Lions bolster depth at safety, sign free agent Dean Marlowe

The Lions added more depth in the secondary Thursday, announcing the free-agent signing of safety Dean Marlowe, who spent the last three seasons with the Buffalo Bills.

Marlowe, 28, has mostly played in a backup role and on special teams in the NFL since making the Carolina Panthers roster as an undrafted rookie in 2015. He’s coming off a career-best year with the Bills that saw him make four starts and finish with two interceptions — both came in the regular-season finale against Miami — and 1.5 sacks.

Marlowe played every defensive snap in Buffalo’s 24-21 win over New England in Week 8. He also filled a core special-teams role for the Bills, including their postseason run to the AFC championship game.

In Detroit, he’ll provide some depth at the safety position, where only Tracy Walker and Will Harris have starting experience on the Lions’ current roster. Earlier this week, the Lions also hosted former Broncos safety Will Parks. And last month, they brought in former Falcons safety Damontae Kazee, but he signed a free-agent deal with Dallas.

john.niyo@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @JohnNiyo