5 NFL teams who will regret not picking up the fifth-year option for 2021

Does anybody know what the Detroit Lions are doing really? Seemingly for every smart move they do as an organization, they make as least two dumb ones to counterbalance it. While they should be significantly better than their 3-12-1 mark from a year ago, why wasn’t linebacker Jarrad Davis worth getting the fifth-year option?

Sure, Davis might have been drafted under former head coach Jim Caldwell, but that’s back when the Lions finished above .500 and actually contended for playoff berths. Bob Quinn was in his second year as the Lions general manager, but looks to be punting on the former No. 21 overall pick out of Florida.

Though Davis has only played in 16 games in a season once, he’s been an incredibly productive player each year he’s played for the Lions. He was within a few tackles of 100 on the season in his first two years in the league. For a middle linebacker, he had six sacks in his second season in the league in 2018. Despite missing five games, he forced five fumbles last year for the Lions defense.

Simply put, if the Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia want to keep their jobs heading into 2021, they’ll need their former top picks like Davis to perform. Detroit needs to hover around .500, which the Lions have the talent to do so. However, not being interested in investing in a former first-rounder like Davis just feels kind of odd. Look for him to have a big year regardless.