The Detroit Lions opted not to pick up Nick Fairley's fifth-year option in hopes of instilling some motivation into the defensive tackle. The team drafted Fairley with the intentions that he would pair up with Ndamukong Suh, creating a defensive nightmare tandem. That has only worked out slightly and now the Lions might have to decide which player goes and which stays for the future.
Both Fairley's and Suh's futures have come under heavy questions since the start of training camp. Fairley is working off borrowed time and Suh has tabled all contract talks after not being satisfied with the deal the Lions were originally offering. Detroit is now at risk of losing both players for nothing in return. As a result, someone will be traded either during the season or next summer.
According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Fairley could be a mid-season trade this year as he continues to fall on the depth chart. It was reported last week that the defensive tackle formally drafted No. 13 overall in 2011 was dropped to the second-team defense, replaced by CJ Mosley. The rise of second-year pro Ziggy Ansah also did not help Fairley's status on the team. Birkett notes that even after getting demoted, Fairley has done little to earn his starting spot back, having a very quiet second preseason game. The motivation tactic by the Lions does not appear to be working like the team had hoped.
If the Lions are forced to pick between Suh and Fairley, the veteran will likely get the nod despite the difference of opinion on the contract talks. The issue could be the lack of return interest in Fairley. Yes, he is a good player when he wants to be, but how often is that? His attitude and lack of work ethic have dropped his value both in Detroit and the league in general. A late-round draft pick might be all Detroit is able to muster up for their former first-round pick.
"We'll see how it goes this week, so we continue to evaluate," head coach Jim Caldwell said, via the Detroit Free Press. "And it's not just a one-time evaluation, obviously. It's not just one game. It's got to be a habit for all of our guys. Everybody operates at a standard that we think is a championship-level standard, and that's what we're looking for in every phase."