Detroit Lions’ Nick Fairley relegated to second-team defense
When the Detroit Lions drafted Nick Fairley in 2011, their defensive line was touted to be one of the most feared in the NFL. Perhaps — for a short while — it was. But Fairley didn’t have much to do with it — not in 2011. It appears he won’t have much to do with the defensive line this year, regardless of how good they are.
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“If you’re asking me whether or not Fairley is going to be a starter, he’s not starting right now,” Caldwell said Monday. “He’s second team.
“But the rest of it, we’ll look. It’s a long week. We’ve got a lot of work to do in between and typically like most games, we’ll take a look at where we are and make an assessment on that toward the end of the week.”
10-year veteran C.J. Mosley replaced Fairley in practice this week with the first-team defense. Fairley had every opportunity to start. As he’s done time and time again, he failed to meet expectations, which is why the Lions didn’t pick up his fifth-year option. His on-field performance is disappointing and his off-the-field actions are worse. This offseason, Fairley was sentenced to six months in jail for a DUI and reckless driving charge that dates back to 2012.
During his three-year career, Fairley has had 84 tackles, 12.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. He has not had a season where he plays all 16 games.
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