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The Detroit Lions attempted to bolster their defensive backfield on Wednesday, sending a seventh-round draft pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for Johnthan Banks. Banks was the Bucs' second-round pick in 2013.

Banks has played in only two games this season, and has only seen the field on special teams. He began his career playing on a near every-snap basis for the Bucs in 2013 and 2014, but saw his playing time decrease and lost his starting spot last season. The Bucs are now using Alterraun Verner, Brent Grimes, and Vernon Hargreaves III as the top cornerback trio, and Jude Adjei-Barimah has also surpassed Banks in the rotation.

As a result, the Bucs actually had intended to cut Banks, but the Lions opted to send a conditional pick to Tampa in exchange for his services just in case Banks did not clear waivers. Banks is a former college teammate of Lions corner Darius Slay (Mississippi State), who was selected only a few picks before Banks in the 2013 draft. Slay sat out the Lions' game against the Texans last week with an injury.

In his four NFL seasons, Banks has seven interceptions and 17 passes defensed.