The NFL’s legal tampering period officially opened on Monday, and while a few teams were making moves left and right, the Detroit Lions were one of the quieter clubs to start.
To this point, they’re expected to lose cornerbacks Carlton Davis and Ifeatu Melifonwu to the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins, respectively. Cornerback D.J. Reed is the only new player projected to join the club so far, agreeing to a three-year, $48 million deal on Monday.
As the Lions look to add to their roster to capitalize on their window, SB Nation recently predicted that they should add veteran defensive tackle Calais Campbell in free agency.
“At 38-years-old the allure for Campbell will be trying to get that ring before his career comes to an end,” they wrote. “There’s a need in Detroit, and he’d fit well here both from a scheme and personality perspective, but also the money will be right.”
Campbell played collegiately at Miami (FL) from 2004-07, earning All-ACC honors in his third season with the Hurricanes before the Arizona Cardinals made him the 50th pick in the 2008 NFL draft.
Campbell has spent 17 seasons in the NFL playing for the Cardinals (2008-16), Jacksonville Jaguars (2017-19) Baltimore Ravens (2020-22), Atlanta Falcons (2023) and Miami Dolphins (2024). He’s earned three All-Pro nominations, six Pro Bowl selections, a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award and a spot on the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team.
In 261 career games, Campbell has recorded 917 tackles (187 for a loss), 266 quarterback hits, 110.5 sacks, 63 passes defensed, 18 forced fumbles, 13 fumbles recovered and three interceptions.
While Campbell has accomplished so much personally, the team success has avoided him to this point in his career. He’s looking for a Super Bowl and joining the Lions this offseason could give him his best chance yet.
Detroit has five interior defensive linemen hitting the market, and even at 38 years old, Campbell is probably an upgrade over all of them. Last year, he played in all 17 games, recording 52 tackles (12 for a loss), 12 quarterback hits, five sacks, five passes defensed and a forced fumble.
It’s a move that makes sense for both sides. We’ll just have to see if Lions general manager Brad Holmes makes the call.
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