The Detroit Lions will have a different fourth quarterback during mandatory minicamp.
The team claimed Garrett Gilbert off waivers Friday and to make room for him, waived quarterback Anthony Boone.
The Lions had picked Boone up as an undrafted free agent in May and unlike the undrafted quarterback the Lions brought in in 2014, James Franklin, Boone threw a smattering of passes during organized team activities.
In Gilbert, Detroit may have found a better prospect to be a fourth quarterback. Gilbert was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in 2014 and spent half the season on the team's practice squad before being waived. He then ended up in New England on the practice squad late last season, but the Patriots waived him Thursday in favor of veteran Matt Flynn.
Colleague Mike Reiss, who covers the New England Patriots, said Gilbert got 11 reps during the Patriots' final OTA on Thursday but didn't receive much action otherwise as most snaps went to Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo. Reiss said the uncertainty surrounding Brady's status for the start of the season led New England to bring in a more experienced quarterback option.
The 6-foot-4, 221-pound Gilbert is more of a traditional passer than Boone was and also has better size for the position. He started his career at Texas and was the team's starting quarterback in 2010. He might be best known for replacing Colt McCoy in the BCS Championship game following the 2009 season, after McCoy left the game due to injury against Alabama.
He was the 2008 Gatorade National Player of the Year.
