Nick Fairley doesn't really seem like the kind of guy you'd want mentoring younger players. After landing with the Detroit Lions via the first-round of the 2011 NFL Draft, Fairley seemed to start into a kind of Jekyll and Hyde routine, wherein he'd play extremely well one week, maybe even two weeks running, but follow that with a disappearing act for snaps, drives, weeks at a time. All-in-all, Fairley's Lions tenure was marked more by issues of his conditioning and overall weight - prior to 2014, Fairley showed up to minicamp at a svelte 295 then somehow ballooned to 320-plus by the time training camp rolled around - than by impact plays.
Despite the issues though, Fairley remains a talented and, at times, effective interior presence.
That the New Orleans Saints signed him Monday to a one-year deal is not surprising. That they had to beat out teams like the New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans in order to land him, is.
Fairley, 28, is currently listed at 6-foot-4, 308-pounds, but actually spent last season in St. Louis playing in the 280-pound range. It didn't seem a particularly positive change for the veteran defensive tackle though, as he finished the year with just 29 tackles and a half a sack in 15 games spent playing as part of a rotation.
For his career, Fairley has 127 tackles, 14.0 sacks and 4 forced fumbles to his name.
At this point, Fairley likely is what he is - a talented player with a questionable motor who can help you win games, but won't be a consistently impactful force.
All that being said, he does seem a perfect fit in New Orleans due mostly to the youth the Saints currently boast on the interior of their line - assuming, of course, that he can keep his own motor running. Guys like last year's fifth-round pick, Tyeler Davison and former undrafted free agent Lawrence Virgil provide potential and, especially in Davison's case, athleticism to the interior of the Saints defensive line alongside the behemoth John Jenkins, but little in the way of established production.
With veteran Kevin Williams out the door, the spot next to Jenkins looked likeliest to be filled by Davison, who appeared in 16 games last season, but collected just 18 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
With Fairley, the Saints immediately increase the depth on their defensive line and add a former first-round talent who, depending on Davison's development this offseason, can slot in ahead or behind the second-year Saint on the New Orleans depth chart.
