After a report surfaced on Monday, Lions head coach Dan Campbell confirmed the team’s interest in free agent defensive tackle Calais Campbell.
On Monday, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reported the Detroit Lions will be added to the free agency tour of Calais Campbell with a meeting to happen on Thursday. In the wake of the Lions run through free agency, defensive tackle stands as perhaps their No. 1 need and the veteran could be a fit.
Speaking to reporters at the league meetings on Tuesday, via Justin Rogers the Detroit News, Lions head coach Dan Campbell confirmed the team is pursuing the veteran defensive tackle.
Look, we turn the tape on, man, and I’ll tell you what, you talk about a lot of respect for a big man,”. “Oh, my gosh. I just keep watching it and I’m like, there’s no way he can feel good, that body can not feel good. But it looks like it feels good because he’s just a force to be reckoned with. You put him in a closed end, you’re not running over there. He can rush as a 3-technique, still, on third down. Man, he’s got length, he’s got size, he’s still quick. We’ll see. We’re not the only one who is on him.”
Detroit Lions join list of teams with interest in Calais Campbell
As Dan Campbell acknowledged, the Lions are one of many teams with interest in Campbell after he was let go by the Baltimore Ravens. The Jacksonville Jaguars, Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets and Buffalo Bills have either already had a visit with him or are scheduled for a visit.
Campbell will turn 37 on Sept. 1, but he has shown few signs of decline. Last season Pro Football Focus graded him out as the 13th-best defensive tackle in the league (76.9 overall grade), as he posted 36 tackles, four tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.
The Lions need interior defensive line help, both in terms of run stopping and pass rush. Campbell can provide ample help in both areas, and he could see a team and culture he’d like to join. He is right to go through a thorough process in picking his next team at this late stage in his career, and that the Lions have entered the fray is a nice development.