:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/4098831/131894055.0.jpg)
There was no shortage of interest in defensive end Jason Babin after he was released by the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this week. Various teams around the league were believed to be interested in Babin if he cleared waivers, but that didn't even come close to happening. Adam Schefter reports that a total of eight teams put in a waiver claim for Babin, and the Jacksonville Jaguars ended up getting him since they had the highest priority of those eight teams.
In addition to the Jaguars, six other teams are known to have put in a claim for him. Aaron Wilson reports that the Cleveland Browns, San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders and Miami Dolphins tried to get Babin, and Schefter reports that the Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins also submitted a waiver claim. I'm not quite sure which was the eighth team that submitted a waiver claim, but it doesn't appear that it was the Detroit Lions.
Even if the Lions wanted to get Babin off waivers, it wasn't going to happen since they were 10th in priority. The Jaguars were second on the waiver wire, and including them, five of the nine teams ahead of the Lions reportedly put in a claim for Babin. Needless to say, there was a lot of interest in him, so much so that the Lions didn't even have a real chance to add him.
While Babin won't be joining the Lions, the questions surrounding the defensive end position are only getting started considering Cliff Avril, Lawrence Jackson and Willie Young are all slated to become free agents in 2013. Young should be back considering he's a restricted free agent, and you would think Jackson would be back as well. Avril, on the other hand, may depart for a new team considering what his salary demands were last year. Even if the Lions manage to retain him, there will be a need to add a playmaker to this position in the offseason, so you can bet there will be plenty of talk about defensive ends in the first part of 2013.
Reminder: You can follow Pride Of Detroit on Twitter and like us on Facebook.