After losing Grant Stuard in free agency, the Detroit Lions were suddenly without a hard-nosed tackler on special teams. While Stuard wasn't the most effective as a stopper in that role, Detroit needed to get back another solid tackler in their linebacker room for depth at the position, and for help on special teams.
Enter Damone Clark.
Clark, who is just three seasons removed from a thrilling 109 tackle, three passes defended season with the Dallas Cowboys, stands to provide some meaningful backup snaps to Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, and Malcolm Rodriguez this season. But, he could also threaten to unseat Barnes on the Lions' depth chart as their starting WILL linebacker.
If he can't do that, then we should fully expect to see him thrown onto the special teams unit to replace Stuard's role, if not to revitalize it. As LionsOnSI writer Christian Booher described the signing:
"This signing is a win-win for player and team. It gives the Lions another solid option for their defense, and gives Clark the opportunity to compete for a job after being a rotational contributor at his previous stops. At the very least, Clark is a experienced and reliable veteran option who could be a steady special teams contributor and spot starter for the Lions’ defense."
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Jimmy Rolder and Jack Campbell have already earned public praise from head coach Dan Campbell in OTAs and minicamp, but we haven't heard much about Clark just yet.
But, that shouldn't discount his potential impact for the teams' defense, especially since he and defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard have an existing relationship from their respective times at LSU - Clark as a player, and Sheppard as a coach.
With Anzalone gone and Rodriguez still working his way back to ideally play a fully healthy season, Clark has a golden opportunity to compete for a consistent role with the team.
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Watching highlights of Clark, it's clear that he could be a help for Detroit in their quest to generate more turnovers on big play attempts. He's got a nose for the ball, and has the ability to find the balance between being just handsy enough to make receivers think twice about ball security, and too handsy to the point of drawing incessant penalties.
Having him as the teams' potential starting WILL could work out well if the Lions are unhappy with how Barnes is progressing at the position. He's great in coverage, and it would free up Barnes to try and compete for snaps behind Rodriguez at the SAM position - his more natural spot.
Clark seems like a great Swiss Army Knife-type of linebacker for the Lions to have scooped up post-Stuard and post-Anzalone. Hopefully, that fit on paper translates to a fit on the field.
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