Nick Fairley Arrested: Detroit Lions Need to Cut Ties with Defensive Lineman

Detroit Lions' Nick Fairley was reportedly arrested for the second time in less than two months on Sunday.

According to Fox 10 TV in Mobile, Alabama:

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Nick Fairley, a local football star and NFL player, was arrested early Sunday morning for driving under the influence and attempting to elude police.

He was charged with DUI and attempting to elude police, but troopers also said Fairley was ticketed for reckless driving, no proof of insurance and having an open container.

"

Back in early April, according to Fox 10 TV, Fairley was arrested for marijuana possession.

This is such an unfortunate set of circumstances for the Lions and Fairley, because the man was the No. 13 overall selection by Detroit in the 2011 NFL draft and was coming off a strong season at Auburn where the Tigers won the national title.

Fairley had 11.5 sacks and 56 tackles for Auburn and was expected to make a strong, immediate impact in the Motor City. Now, Fairley is on even thinner ice and has bust potential written all over him.

Even if we put aside the recent arrests, Fairley significantly underachieved as a rookie in 2011.

First, there was the disappointing injury during training camp that forced him to miss Detroit's opening four games. He then missed two more games but didn't see any impressive numbers for the year (15 tackles, one sack in 10 games played).

Now yes, the durability concerns definitely limited his chance to develop and contribute last season. However, he was a top-15 selection and the Lions had a strong front seven that included Ndamukong Suh, Cliff Avril and Kyle Vanden Bosch to shut down opponents.

Fairley was expected to produce when on the field and he simply underachieved when given the opportunity in the Lions' rotation.

Looking ahead to 2012 and after everything that has occurred, Detroit has to cut ties with the former first-round selection. Currently, the Lions have a solid front four with Suh, Avril (if he signs), Vanden Bosch and Corey Williams.

Fairley's forgettable offseason does, however, provide a greater opportunity for Sammie Lee Hill to contribute. Hill has been with the Lions since 2009 and played in all 16 games last season.

With 80 tackles and four sacks in three seasons, expect Hill to be relied on a lot more in 2012.

In short, Detroit needs defenders it can count on because the NFC North remains an offensively explosive division. We know the Green Bay Packers will be the preseason favorites, but the Chicago Bears have made upgrades to become more balanced as well.

Last season, Detroit's defense ranked No. 23 overall and cost the Lions their season. Fairley was expected to play a major role in the rebuilding of that defense to complement Suh and company so Detroit could contend for a Super Bowl.

However, with everything that has unfolded and the Lions already presenting a sound front seven when you exclude Fairley's talent, his services are not needed to compete. Detroit has a good defensive line rotation right now and at this point, Fairley has been nothing but a distraction.

John Rozum on Twitter.