Lions HC Dan Campbell Loses Another Key Player

The Detroit Lions and head coach Dan Campbell are making moves on free agency week, and they’re bringing on some important players, but they’re also losing some key players. While it’s always a nervous thing to lose players who have been with the team and are part of the team’s chemistry, it happens every offseason, and it’s just part of the game.

Now, the Lions have lost another key player ahead of the new season.

Detroit Lions Lose Safety to Miami

Earlier in the week, news broke that the Detroit Lions were losing star defender Carlton Davis to the New England Patriots, which was no big surprise. Davis was due for a very large payday and expected to be one of the hottest free agent defenders on the market.

Now, the Lions are losing safety Ifeatu Melifonwu to the Miami Dolphins, who has agreed to a one-year contract in Miami, according to NFL insider and expert Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Melifonwu, 25, was on the injured reserve list for much of last season following an ankle injury that he got during training camp. He only appeared in three games, so this loss isn’t as big as losing Davis. However, in those games, Melifonwu conducted 10 tackles and a sack, so he showed his worth.

Due to injuries, Melifonwu appeared in 17 total games with the Detroit Lions in his first two seasons with the them. He was a third-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

“In Melifonwu, the Dolphins pick up a talented safety who will turn only 26 when he celebrates his birthday May 2 but one who’s coming off an injury-plagued season,” noted Alain Poupart of Sports Illustrated in a Wednesday, March 11, feature.

Ifeatu Melifonwu By the Numbers

While Melifonwu wasn’t on the field as much as he would have liked to be during his time in Detroit, he did make some crucial plays. He assisted Detroit in earning their first division title since 1993 with his high-profile interception against the Minnesota Vikings on December 24, 2023. Melifonwu has played his full career with the Lions, so this will be the first time he’s with another NFL team.

For the Dolphins, some believe it’s a smart pick. “The Dolphins entered the offseason expected to have to replace their two starting safeties with Jevon Holland and Jordan Poyer both headed for free agency, and Holland agreed to terms with the New York Giants on Tuesday morning,” Poupart noted.

He added, “With Holland out of their price range, the Dolphins did a nice pivot with a free agent with a high ceiling and a price tag low enough to make it worth taking the risk he’ll be able to avoid injuries.”

While Melifonwu didn’t get a ton of playing time in Detroit, with the Dolphins, he’s expected to have a starting job, if he stays healthy. Time will tell how the situation shakes out for both teams, but considering the Dolphins are an AFC team, Lions fans won’t have to worry about a confrontation anytime soon.

The new league year officially starts on Wednesday, March 12, at 4 p.m. Eastern time, and that’s when free agency officially kicks in. But, the NFL’s “legal tampering period” began on Monday, March 10, at 12 noon Eastern time and runs until Wednesday, March 12, at 12:59 p.m.