The Detroit Lions opened up a roster spot on Tuesday when they sent Halpoulivaati Vaitai to injured reserve. They didn’t waste any time filling that spot. The Lions have signed veteran edge rusher Bruce Irvin.
Irvin was a big part of the Seattle Seahawks defense that pummeled the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 48. He also led the league in forced fumbles in 2016.
Irvin’s top days are behind him, but he’s still a solid player that can help a Lions defensive line that very much needs some help. Irvin started 10 games for the Seahawks last season and racked up 3.5 sacks.
Previous to that, Irvin spent time with the Bears and Panthers most recently. Irvin has 103 career starts and 55.5 career sacks. This is not going to solve the big problem for the Lions, but it’s definitely going to help down the stretch.
Irvin can be a leader to a very young group of men and can help them grow as players. As to how much he can help the Lions, he actually looked pretty good at 35-years old last season. Don’t count him out. We’ll see if he makes his Lions debut against the Bears on Sunday.