The NFL’s daily transaction wire has featured a few former Detroit Lions players in the last few days. A couple made the news feed, too. Here are a few notable former Lions and what’s going on with them around the NFL.
Teez Tabor
Detroit’s second-round pick in 2017 is on the move once again. The veteran cornerback was signed by the Seattle Seahawks to their active roster, with the Seahawks plucking him off the Falcons practice squad.
Tabor played for the Chicago Bears in 2021. He failed to make the Falcons 53-man roster this summer.
Da'Shawn Hand
The rotten injury luck for Hand continues even after his time in Detroit. Hand tore a quad in the Tennessee Titans opening-week loss to the New York Giants. The veteran DL is now out for the season.
It’s a familiar story for Hand. A fourth-round pick out of Alabama by the Lions in 2018, Hand has played just 31 games in four-plus seasons due to myriad injuries. The Lions waived Hand with injury status last November.
Incidentally, the other player pictured here with Hand is Kevin Strong, who remains on the Titans active roster. Strong logged three tackles and a PD in the Titans’ Week 1 loss, playing more than expected due to the injury to Hand.
Christian Jones
Jones was a full-time starter at linebacker for the Lions during the Matt Patricia era (2018-2020). After the Lions bounced him out following the 2020 season, he spent a year playing primarily on special teams with the Chicago Bears.
Now 31, Jones signed on with the Seahawks practice squad this week.
Jahlani Tavai
Another former Patricia-era linebacker, Tavai is still with his former coach. Tavai was a surprise starter at LB for the Patriots in their Week 1 loss to Miami.
In an indictment of the New England roster, head coach Bill Belichick said this of playing Tavai,
“Practice and preseason games are two different things,” Belichick said. “In the regular season, you can only activate so many players. You activate the ones that you think will give your team the best opportunity as a total team to win. So that’s what we did. That’s what we’ll continue to do. That’s what it’ll always be.”
Tavai played sparingly in 2021 in New England after the Lions waived him early in that offseason following two disappointing seasons in Detroit.
Ndamukong Suh
Suh is not currently playing in the NFL, and he might have turned his attention elsewhere. The 35-year-old defensive tackle is (maybe) angling to become the head coach at his alma mater, Nebraska.
Suh played the last three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and started every game. He has been courted by several teams this year but has yet to sign anywhere.
Sam Martin
Martin recently signed to handle the punting duties for the Buffalo Bills, taking over for disgraced rookie Matt Araiza.
It was a nice landing for Martin, who was an unexpected roster cut by the Denver Broncos during the final roster formation maneuvers. Martin was a fifth-round pick by the Lions in 2013 and was Detroit’s punter for the next seven seasons.
