Lions place LB Longa on IR

The Detroit Lions placed linebacker Steve Longa on injured reserve Monday with a torn knee ligament.

The team also cut veteran defensive lineman Cornelius Washington and cornerback Antwuan Davis, while signing cornerbacks Sterling Moore and Dexter McDougle along with offensive lineman Beau Nunn.

Longa was injured while pursuing New York Giants quarterback Kyle Lauletta on a touchdown run during the second quarter of Friday's preseason game. Longa walked off the field, but he was seen wearing a heavy brace after the game and tests confirmed the torn ligament.

The former undrafted rookie out of Rutgers played in 16 games for the Lions over the past two seasons after being released by the Seattle Seahawks. Longa was expected to be a key special teams contributor while also working as a backup linebacker for the Lions this season.

Longa was one of just four Lions players to log more than 300 special teams snaps last season, according to The Detroit News.

Washington, 28, recorded 24 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 15 games for the Lions last season. He had taken reps with the first- and second-team defenses throughout training camp but was also due to count $2.72 million against the salary cap.

Davis signed with Detroit as a free agent this offseason.

McDougle has five tackles in 29 career NFL games while spending time with the Jets, Eagles, and Saints. Moore, who has 185 career tackles along with six interceptions and six forced fumbles, was also with the Saints last season after stints with the Raiders, Patriots, Cowboys, and Buccaneers.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)