Thus far this offseason, the Detroit Lions have signed plenty of their own free agents instead of looking outside the home, and that’s allowed the team to have to avoid the sad goodbyes that can be a hallmark of this time of year.
One free agent did leave quietly this week, though, and it was a mini-surprise in the form of linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin. Reeves-Maybin departed despite many believing he could be in the mix for yet another re-signing by the team of a home-grown talent that was solid on defense.
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After the news was revealed that Reeves-Maybin would be departing for the Houston Texans, the linebacker took to Instagram and put out a statement. As he wrote, Reeves-Maybin will carry the love of Detroit with him always and the city will remain a part of him.
Jalen Reeves-Maybin on IG:
t.co/GXQCcHsn6K
“Could never put my love for the city of Detroit in one post so I won’t even try! 313 is a part of me forever. Shout out to the real Detroit!,” Reeves-Maybin wrote as shown by Chris Burke of The Athletic in a tweet.
When he was with the Lions, Reeves-Maybin was one of the classiest players on the team and a guy who could always be trusted as a leader. He set the right example for his teammates, and it’s nice to see him with a special goodbye for Detroit and Lions fans as he departs for Houston.
Lions Were Instructed Not to Re-Sign Reeves-Maybin
While some may have been a bit shocked to see Reeves-Maybin not get re-signed given all the players the Lions have moved to bring back to fit their team, some would likely not be given they didn’t want to see him returning in the first place.
Prior to free agency, Bleacher Report recently took a good look at that with a new piece. Writer Gary Davenport took a look at picking out players from each team that should not be re-signed and the Lions had an interesting choice in linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin.
As Davenport wrote, given all of Detroit’s needs across the roster “a measure of frugality” should be required with different signings. That leads him to believe the team should look for an upgrade over Reeves-Maybin at off-ball linebacker this offseason.
Detroit’s linebacking group needs a makeover as a whole, and while Reeves-Maybin may have the support of the staff, the Lions might also be able to do better on the open market.
Whether they have a bigger-ticket idea at linebacker in the second wave or simply address the position in the draft with an early pick, it’s clear the plea for change was taken seriously.
Reeves-Maybin’s Stats & Highlights
After being a fourth-round pick of the Lions in the 2017 NFL draft, Reeves-Maybin 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 was a thought with a bigger role he might deliver bigger results. In 2021, he produced on that idea with 82 tackles.
Here’s a look at some of his highlights from college:
At Tennessee, Reeves-Maybin was a productive player given he put up 240 tackles, 8.0 sacks and an interception in his career. He will now have to go about trying to unlock that production elsewhere in Houston.
As he departs, though, Reeves-Maybin remains all class for the Lions and his former city of Detroit.
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Jalen Reeves-Maybin Shares Heartfelt Goodbye Message to Detroit