How the Detroit Lions move forward without Damon Harrison

The Detroit Lions will reportedly move on from defensive tackle Damon Harrison Sr. soon. Let’s look at how this could change the defense moving forward.

On Thursday night, various reports confirmed that the Detroit Lions plan on releasing defensive tackle Damon Harrison Sr. in the next few days. The player known as ‘Snacks’ was traded by the New York Giants to Detroit for a fifth-round pick back in October of 2018.

At the time, this trade was considered one of general manager Bob Quinn’s best moves. Now, the team has suddenly decided to move on.

Harrison was dominant in 2018, leading all interior defensive lineman with 81 total tackles and nine tackles for loss. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 92.0 that season, keeping his title as the best run-stuffer in the NFL.

After doing all that, Harrison earned an a one-year, $11 million extension with the Lions. Unfortunately, this past season, his game fell off as his overall PFF grade dropped to
63.2.

The decision to release the 31-year old defensive tackle could have been due to age, injury, and/or scheme. At this point, the reason doesn’t matter. How the Lions decide to move forward on defense should be the focus.

With Harrison out of the picture and defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson a pending free agent, it leaves Detroit’s front seven in shambles. With the roster on the lighter side defensively, it gives the Lions somewhat of a blank canvas. And they could potentially shake things up.

Instead of looking to find more of the bigger defensive lineman that excels at run blocking, they could go for more interior pass rushers. It’s no secret that this defense was built on stopping the run. But with a thinner roster, Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia have the opportunity to change that.

Potentially, the Lions could take a page out of the San Francisco 49ers’ book and fill the defensive line with pass-rushers. As of now, defensive end Trey Flowers is the only lock to be a starter on next year’s defensive line.

The last time the Lions had a pass rush rank in the top 10 was in 2014. That year they went 11-5 and that was the best record posted in quarterback Matthew Stafford’s career. Detroit should go back to what was working and build their defense on putting immense pressure on opposing quarterbacks. And this upcoming free agency class is loaded with pass rushers.

Bringing in offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell last season improved the offense. Perhaps, with a new crew on the defensive side, that unit can also show the same type of change. Regardless, the Lions have a lot of holes to fill on defense.

Should the Detroit Lions change their identity on defense? Who are some players you would like them to sign? Tell us in the comment section below.