The New York Jets were excited when they signed linebacker Jarrad Davis to a one-year contract last offseason.
After struggling in Detroit, new Jets head coach Robert Saleh was hoping a new role and a better scheme fit would benefit both parties.
Davis mostly played at middle linebacker with Detroit, patrolling the middle of the field as the MIKE linebacker in former head coach Matt Patricia's scheme.
However, many scouts and NFL teams believed that this was a misuse of Davis, based on his skill set.
Davis seems more comfortable to play the SAM linebacker role, where he could use his speed and coverage ability to his advantage.
Unfortunately, Davis suffered an ankle injury that derailed his run with the Jets.
Speaking at the owners meetings, Saleh expressed his excitement for the 27-year-old linebacker returning to the team that made him a first round draft pick back in 2017.
"I love J.D. I thought he was going to have a really good year. He had a really good OTA's, was having a really good training camp," Saleh said, via MLive. "Obviously, he hurt his ankle and really rushed himself back to be part of the team. Any issues that he may have had during the season were really him playing on a bum ankle."
Speaking with reporters after signing with the Lions in free agency, Davis explained that his newfound perspectives on his life and the role football plays in it will allow him to continue to grow as a person.
“Over time in your life, like, you grow up. We’re all human beings, and we got to understand, we got to have a real understanding, how to look within," Davis said. "We can always look outside and point the finger and be like, ‘This could have been this, this could have been that.’ But it’s like, when are you going to ask yourself what you could have been? And when are you going to decide internally enough is enough? When are you going to decide to be a better person each and every day? So that’s my ultimate goal, coming back to Detroit.”
Davis certainly did not light up the stat sheet in New York, as he recorded 25 tackles, zero tackles for loss, zero quarterback hits and zero turnovers forced, all career lows.
"Really excited for him to go to go back to Detroit and get another opportunity. Really thought he was going to have a good year last year before that injury. Tremendous individual, has his head in a really good spot, so really excited for him and his opportunity."
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