Who and where do they fit on the 53-man roster?
ON-BALL LBs (JACK)
The release of on-ball (JACK) LB Devon Kennard opens up the EDGE position opposite Trey Flowers. It should be interesting to see how the Lions replace him. Do they keep a designated starter there like Kennard or use more of a rotation?
I think Detroit is hoping for more of a rotation with Julian Okwara and Austin Bryant leading the way with off-ball LBs like Collins, Jones, and Ragland in spot duty.
Conclusion
To put it simply, I just believe Ragland is just a better linebacker. With Tavai and Collins as projected starters at MIKE and WILL … Ragland and Jones as the primary off-ball backups … is Davis that valuable? Not from what I’ve seen in the past three years.
The Lions can save $2 million in cap with the release of Davis or live with his $3.49M cap hit. While Ragland comes with an 887,500 cap hit … and is the guy I can see passing up Davis for snaps.
Jarrad Davis’s familiarity with the system in a very restricted offseason due to COVID-19 and his knack for pressure helps his grip on a roster spot, but I would not be surprised to see Jarrad Davis as the Lions surprise cut in 2020.