Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell took over the Lions last winter, assessed the roster, and said farewell to Jarrad Davis.
Now they're saying hello again.
The Lions have signed the free agent linebacker five years after drafting him 21st overall, the club announced Friday.
Davis left Detroit after four underwhelming seasons and signed a one-year, $5.5 million deal with the Jets last year, where he produced 25 tackles in nine games. (He missed the first two months of the season with an ankle injury.) He was the worst out of 103 NFL linebackers who logged at least 200 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
But Campbell has had a liking for Davis going back to his time as assistant head coach of the Saints. (If nothing else, the dude plays hard.) He said last offseason that when New Orleans was preparing to play the Lions in 2020, Davis kept jumping out on film.
"There were pieces on that defense where you were like, man, if we don’t take care of these guys we’re going to have some issues. I mean, look, Davis. One of the first things I circled was, man, if we’re running inside zone or we're running our lead draw and you’re leading on No. 40, you better freaking be ready for him to drop his hat and hit you right under the chin. Like, he will literally split your chin open and knock your hat off," Campbell said.
In the same interview, Campbell suggested a number of players in Detroit's defense that year were victims of a poor scheme. In the right scheme, maybe he thinks Davis still has something to give.
Campbell just shouldn't expect much.