The Detroit Lions believe in Marcus Davenport more than you

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Allen Park — Arguably more than Aidan Hutchinson's recovery from last year's broken leg, there has been greater offseason interest in the Detroit Lions' plans opposite the Pro Bowler.

Each time general manager Brad Holmes has met with the media since the end of last season, he has faced similar questions about the topic, whether he's being asked if the team has enough pass rush or if he feels the team is one piece away from getting over the Super Bowl hump.

In reality, every team has holes somewhere on the roster. No one has Pro Bowl-caliber talent at every spot. Holmes has been quick to point out that the Lions are fortunate to have one of the league's elite edge defenders in Hutchinson. And while Holmes would love a second stud to pair with his young star, logistically, it's nearly impossible because you typically need either a top-10 draft pick or an extra $30-35 million in cap space to land that piece.

Some understandably yearned for the Lions to trade for Myles Garrett or Maxx Crosby. Instead, both received extensions from their current clubs. Crosby's deal averages just north of $35 million, while Garrett's four added years will cost the Browns $40 million per season, coincidentally setting a new bar for Hutchinson's impending extension.

The lingering edge-rushing dream for fans, Trey Hendrickson, remains disgruntled with his contract in Cincinnati. He's looking for something in that Crosby stratosphere after leading the league in sacks last season. And he has requested a trade as the Bengals have dragged their feet in meeting his demands, although there were reports that talks were resuming last weekend.

To be clear, in that scenario, an acquiring team would be paying twice, needing to give up premium draft assets to acquire Hendrickson, along with a huge contract to satisfy what's driving him out of Cincinnati in the first place. It's also worth noting that an extension wouldn't take effect until he's 31 years old.

Instead of engaging in those cap gymnastics and abandoning the roster-building strategy that helped the Lions become legitimate championship contenders, Holmes invested the team's offseason resources elsewhere. Detroit re-signed linebacker Derrick Barnes and defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike. They made a splash on the open market for one of the best man-cover cornerbacks in the league, D.J. Reed. And instead of reaching for a second-tier edge rusher in the first round of the draft, they stuck to their board, selecting Ohio State defensive tackle Tyleik Williams. That addition filled another short- and long-term roster need.

Meanwhile, at edge rusher, they're set to roll the dice. Not on Hutchinson's recovery from last year's broken leg. That's a relatively safe bet. The bigger gamble — one that will be under a microscope and dissected weekly on local talk radio and social media — was the decision to bring back Marcus Davenport.

At least Holmes got a discount on a discount, getting the oft-injured former first-round pick back in the fold for under $3 million.

Lions fans barely got to know Davenport during his first season with the franchise. He was impressive in a season-opening win over the Rams, tallying six QB pressures and chipping in on a sack. He missed the next game with a groin strain, and his season ended the following week when he suffered a torn triceps while battling with Arizona Cardinals offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr.

The injury was the latest in a growing list of ailments that have derailed a once-promising career. Still, it's understandable why the Lions are running it back. Obviously, the price was right, but Davenport is, stylistically, a perfect fit opposite Hutchinson.

Davenport crushes the pocket with what teammate Taylor Decker calls one of the best bull rushes he's seen. The force at which the defender collides with an offensive lineman sounds audibly different.

"If it goes the way we think it's going to go, Davenport is going to be a hell of a player," Lions coach Dan Campbell said.

The Lions briefly saw the vision come to fruition against the Rams. Now, as Holmes put it at the league meetings back in April, the team is hoping for a reversal of Davenport's injury luck, which has seemingly abandoned him since he racked up 9.0 sacks for the Saints in 2021.

So far this offseason, there have been few opportunities to evaluate the defensive linemen. Things won't matter until the pads come on during training camp. Still, if you're looking for optimism with Davenport, coordinator Kelvin Sheppard is eager to provide it.

"We all know the only obstacle for Davenport is the health and availability," Sheppard said. "It's never had anything to do with his play. I'm talking about since he hit the scene as a first-round pick for the Saints. It's never been his play. It's always been the availability piece, like it is for every player.

"He's had some setbacks in his career, but I watched that player take no days off this offseason," Sheppard continued. "He's been here just as long as the coaches have, and putting in the work, and his body looks different right now. I firmly believe in speaking with him, his mindset is different right now."