When the Lions hired Matt Patricia as their next coach, they brought on a scheme change that would alter what they look for in linebackers.
In came Devon Kennard from New York, which meant out went Tahir Whitehead. The player they drafted out of Temple in 2012 had become one of the most tenured member of Detroit's defense over time, but with the change at the top, he was going to have to fetch his money elsewhere for the first time in his career.
Whitehead did that in Oakland, and it paid dividends. He cashed in with a three-year deal worth up to $19 million.