Linebackers Reggie Ragland and Elijah Lee have agreed to deals with the Detroit Lions, the team announced Friday.
The team did not disclose terms of the agreements, but Lee's deal is for one year, a source told ESPN's Michael Rothstein, confirming a report by the Detroit News.
The additions of Ragland and Lee, along with the signing of Jamie Collins and release of team captain Devon Kennard last week, signal a major shift in the Lions' linebacker room. At the very least, Detroit is trying to find added competition for a group that often struggled on one of the league's worst defenses last season.
Jarrad Davis, the team's first-round pick in 2017, is likely to be pushed by Ragland for his role in the middle along with last year's second-round pick, Jahlani Tavai. The signing of Lee could put more pressure on veteran special-teams players Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Steve Longa as well as Jason Cabinda, who was called up from the practice squad late last year to fill a special-teams role.
Ragland, who turns 27 in September, became a part-time player after the Kansas City Chiefs switched to a 4-3 base defense last season. After being a healthy scratch in the first two games of the season, Ragland started seven of the next 14. He also started Super Bowl LIV against the 49ers.
He joined the Chiefs in a trade with the Buffalo Bills before the 2017 season and was a full-time starter for Kansas City over two seasons. In three seasons, the linebacker had 160 tackles, 2.5 sacks, a fumble recovery, an interception and a defensive touchdown.
The 2016 second-round pick out of Alabama was with the Bills for just one season, but he never played in a regular-season game in Buffalo after he tore his ACL in training camp and was placed on injured reserve.
Primarily a special-teams player, Lee played 40 percent or more of special-teams snaps every year he was with the 49ers. He also started five games for San Francisco in 2018.
ESPN's Michael Rothstein and Adam Teicher contributed to this report.