Detroit Lions add QB depth, sign Tom Savage

Allen Park — The Detroit Lions added some depth at quarterback on Tuesday, bringing in Tom Savage to compete for the job backing up starter Matthew Stafford. 

A fourth-round pick out of Pittsburgh in 2014, Savage spent his first four seasons with the Houston Texans. During that stretch, he appeared in 13 games, including nine starts. Through his career, the 6-foot-4, 230-pounder has completed 57.5 percent of his throws for 2,000 yards, five touchdowns and seven interceptions. 

Savage joins a Detroit depth chart comfortably headed by Stafford, a 10-year veteran who has started 128 games, one of the longest streaks at the quarterback position in NFL history. 

Prior to signing Savage, former Michigan State standout Connor Cook was the only other quarterback on the Lions' roster. 

At the league meetings last month, general manager Bob Quinn talked about the challenge of investing significant resources in a veteran backup, given Stafford's contract, which carries an average cap hit of more than $30 million the next three years. 

"You guys understand like our salary situation at the quarterback position, it’s up there, so there’s only so much you can do in terms of signing a top-end backup, just with the salary that comes with that," Quinn said. "But there’s other avenues to get quarterbacks and we’re going to look at all of them."

The Lions could still draft a quarterback to add to the mix. Quinn has previously stated his preference to select a QB every couple years. In his three years at the helm, he's taken two, Jake Rudock and Brad Kayaa. 

Quinn has suggested he would even consider taking a quarterback with the team's No. 8 pick in the first round, but that scenario remains unlikely. 

jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @Justin_Rogers