It is not the first time that Lions GM Martin Mayhew has taken a chance on a defensive end who had not lived up to expectations.

The Lions announced on Thursday that they had signed defensive end Everette Brown who had been waived by the San Diego Chargers on March 13.

The 24-year-old Brown, who played for Mayhew’s alma mater Florida State, was a second-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in 2009. He played in 28 total games (with just six sacks) in his first two seasons with the Panthers before they waived him on Sept. 4, 2011. He signed on Nov. 1 with the Chargers and played in three games.

Prior to the 2009 draft he was considered possible first-round material as a rush linebacker. Brown is 6-foot-1 and 256 pounds.

During the 2010 training camp, Mayhew made a trade for DE Lawrence Jackson, a former first-round pick who just didn’t fit in with the Seahawks. It turned out to be a smart move. The 26-year-old Jackson, while not a starter, sees plenty of playing time rotating in for Kyle Vanden Bosch.

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