Former Lions starting linebacker Tahir Whitehead is back on the open free agent market after he was released on Monday by the Las Vegas Raiders.
Whitehead started all 16 games in each of his two seasons in Oakland after leaving the Lions. He racked up 234 tackles, including 15 behind the line of scrimmage. Whitehead had one year left on his three-year, $18 million deal he signed in 2018.
Don’t expect a return to Detroit for the 30-year-old (in April) despite his solid play with the Raiders and his six seasons prior to that with the Lions. His limited range and struggles in coverage would not represent any upgrade over the current Lions inside backers, notably Jahlani Tavai. Detroit’s second-round rookie in 2019 graded out higher in overall defense and coverage than Whitehead in Pro Football Focus metrics.