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Jalen Reeves-Maybin had a breakthrough season with a bigger defensive role in 2021, but here are five candidates for the Lions to replace him in free agency.
After being a core special teamer for the Lions for his first four seasons, linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin played 62 percent of the defensive snaps in 2021 and finished third on the team with 82 total tackles. His two forced fumbles were particularly impactful plays.
But the Lions struggled to stop the run last season, and the middle of the defense was one of the culprits. Reeves-Maybin had just four tackles for loss, and beyond that he doesn’t look great in space (68.4 percent completion rate allowed in his coverage last season, according to Pro Football Reference).
Detroit may overturn its inside linebacking corps this offseason, with Alex Anzalone also an unrestricted free agent. But looking strictly toward Reeves-Maybin, here are five free agent options the Lions could replace him with.
Detroit Lions: 5 free agent options to replace Jalen Reeves-Maybin
5. Jon Bostic
Bostic missed all but four games last season due to a torn pectoral. But in the two seasons prior to that for Washington, he topped 100 total tackles in each with some impact as a blitzer (12 total quarterback hits, four total sacks) and passable marks in pass coverage.
Bostic will turn 31 in May, so he may have his eye on signing with a team more ready to contend in 2022. But he’s also not in a position to be picky, and the one-time Lion (he spent the entire 2016 season on IR after being acquired in a trade) could find an option to come back Detroit and he won’t be expensive.