The writing was on the wall for Tahir Whitehead when two of the Detroit Lions’ first two moves in free agency were adding linebackers Devon Kennard and Christian Jones. The free agent veteran was clearly not in the future plans for the Lions.
It has been a quiet few days from Whitehead, but one team has finally shown some interest in him. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Whitehead will be visiting the Oakland Raiders:
Lions’ free-agent LB Tahir Whitehead is visiting Oakland, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 15, 2018
Whitehead, a 2012 fifth-round pick, enjoyed a fairly successful six seasons in Detroit. He slowly worked his way up from a special teams player to a full-time starter in 2014. He first emerged as a successful replacement at middle linebacker when Stephen Tulloch went down with a serious injury. But he more recently emerged as a solid starter at outside linebacker, a position he is more comfortable in.
However, with the Lions’ clear change in defensive philosophy under new head coach Matt Patricia, Whitehead was always going to be a tough sell to return. And if there was any doubt that the Lions were moving on, that is now crystal clear.