Dan Campbell is (still) trying hard to be optimistic about Marcus Davenport

Edge rusher was a clear need for the Detroit Lions last offseason, but in free agency they merely opted to bring Marcus Davenport back on another one-year deal. If he can stay healthy, which brings recollections of a famous Michael Jordan quote ("if 'if' was a fifth, we'd all be drunk"), Davenport could be the force that was needed opposite Aidan Hutchinson.

Weeks after the move to re-sign him, Lions head coach Dan Campbell naturally chose the optimistic view of what Davenport can offer after he missed most of last season with a torn tricep.

"I think as long as he's willing to make another push, believes that he can get this done and we feel like the rehab and everything has gone well, we think this’ll heal,"Campbell said in early April, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. "Everything's right about it, then yeah, we feel good. And as long as – if it goes the way we think it's going to go, Davenport is going to be a hell of a player."

To put it simply, despite his protest to being labeled that way, Davenport is injury-prone. Now into his eighth NFL season, he has played more than 500 defensive snaps once in his career. Over the last two-and-a-half seasons, he has played eight games.

Davenport has been out since suffering a chest injury against the Chicago Bears in Week 2. He was placed on IR, so he is past the minimum four games he needed to miss. There's no concrete idea about when he'll be able to return, but he's not been declared out for the year.

Dan Campbell continues to try to be optimistic about Marcus Davenport

Some injured Lions players surely benefited from the bye week, even if some are still uncertain for Week 9 against the Minnesota Vikings. Campbell did not offer an update on Davenport when he spoke to reporters on Monday, so on Tuesday he was asked about the veteran edge rusher.

"Nothing new on Davenport. He is improving, but I can’t give you a definitive ‘this is when he’s going to be back.’ I’m just very confident he is going to be back. We’re going to get him back here,” Campbell said.

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Oftentimes, Campbell's tone of voice and mannerisms clearly say what his words don't. When Justin Rogers of Detroit Football Network asked him if he had a timeline for Davenport's return....well, judge for yourself.

That doesn't look like someone who is "very confident" about when, or possibly if, Davenport will be able to play again this season. The nature or extent of his chest injury is not entirely clear, so there's some reasonable benefit of the doubt there. Campbell won't, and shouldn't, make any declarations publicly one way or the other until he absolutely has to.

But as November approaches, it's coming to a point where Davenport is truly improving to the point he can play and produce, or he's not. Campbell might be the only one with any optimism about what the former first-round pick can contribute, and even his seems to be fading.