Is LB Jarrad Davis the Odd Man Out?
On Friday, Detroit continued to bolster its linebacking unit by agreeing to contract terms with linebackers Reggie Ragland and Elijah Lee.
Recall, Ragland was a draft prospect that Lions fans hoped would be targeted by Detroit in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Ragland ended up being selected by the Bills in the second round of the 2016 draft.
The additions will certainly increase the competition at linebacker -- a position that desperately needed a makeover following a subpar 2019 collectively.
Detroit also added veteran Jamie Collins to add versatility and experience to head coach Matt Patricia's defensive scheme.
At this time, it is expected that Collins will play the EDGE, while Jahlani Tavai, Jarrad Davis and Christian Jones also return in 2020.
Davis has frequently been the subject of heavy scrutiny among supporters of the Lions.
Coaches, though, have continued to publicly support Davis. And the organization even went so far as to publicly shoot down a random trade rumor that surfaced last week.
Davis clearly has the support of Patricia and the organization, despite his performance on the field often hurting the team.
Davis was among the lowest-graded linebackers, per Pro Football Focus. And his plethora of missed tackles must frustrate all involved when reviewing film.
The addition of Ragland could seriously ramp up the competition for his job -- or at the very least, impact the number of snaps that Davis plays in 2020.
Could Davis subsequently be the odd man out?
He is likely going to be given one final opportunity to prove his worth.
If his play doesn't improve drastically, he could end up cut like veteran Devon Kennard -- and sooner rather than later.
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