Getty John Cominsky before a Falcons game in 2019.
The Detroit Lions signed defensive lineman John Cominsky off waivers, and they had plenty of competition to do so. The team’s high waiver priority ended up helping them when all was said and done, however.
Cominsky was released by the Atlanta Falcons a few weeks back and much of the league took notice of him as soon as he was on the list. Cominsky was very popular ahead of landing in Detroit according to an NFL analyst.
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ESPN’s Field Yates talked about the interest in Cominsky before he signed with the Lions, and it’s clear the player was very coveted on the open market with as many as eight teams interested in claiming him. The Lions, however, had priority by virtue of their 2021 finish.
New Lions DL John Cominsky was as popular of a player as I can ever recall on waivers. 8 teams tried to claim him, per source: the Lions, Commanders, Colts, Browns, Texans, Cardinals, Vikings and Bengals.
Detroit had top priority and landed the former Falcon.
“New Lions DL John Cominsky was as popular of a player as I can ever recall on waivers. 8 teams tried to claim him, per source: the Lions, Commanders, Colts, Browns, Texans, Cardinals, Vikings and Bengals. Detroit had top priority and landed the former Falcon,” Yates tweeted.
Obviously, this shows how popular Cominsky was on the market ahead of landing with the Lions. It could prove that the team was able to score a major difference-maker for their defense in landing the tough defensive lineman.
Cominsky’s Career Stats & Highlights
Up until this point, Cominsky hasn’t had a lot of time to make a name for himself in the league. The defensive lineman was a fourth-round pick of the Atlanta Falcons out of Charleston in 2019. He was Charleston’s first player drafted since 1943. Cominsky has been on the Atlanta roster since, but hasn’t put up huge numbers. Thus far in the league, Cominsky has collected 41 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 passes defended and 1 fumble recovery. In spite of limited numbers, the tape shows a player that is always near the football and able to be aggressive on the field
In college, Cominsky put up 67 tackles, 2 sacks and 2 forced fumbles during his senior year on the field. He’s shown to be productive rushing the passer, so that is the kind of thing that he could be counted on to do while in the NFL.
Though Atlanta gave up on him, the Lions will now get his chance to unlock his talent and see what he can do on the field.
League Interest in Cominsky Makes Sense
It is not a surprise to see that plenty of teams had interest in bringing Cominsky into the fold. The defensive lineman has trended as one of the tougher players in the league who has made a big impact in terms of having the right kind of football character. The Lions are looking to build their locker room with this in mind, so the team quickly made the move to nab him. At this point of the offseason, it’s hard to find good defensive linemen who are young with upside. That’s what Cominsky offers at this point in time, which is notable for teams. All of the teams listed are in the market for additional depth on the defensive line.
Detroit’s poor 2021 finish and high pick priority is likely the only reason the team ended up with Cominsky. Without that, it’s very likely the player would have been too popular on the waiver wire for the team.
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