The Detroit Lions made some big moves on Friday as they signed linebackers Reggie Ragland and Elijah Lee.
The list of linebackers currently on the Lions roster is strong. However, it is also getting very deep.
Super Bowl opponents join forces in Detroit
Reggie Ragland and Elijah Lee were probably not the best of friends a few months ago. Last season these two went at it in Super Bowl 54 back when Ragland, who played for the Kansas City Chiefs, took on Lee and the 49ers.
Now, these two will become teammates with the Detroit Lions.
News broke this morning that the Lions have officially agreed on terms with both players as they continue to try and bolster their defense.
Ragland was a second-round pick by the Buffalo Bills back in 2016, yet he never got a chance to establish himself in Buffalo.
ILB Reggie Ragland has agreed to terms with the Detroit Lions, per source. Former first-round pick won Super Bowl with the Chiefs.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 27, 2020
Ragland suffered a knee injury in his first training camp with the Bills, which caused him to miss his entire rookie campaign.
Buffalo gave up on the rookie linebacker quickly as they traded him to the Kansas City Chiefs before the 2017 season began.
As for Lee, he is a perfect example of a diamond in the rough.
#49ers take-out window stays busy, another defender gone in free agency:
LB Elijah Lee to #Lions, per agent @andysimms https://t.co/nW9CtcfblK— Cam Inman (@CamInman) March 27, 2020
Lee wasn’t selected until the seventh round of the 2017 draft by the Minnesota Vikings. Like Ragland, he was traded fairly quickly.
Lee played the last three seasons for San Francisco 49ers, where he shined on special teams.
David trade coming?
Trade rumors started to swirl about Jarrad Davis earlier this week. Now, multiple sources are indicating that they are 100-percent false.
You can take that with a grain of salt because the truth is fans never know the truth — until the minute a trade occurs!
As for the Lions, they will return three of their top four linebackers in Christian Jones, Jarrad Davis, and Jahlani Tavai. They also added Jamie Collins in free agency.
While it wouldn’t be odd if the Lions carry six or seven linebackers, in this case, it may be. All of these guys are starters and want to play at least 70-80-percent of the snaps.
While rotating players is constant during the course of an NFL game, you just have to believe that one of these guys may be on their way out.
Could it be Davis? That may be a mistake if it is. While he is entering the last year of his rookie contract, the 2017 selection shows signs of being a breakthrough type of linebacker.
Davis isn’t scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent until after the 2021 season. However, the Lions have the option to extend his contract for the 2021 season by May.
If the Lions don’t pick up Davis’ club option for 2021 before the May deadline, those trade rumors will pick right up again.