Damontae Kazee To Visit Lions

Free agent safety Damontae Kazee has a visit lined up with the Cowboys, and the Lions also have interest. Per veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson, Kazee will visit with Detroit brass in short order (Twitter link).

A fifth-round pick of the Falcons in 2017, KazeeĀ delivered a breakout campaign in 2018 in relief of an an injured Keanu Neal (who signed with the Cowboys yesterday). That season, KazeeĀ intercepted an NFL-best seven passes and posted 10 passes defensed in 16 games (15 starts). He started 14 games in 2019, adding three more picks to his career tally.

Unfortunately, a torn Achilles ended his 2020 season after just four games, which means he might be forced to accept a one-year pact this year in an effort to reestablish his value (although he is expected to be medically cleared by training camp). The Lions will return 2018 third-rounder Tracy Walker and 2019 third-rounder Will Harris, but Kazee’s ball-hawking skills would be a welcome addition to that young safety group.

Even though Neal is now in Dallas, he is expected to play some linebacker as well as safety, meaning that Kazee would still fit into the team’s defense. The opportunity to reunite with Cowboys DC Dan Quinn — Kazee’s head coach in Atlanta — might sway Kazee in Dallas’ favor if he believes there are enough snaps to go around, but he will listen to Detroit’s pitch just the same.

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