The Lions added a bit of depth on both the offensive line and in the secondary Thursday, signing offensive guard Milford Brown and safety Calvin Lowry.

To make room on the roster, the Lions cut tight end Jake Nordin and defensive tackle John Gill.

"Both of those guys are veteran players — young veteran players — who have experience in the league. We're in a situation with some injuries that we need guys that can get up to speed pretty quickly," said Lions head coach Jim Schwartz. "And we won't be afraid to put either of those guys in the game on Saturday."

The 6-foot-5, 330-pound Brown should give the Lions another option on the line to replace Damion Cook, who had season-ending surgery to repair a torn triceps. A seven-year veteran, Brown has 47 career starts with four teams, earning starting roles with the Cardinals, Rams and most recently the Jaguars, after spending the first four years of his career in Houston.

Another refugee from Jacksonville — those are starting to add up on the Lions' roster — Lowry finished last season with the Jaguars after starting it in Denver. A former fourth-round pick of the Titans, Lowry spent his first two years in the league playing for Schwartz, starting 11 games at safety in 2007.