Patriots' Jahlani Tavai: Monster performance versus Steelers
Rotowire
Tavai recorded 15 tackles (eight solo) in Thursday's 21-18 win over the Steelers.
Tavai was all over the field in Week 14, securing a season-high 15 takedowns in the road victory. The linebacker has now compiled 23 tackles over the last two games, and he'll look to keep it going against the Chiefs in Week 15.
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Patriots' Jahlani Tavai: Season-high snap count in loss
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Tavai had seven tackles (three solo) in Sunday's 31-17 loss to the Dolphins.
Tavai played a season-high 68 defensive snaps Sunday while also playing on 96 percent of special-teams snaps. He saw more action on defense with Ja'Whaun Bentley (hamstring) exiting the game in the second half. Tavai and Mack Wilson -- who also had seven tackles in the game -- will see more defensive snaps in Week 9 against the Commanders if Bentley is unable to play.
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Patriots' Jahlani Tavai: Tallies seven total tackles Week 15
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Tavai recorded four tackles (three solo) on defense and three more on special teams during the Patriots' Week 15 loss to Las Vegas.
Tavai logged 35 snaps on defense and another 23 on special teams for New England on Sunday. He has recorded 13 total stops over his past two contests but is playing only about half of the team's defensive snaps, taking him off the radar in most IDP leagues.
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Jahlani Tavai: Time up in Detroit
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The Lions waived Tavai on Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Detroit attempted to trade Tavai before cutting him but could not finalize a deal. A 2019 second-round pick, Tavai has struggled in pass coverage across two seasons in Detroit, and an underwhelming preseason appears to have represented his final chance to stick with the team. Tavai could get another opportunity in the league, but his chances of attaining IDP fantasy relevance are looking increasingly slim.
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Lions' Jahlani Tavai: Set for sophomore season
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Tavai (shoulder) could push Jarrad Davis for reps at middle linebacker in training camp, Tim Twentyman of the Lions official site reports.
Tavai had a solid rookie campaign with 58 total tackles, two sacks, one interception and one forced fumble, though he missed the season finale after picking up a shoulder injury. The Lions declined Davis' fifth-year option for 2021 this spring, so Tavai could make a push for the starting job with a strong showing in camp.
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Lions' Jahlani Tavai: Done for day
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Tavai (shoulder) won't return to Sunday's game against the Broncos.
The rookie second-rounder finishes the contest with three solo tackles. It's unsettled whether this injury could keep him out of the season finale against the Packers, but we'll have a better grasp on his status when practices start Wednesday.
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Lions' Jahlani Tavai: New career high in tackles
Rotowire
Tavai put up 10 tackles and one pass breakup during Sunday's 31-24 loss to the Raiders.
Tavai (48 defensive snaps) saw a lot of action as the fourth linebacker behind Jarrad Davis (65), Devon Kennard (63) and Christian Jones (54). Especially after trading strong safety Quandre Diggs, the Lions should have plenty of snaps to give Tavai down the stretch, and his role could expand if injuries strike any of the players above him on the depth chart.
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Lions' Jahlani Tavai: Taking first-team reps
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Tavai took reps with the first-team defense during the first day of training camp Thursday, Chris Burke of The Athletic reports.
Tavai worked alongside Jarrad Davis and Devon Kennard, presumably operating as an outside linebacker after seeing reps at middle linebacker in spring workouts. As long as Davis stays healthy, it's highly unlikely Tavai will ever shift over to MLB. However, it's worth keeping in mind that Detroit's offseason experimentation with him at that spot might mean Tavai will slide over to the inside if Davis is ever bitten by the injury bug.
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Jahlani Tavai: Heading from Hawaii to Detroit
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The Lions selected Tavai in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, 43rd overall.
The Hawaii product is a tackling machine who notched two seasons with at least 120 tackles and he would have reached that mark again in 2018 if not for an injury. Tavai's shoulder injury kept him from posting official workout numbers but it's clear the Lions are confident that it won't be an issue long term. The 6-foot-2, 250-pound Tavai will be playing linebacker in a 4-3 scheme in Detroit, but it's unclear if he'll supplant Jarrad Davis in the middle or kick to an outside spot.
