The Detroit Lions Free agency, who will stay? who will go?

Nick Fairley

Oct 5, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley (98) prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

While the world may see an injury prone guy who may seem like he’s only here to pick up a check, I see a guy that has worked hard all year-long to shed that image. After being benched by Jim Caldwell in the pre-season, Fairley got back on his weight loss program and turned his play around.

Having Fairley up front makes this team even harder to run the ball on. There’s certainly no coincidence that once Fairley went down the Lions began to give up their spot as the league’s number 1 defense. Most will say “let him walk” or “we can’t afford him.” I would say you make it work and find a way to lock down the core of this defense in Suh and Fairley.

Pile: Keep