Should the Detroit Lions be in on linebacker Travin Howard?

With a lingering need for talent at linebacker, has Travin Howard fallen right into the Detroit Lions’ lap?

With the new deals they gave Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp this week, the Los Angeles Rams can’t keep everybody. So they waived linebacker Travin Howard on Wednesday. He went unclaimed, according to ESPN’s Field Yates, and now he’s a free agent.

Howard had the game-sealing interception against the 49ers in last season’s NFC Championship Game, clinching the Rams’ appearance in the Super Bowl, which they of course won.

Howard, a seventh-round pick out of TCU by Los Angeles in 2018, was on-and-off the Rams roster over his four seasons there, amid injuries. He has appeared in 28 games (over the 2019 and 2021 seasons), with two starts. He has played 203 defensive snaps and 540 special teams snaps in his career, with 43 total tackles and six pass breakups.

Should the Lions be interested in Travin Howard?

Justin Melo of The Draft Network has the Lions on his list of three teams who should add Howard, along with the Los Angeles Chargers and the Denver Broncos. All three teams have Rams’ ties somewhere, on the coaching staff, etc., so all three make a lot of sense. But the Lions have a little bit different knowledge about Howard.

Lions general manager Brad Holmes was the Rams’ Director of College Scouting for many years before coming to Detroit, including of course when Howard was drafted in 2018. Assistant general manager Ray Agnew was also in the Rams’ organization for many years before following Holmes to Detroit.

The Lions did not boldly address their need for more talent at linebacker this offseason, leaving them with a mix of question marks (Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes) and potential (Malcolm Rodriguez, Barnes, James Houston, Chris Board).

Howard would be an easy add to a Lions’ 90-man roster that currently has two openings heading toward training camp. But there aren’t many moves that’ll move the needle significantly right now, and Howard looks like he’d be just another not quite proven starter-caliber face in the linebacker crowd.