Detroit Lions: 5 Offseason Moves to make if Suh leaves
Dec 22, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley (98) celebrates after making a play during the fourth quarter against the New York Giants at Ford Field. Giants beat the Lions 23-20. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Bring back Nick Fairley
If Suh leaves Detroit, one player they simply can’t let slip away is fellow defensive tackle Nick Fairley. The two are so important to the Lions defense.
2014 was a tough year for Fairley; he was injured in the Week 8 trip to London versus the Atlanta Falcons. The injury was so serious that he didn’t return for the rest of the season.
Lost in all of the Ndamukong Suh contract talks is that the Lions may also lose another pretty damn good DT in Nick Fairley.
— Pete Damilatis (@PeteDamilatis) February 18, 2015
Providing he’s healthy, he has the tools to dominate on the defensive line. Fairley finished 2013 with his career-best numbers, combining for 35 tackles, six sacks and a forced fumble from his 15 games.
Last May, the Lions opted not to pick up his fifth-year option, meaning he would become a free agent in 2015. The reason behind this was due to questions over his attitude and motivation. He was subsequently benched in the preseason and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin believes the move helped Fairley ‘turn a corner’, according to the official Detroit Lions website:
"“He kept himself in good shape. He kept his weight down, he worked really hard and if we were fortunate enough to win at Dallas he would have been ready to play a little bit in the next game and so that shows me that he’s turned the corner,” Austin told DetroitLions.com. “I mean I really like Nick and I like Nick as a player,” Austin said. “I think he’s a really good player. But I think he did, I think he turned a corner.”"
Fairley is only 27-years-old so he has plenty left in the tank. If he can stay healthy, the continuity at the position will be so important to the team. Not only that, Fairley’s price tag will be considerably lower than that of Suh’s.
They would be wise to try and negotiate a deal with veteran C.J. Mosley too. Mosley has been in the league for ten years and with the Lions for the past two. His experience was crucial last term when Fairley missed time; Mosley stepped up and contributed to the number-one rush defense.
If Suh walks, the Lions simply can’t allow Fairley to leave, and it would be a blow to lose Mosley too. If all three were to leave town, the hopes of a deep playoff run could exit through the same door.
Nick Fairley Career Stats
| Games | Def Interceptions | Fumbles | Sacks & Tackles | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Tm | G | GS | Sk | Int | Yds | PD | FF | Fmb | FR | Yds | TD | Tkl | Ast | Sfty | AV |
| 2011 | 23 | DET | 10 | 0 | 1.0 | 9 | 6 | 1 | |||||||||
| 2012 | 24 | DET | 13 | 7 | 5.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 7 | 4 | |
| 2013 | 25 | DET | 15 | 15 | 6.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 22 | 13 | 1 | 8 |
| 2014 | 26 | DET | 8 | 8 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 6 | 4 | ||||
| Career | 46 | 30 | 13.5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 66 | 32 | 1 | 17 |
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 3/6/2015.
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