Lions should sign $7 million 2-time Pro Bowler to bolster pass rush for playoffs

The Detroit Lions did a great job bolstering their injury-plagued pass-rush with the trade for veteran edge rusher Za'Darius Smith at the deadline in November, but the team really needed two players to fully fill their needs.

That's because the Lions lost two edge rushers in former No. 2 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson and 2024 free-agent acquisition Marcus Davenport to serious injuries, which has no doubt impacted their defense.

At this late stage in the season, adding an impact pass-rusher is almost impossible. It would take an extraordinary circumstance for the Lions to just have a chance to bring in a player to bolster their defense along the edge.

Well, that extraordinary circumstance is currently playing out, with the Miami Dolphins set to waive veteran edge rusher Shaq Barrett off the reserve/retired list, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. However, if Barrett is claimed by another team, he would be ineligible to play the rest of the season.

"The Miami Dolphins are waiving former Pro-Bowl edge rusher Shaq Barrett from the Reserve Retired list today," Schefter reported on Thursday. "Barrett can play again this season if he clears waivers Friday. If another team claims him, then Barrett would be ineligible to play the rest of this season."

“We appreciate the Dolphins giving Shaq this opportunity to continue his career in the NFL,” Barrett’s agent Drew Rosenhaus said. “Hopefully he will pass through waivers and become a free agent so he can play again this season. He is in great shape and would be ready to play immediately.”

Barrett signed a one-year, $7 million contract with the Dolphins in the offseason, but he never played a snap for Miami after unexpectedly retiring over the summer. Barrett then decided to return in November, but the Dolphins did not activate him.

With the stipulation that Barrett can't play for the rest of the season if he's claimed, it stands to reason he's going to pass through waivers. Of course, a playoff team could claim him in order to prevent him from going to another playoff-bound squad, but that would be next-level gamesmanship we don't expect.

A two-time Pro Bowler, Barrett was once one of the better edge rushers in the NFL and led the league in sacks with 19.5 in 2019. But he's tallied just 7.5 sacks over his last 24 games, including 4.5 sacks in 16 contests in 2023.

The 32-year-old might not be the player he once was, and it remains to be seen how much he can help after not having played all season, but his mere presence would provide an upgrade for Detroit opposite Smith. On top of that, Barrett is a two-time Super Bowl champion who would bring valuable experience to Detroit.

If Barrett passes through waivers, the Lions should absolutely have interest, and there's a great chance Barrett will have an eye on a Super Bowl contender like Detroit.

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