To say that the 2009 Detroit Lions had some injury issues along the defensive line would be a massive understatement. At different times throughout the year, the boys in blue and silver turned to names like Joe Cohen, Landon Cohen, Copeland Bryan, and Turk McBride as warm bodies in the front four.
Among the new personnel in Detroit was a less-than-heralded DE/OLB from Appalachian State (by way of the Green Bay Packers)--Jason Hunter.
Hunter did the most with his chances in Detroit, ranking second on the team in sacks (5) and QB pressures (16). He posted those numbers in only 527 total plays on the season.
Compare that number to Cliff Avril (681) and Julian Peterson (955) and it becomes clear that the re-sign of Hunter is a bit of a coup for the Detroit Lions.
He is not a starting caliber player, but is certainly a high-quality replacement.
And that is more than the Lions have been able to say about their backups for a long time.
Michael Schottey operates Blue And Silver Pride and is a Detroit Lions featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He also serves as a team correspondent for DraftTek.com and is a guest blogger for Mlive's Highlight Reel. Check out his Podcasts and add him on Twitter!
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