Getty Jalen Reeves-Maybin makes a tackle in Baltimore.
There figures to be a ton of changes to the Detroit Lions this offseason and plenty of moving parts on the roster, but there’s a few players who could be sticking around under a new staff.
One such player is apparently linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin. According to ESPN’s Josina Anderson, Reeves-Maybin is one player that the Lions could be earmarking for a return once the 2021 offseason officially arrives. The reason? The team likes what Reeves-Maybin brings from a leadership and culture perspective, so he could be a player that stays on the team.
ALL the latest Lions news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Lions newsletter here!
A deal has not yet been announced, but it’s clear with this update, there could be one in the coming days if everything continues on this path.
My understanding is that Detroit has interest in re-signing LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin– who is scheduled to become a free agent. We’ll see if a deal gets done before JRM can test the market. The #Lions are looking to build around core guys and build a new culture moving forward.
The Lions need depth at linebacker and on special team as well, so a guy like Reeves-Maybin could be a good move for the team for those reasons. He can provide the team some good snaps and be a character player that the team can depend on moving forward.
Follow the Heavy on Lions Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content out of Detroit!
Jalen Reeves-Maybin Stats
After being a fourth-round pick of the Lions in the 2017 NFL Draft, Reeves-Mabyin has not gone on to play a huge role with the team in the last few seasons. He hasn’t started immediately nor locked down any type of significant role on the team’s defense. When Reeves-Maybin has played, he has been able to put up huge numbers, with just 90 tackles and 0.5 sacks in his credit during his career. There’s a chance if this new staff gives Reeves-Maybin a bigger role he could end up accounting for more production, and that could be the simple hope for the team with all of this in mind.
At Tennessee, Reeves-Maybin was a productive player given he put up 240 tackles, 8 sacks and 1 interception.
Lions Changes at Linebacker Significant
The Lions figure to have a ton of moving parts at linebacker, and that’s true given their first big move of the offseason was to release linebacker Christian Jones from the team. At the very least, Jones occupied space at the position and was a durable player. Without Jones, the Lions could also let Jarrad Davis walk in free agency, and have already served notice to Jamie Collins by restructuring his contract in a major way. It’s unlikely the team lets Jahlani Tavai go at this point, but the more additions they make, the harder it would be for a player like Tavai to stick long-term.
Detroit could look at signing a player in free agency, or they could also look to making a significant addition in the NFL Draft at linebacker. Either way, there figures to be big changes in the weeks ahead.
At this point, it seems like Reeves-Maybin could be a guy set to stick around.
READ NEXT: Lions Reportedly Release Costly Free Agent Signing From Roster