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The Detroit Lions have seen one of their top free agent players get disciplined by the NFL, and the punishment is stiff.
Safety Jayron Kearse was handed a 3 game suspension by the NFL on Friday afternoon. The discipline stems from the defender’s DUI in 2019 in Minnesota while he was playing with the Vikings.
According to the Lions, the team was poised for the suspension and knew it was coming. It will keep Kearse out until Week 4 of the regular season, but he can work with the team during training camp and the lead into this coming season on the field.
Kearse is competing at safety for the Lions where he expects to join the likes of Duron Harmon, Tracy Walker, Will Harris and company. He figures to get a ton of snaps this season in a scheme that places value on safeties and what they can do.
When he joins the team, Kearse will be back and ready to play a solid role for the team. Sitting out should at the very least keep him healthy for the early part of the season.
Lions Agreed to Sign Jayron Kearse
According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, the Lions agreed to sign Minnesota Vikings safety Jayron Kearse in free agency back in March. It was a reported 1 year deal that’s worth $2.75 million dollars.
Kearse will get a chance to come to Detroit on what is essentially a prove it deal with the Lions. He can add depth at safety and also give the team some snaps on special teams as well.
Jayron Kearse Statistics
Coming into the league out of Clemson as a seventh round pick, Kearse was well decorated during his time with the Tigers as a first team ACC player in 2014 and 2015. In the NFL, Kearse has put up decent stats with 79 tackles, 0.5 sacks, 1 interception and 8 passes defended. Kearse hasn’t played a huge role to this point in his career, but with the Lions, he will get a chance to do plenty of things within their scheme and show why he’s a great player.
Lions 2019 Interception Total Low
As the stats show, Detroit hasn’t generated close to enough interceptions on the back end. Their squad only put up 7 picks in 2019, which was tied for the lowest total in the league. By comparison, some of the better and more aggressive teams collected 20 interceptions and well above on the season. Most teams at the very least were in the teens in terms of picks.
Obviously, the Lions have other defensive problems like low sack totals and letting teams push them around in the running game. Interceptions, however, offer the team a shot at a sudden change and a potential game changing play. This offseason, the Lions subtracted lock down cornerback Darius Slay but added Desmond Trufant, Jeff Okudah and Duron Harmon. That’s a ton of playmaking potential on the back end for the team to help aid in an improvement.
Safe to say the whole group could use a boost, but if the Lions could find a way to simply intercept the ball more, they would likely improve their whole defense.
Kearse will be counted on to help the team do just that this season when he does play.
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