Detroit Lions: Three players that need to be released in 2020
By Bob Heyrman
Christian Jones
The Detroit Lions need better, efficient play from their entire linebacking core. Devon Kennard was terrific for Detroit last season. He’s earned himself a spot moving forward. Both Jarrod Davis and Christian Jones struggled mightily for stretches last season.
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Detroit is committed to Jahlani Tavai, after selecting him in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Sure he had some rookie moments, but he really started to impress after Davis was unfortunately injured.
Then there is Christian Jones… Nearly immediately after signing a contract extension, his game disappeared. 2019 was a disaster for Jones. It will go down as the worst professional season of his career.
He recorded just 29 tackles, a far cry from the 62 he notched last season and 63 the season before. He created only 16 defensive stops, again significantly down from the previous two seasons. Jones has struggled in coverage throughout his career, and 2019 was no different. In Matt Patricia’s man to man defense, covering the backs out of the backfield are critical; it’s certainly not a strength of Jones.
Detroit should consider parting ways with Jones, but it would cost the team $3.27 million to part ways.
Potential Replacement: This one is relatively easy. The Detroit Lions need to consider a reunion with pending free agent Kyle Van Noy. After being drafted by the Detroit Lions, he didn’t fit into their scheme. Since then, he’s excelled in the New England Patriots defense.
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He’s very familiar with Matt Patricia and his brand of defense. He’s a plug and play player that would automatically be Detroit’s best linebacker. Detroit needs to consider bringing in Van Noy regardless if Jones remains rostered or not.