Lions defensive coordinator thinks Nick Fairley turned a corner; Could he be brought back?
Nick Fairley is expected to hit free agency, but could the Lions show interest in the former first round pick from Auburn? Teryl Austin the Lions defensive coordinator felt Fairley turned the corner at the end of last season.
“As a player you could say, ‘I’m going to play hard or I’m going to get in shape’ and sometimes when things don’t go well you go right back into your old habits,” Austin told the team’s official website. He got injured and he didn’t. He kept himself in good shape. He kept his weight down, he worked really hard and if we were fortunate enough to win at Dallas he would have been ready to play a little bit in the next game and so that shows me that he’s turned the corner. I mean I really like Nick and I like Nick as a player,” Austin said. “I think he’s a really good player. But I think he did, I think he turned a corner.”
The 27-year-old was having his best season before suffering the injury. Often taking advantage of single-teams, Fairley was a potent pocket-pusher and solid against the run. He could be considered a priority if Suh leaves in free agency.
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