After a free desk visit on Wednesday, former Bills security Dean Marlowe has officially signed with the Detroit Lions, the team announced Thursday morning.
Marlowe was decommissioned in 2015, but spent a few years with the Carolina Panthers in mostly a special team role. However, in the past three years, he has expanded his role to include the Buffalo Bills. Since 2018, he has played in 26 games and started seven. Especially last year was his breakout season, in which he played in 15 games and started four. Marlowe served as a versatile security, counting 22 tackles, two interceptions. In 2020 alone, 1.5 sacks and three passes have been defended.
Marlowe will come in and immediately compete with Will Harris for a starting safety job alongside Tracy Walker. Even entering the season as a backup, Marlowe can immediately contribute to special teams. Last year, he played on 215 special team snapshots (sixth in team).
Bills head coach Sean McDermott was a major reason for Marlowe’s growth in the league. He was a defensive coordinator for the Panthers when Marlowe was there, and he was instrumental in bringing Marlow to Buffalo.
“He’s seen the journey of life in the NFL, where his career began in his freshman year and (he) had success and expected to take the job in Carolina in the next two years,” McDermott said in 2018. “He never quite got to that, perhaps partly because of some injuries. Now he has basically reinvented himself (as) a different man, actually, since coming to Buffalo. “
Marlowe can fill a variety of defensive roles as he was a Swiss army knife in the defense of Bills last year. Per PFF he played 54 snaps in the box, 56 in nickel corner and 96 in free safety last season.