Nick Fairley could be on the trading block: Would he be a fit for Pats?
According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, another intriguing name could become available soon: Detroit's Nick Fairley.
The Lions took Fairley, fresh off of a defensive MVP performance in the National Championship game, with 13th overall pick in 2011, with visions of him and Ndomokong Suh terrorizing opponents for years to come. However, while Fairley has at times flashed the dominant ability he showed at Auburn, he has yet to put it all together and reach his considerable potential. There were concerns about his work ethic when he came out for the draft, and issues with his weight, effort, and lack of discipline on the field have all contributed to his inconsistent career so far.
As a result, the Lions declined to pick up the fifth year option on Fairley's rookie deal, making him a free agent after this year. While they likely hoped the allure of a new contract would lead to a motivated Fairley, that apparently hasn't been the case so far this summer. The big defensive tackle was demoted to the second string last week in camp, and responded with a lackluster showing in the Lions preseason tilt with the Raiders.
With Fairley likely out of the Lions long-term plans barring a major turnaround, Birkett surmisses that Fairley could become a midseason trade candidate, with the Lions opting to at least get something for him rather than let him walk for nothing at the end of the year. It's a set of circumstances remarkably similar to those of Aqib Talib in 2012, who was in the last year of his rookie deal when the Patriots acquired him for a fourth round pick.
Could the Patriots pounce if Fairley becomes available? The Patriots have added a number of defensive tackles with the ability to penetrate gaps and disrupt plays in recent years (Dominique Easley, Tommy Kelly, Jerel Worthy and even the since-retired Armond Armstead for example) and Fairley certainly fits that bill. Fairley has great quickness and athleticism that belies his massive size, and that combination makes him a load to handle when focused. Even in a down year last year, he managed a respectable 6 sacks and 2 forced fumbles, ranking as the 30th best defensive tackle in 2013 by Profootballfocus.
However, at least for now, I don't think Fairley is worth the headache. At some point, a player is who he is, and Fairley has had the same issues prevent him from maximizing his abilities throughout his entire college and pro careers. The Pats are thin at DT for the moment, but they still have their starting duo of Vince Wilfork and Tommy Kelly intact, with Chris Jones and Dominique Easley expected to be added to the rotation in the not-so-distant future. The situation isn't nearly bad enough to justify adding a malcontent into the Pats young locker room, and Fairley has shown nothing to suggest that the former Auburn Tiger is about to change his stripes.
Perhaps (knocks furiously on wood) injuries will create a more desperate situation as the season plays out, opening up the possibility of this type of gamble. Unless that happens, I'd expect the Pats to be content to stick with what they have and let Fairley be someone else's problem.
