Lions acquire Johnthan Banks from Bucs for conditional pick

The Detroit Lions acquired cornerback Johnthan Banks from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for a conditional 2018 seventh-round draft pick, the Bucs confirmed Tuesday.

Reports Monday indicated Banks was set to be cut, but the Lions instead swooped in Tuesday and offered up some minor compensation to skip the waiver-wire process.

The 2013 second-round pick started 37 games and recorded seven interceptions over his first three seasons before being pushed into a reserve role for each of his five appearances this year.

While the lack of playing time suggests he quickly fell out of favor, the Lions are taking a chance on the possibility that a fresh start will allow him to tap into his potential again.

Banks will look to carve out a role for himself while getting an opportunity to play alongside former Mississippi State teammate Darius Slay.