The Detroit Lions placed former New Orleans Saints 2018 first-round pick Marcus Davenport on the ‘physically unable to perform’ list to start training camp, according to Ian Rapoport.
Davenport became a free agent this offseason, leaving Minnesota to sign a one-year, $6.5 million deal ($10.5M max value) with the Lions. Aaron Glenn’s defense helped propel Detroit to the NFC Championship game, but as the 2023 regular season ended, the team needed a more consistent pass rush.
Last year, defensive end Aidan Hutchinson recorded 11.5 sacks. Former Saints linebacker Alex Anzalone was the team’s leading tackler with 129.
James Houston IV was injured for most of the season after an ankle injury against the Seattle Seahawks. The Jackson State product notched 8.0 sacks in the 2022 season after spending almost half the season on Detroit’s practice squad.
Marcus Davenport is already in an inauspicious position at the beginning of his tenure in Detroit. Injuries plagued the majority of his five-year career in New Orleans. With the Vikings, he only had four game appearances with three starts while posting only seven tackles, two sacks, four QB hits, and two tackles for losses. Davenport has 35 starts in 67 games, recording 149 tackles, 23.5 sacks, 27 tackles for losses, and 64 QB hits in his NFL career.