Just as a Week 1 loss didn't mean the sky is falling for the Detroit Lions, the Week 2 win over the Chicago Bears doesn't mean the team is cruising with no issues. The injury bug, as Lions fans have seen all too often in recent years, can always derail a season. Marcus Davenport is already dealing with injury concerns (again), and the timing couldn't be much worse.
The free-agent market for productive edge rushers was quite strong this offseason, and remained so through the first week of the regular season, too. Although the Lions could afford to play coy with a potential Za'Darius Smith reunion for a while, their hesitance to address the position (with Smith or otherwise) could be about to come back and haunt them.
Lions' Marcus Davenport Replacement Options Aren't Pretty
One of the best arguments that could've been made against a reunion with Smith is that there may have been a better option out there. Unfortunately, that window closed when Jadeveon Clowney signed with the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Now, as the Lions' EDGE depth is at risk of being tested with the Davenport injury, the options for external help are slim.
Digging through the names of top free agents still available doesn't inspire much confidence. The list is ugly enough that it's hard to really compile a definitive ranking of "top" options, but the most high-profile names will give you a good idea of what we're working with:
- Shaq Barrett
- Preston Smith
- DeMarcus Walker
- Yannick Ngakoue
- Jerry Hughes
Smith (4.5 sacks) and Walker (3.5 sacks) both had at least some modest production in 2024, but neither was especially impressive, and Pro Football Focus had both graded out below 65.0 on the year.
Considering the Lions' internal options to line up across from Aidan Hutchinson if Davenport misses any time, desperation could make those names more appealing. Relying on Al-Quadin Muhammad, Tyrus Wheat, or practice-squadder Andre Carter II doesn't feel like a viable long-term answer.
Obviously, the first hope is that Davenport is healthy and was just giving the media members a hard time. But, because he has played 13 or fewer games in seven of his eight previous NFL seasons, that hope can't come without having an eventual plan B in mind.
The ugly state of the free-agent market right now might force that plan B to be a trade.