was cut by the Seahawks this summer, ending a three-year run with the team that began when they traded up to take him in the third round of the 2009 draft. Butler played just five games in 2011 because of injury and caught 57 passes while with Seattle. Legedu Naanee started the opener for the Dolphins, but was quickly removed from the starting lineup and fumbled the only pass he caught during four weeks with the team. He was released when the team signed Jabar Gaffney. Brian Robiske made the Jaguars out of camp, but was cut after one game. That ended a stint in Jacksonville that ran back to last season, although the 36th overall pick of the 2009 draft never actually made the active roster for the Jags on game day.
Titus Young and Ryan Broyles will hold down the second and third spots on the depth chart, leaving the Lions to decide what they might want from a new addition. Naanee is the best blocker and has contributed on special teams while Butler is the most intriguing pass catcher of the three.