Rumor: NFL Team Could Be Interested in Trading for Jarrad Davis – Sports Illustrated

Posted on October 20, 2020

John Maakaron

Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis has seen his snap counts drastically reduced this season.

Davis, Detroit’s 2017 first-round draft selection, has struggled to produce at a consistent level in head coach Matt Patricia’s scheme.

General manager Bob Quinn decided to decline Davis’ fifth-year option prior to the season.

With a price tag of approximately $10.089 million for his fifth season, the investment would not have made much sense for a player that isn’t a three-down linebacker.

In 2019, Davis ranked 94th out of 99 linebackers, as graded by Pro Football Focus.

Davis recorded 63 tackles in 11 games played last season.

Devin Bush’s season-ending ACL injury leaves a hole in the Pittsburgh Steelers defense that they should be looking to fill.

davis2 — Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis© Kirthmon F. Dozier via Imagn Content Services, LLC

According to a recent report, Davis may draw some interest from the AFC Central powerhouse.

According to The Athletic:

“The former first-round pick fell out of favor in Detroit as his snaps have dwindled. Like many unemployed or rarely used inside linebackers, Davis is more of a run-blitzing, downhill, sure-tackling linebacker than a coverage linebacker, but he isn’t a liability in coverage either.

Mike Tomlin loved him coming out of Florida in 2017. The Steelers had him in for a pre-draft visit that year. Tomlin loves to reconnect with players whether through trades or free agency after the fact. Davis is a free agent next year after the Lions declined his fifth-year option. Many believed the Steelers were going to draft him in the first round in 2017. Luckily for them, they didn’t and took T.J. Watt nine picks later.”

This past offseason, Detroit came to an agreement with veteran Reggie Ragland, further pointing to signs the team is ready to move forward without Davis.

Ragland has seen his snap count steadily increase in 2020, while Davis and Jahlani Tavai have seen theirs decline.

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Comments (5)

No. 1-5

MelloFan

Davis is a good player. He appears to be a responsible teammate with better than average football intellect. He hits hard and is extremely quickly almost to a fault, which why he often gets out of position or trapped. He actually looks more like an outside linebacker. In any case, the Lions should trade him to the highest bidder. There’s several teams in need (PIT, PHI, DEN, CLE, ARI, to name a few).

Maxboom19

No way they trade Dupree right now. Would you trade a potential pro bowler off your monster defense for a back up MLB on the Lions? Plus – Dupree was a first round pick, if he walks in free agency, the Steelers likely get a 2nd round pick. The most the Steelers probably give up for Davis is a 5th round pick…which isn’t bad considering he’s gonna leave in a few months for nothing.

Maxboom19

They won’t trade Dupree this year. If you’re the Steelers, would you trade a potential pro bowler and key part of your monster defense right now for a back up MLB on the Lions? If you want him, you’ll just have to overpay for him in the spring. Plus – if Steelers lose him in free agency, they’ll get a high pick the following year. Dupree was a 1st round pick. I couldn’t see the Steelers giving much more than a 5th round pick for Davis, which isn’t bad considering you’re about to lose him for nothing in a few months.

adam7251

Depending on what/If Pittsburgh offers, then I think you have to make the trade.

However, this smells….no REEKS like one of those scenario’s where he goes to the Steelers and becomes an All-Pro.

I don’t think the Steelers would go for it, and I’m pretty sure the money doesn’t work out, but packaging a deal that invloves J. Davis to get Bud Dupree would help with our pass rush situation this year. Pittsburgh is in salary cap hell next year, and they won’t be able to afford him. Therefore, he is very “tradeable.” He would serve as a 1 year rental to help boost the pass rush and then we either sign him, tag him, or he comes off the books.