IDL Da’Shawn Hand Could Provide Packers w/ Late Season Boost

With Brian Gutekunst at the helm, the Green Bay Packers certainly aren’t strangers when it comes to making in-season additions over the last few years. A few examples include Tyler Ervin, Tavon Austin, Jared Veldheer, Damon “Snacks” Harrison, and more recently, Rasul Douglas and Whitney Mercilus, among others.

At this point in the season, there aren’t going to be any true game-changers left on the market, but instead, what teams are looking for is added depth and someone who could provide a spark in whatever role — which is likely a limited one — they are asked to fill.

Enter interior defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand, who was released off IR on Tuesday by the Detroit Lions, according to Tom Pelissero. Hand was placed on IR for the second time this season earlier this month with a groin injury and came to an injury settlement agreement with the Lions. Pelissero would also add that Hand should be fully healthy in a few weeks.

Since we are past the trade deadline, Hand will have to first clear waivers before he becomes a free agent and can then sign wherever he pleases–something that will likely happen since he has not yet fully recovered from his groin injury.

Unlike past seasons, the overall play of the Green Bay Packers interior defensive line unit hasn’t been the same liability that it once was. Of course, Kenny Clark is still doing Kenny Clark-like things and playing at an All-Pro level, but he’s also been getting help as well.

Dean Lowry has been very steady this season and is even making consistent noise as a pass rusher–something that we just haven’t seen in recent seasons. Meanwhile, Kingsley Keke has put together some impressive games, and we’ve seen regular flashes from Tyler Lancaster and TJ Slaton as well.

The Green Bay Packers are yet to allow a single game 100-yard rusher this season and although the 4.3 yards per rush that they allow isn’t a dominant figure by any means, when you consider how often they play with lightboxes, the defensive front has actually held up very well against the run this season.

While far from a guarantee, Da’Shawn Hand could provide the Packers with a late-season boost along the defensive front.

So why add Hand to the mix? Well, admittedly, this is a real shot in the dark given his injury history, but I’m also a firm believer that there is no such thing as too much interior defensive line depth. When teams are able to generate push up the middle, the entire defense benefits.

Hand was a 2018 fourth-round pick by the Lions out of Alabama, and as I just mentioned, injuries have defined his career up to this point. He has had IR stints in each of his last three seasons and has played in 29 games during that span while missing 30.

This is very much a move Green Bay would make based on potential, but it’s a low-risk move as well. I imagine Hand would sign for the veteran minimum, which would be prorated and paid out for only the regular-season games left on the schedule. While the Packers aren’t swimming in cap space with $4.62 million available, according to Over the Cap, the addition of Hand would likely cost just a few hundred thousand dollars.

Hand’s most productive season came in 2018 as a rookie, when he recorded 25 pressures and three sacks, according to PFF ($$). He also held up quite well against the run and was PFF’s 17th highest-graded interior defender that year.

In 2019, he was on the field for only 110 snaps, while in 2020, Hand logged seven pressures and ranked 33rd out of 139 eligible interior defensive linemen in run defense grade. This season, Hand has had just 87 total snaps.

Hand is still only 26-years-old, he can line up in multiple gaps along the defensive line; he’s a very good athlete, posting an 8.91 RAS coming out of college, and hopefully in a limited role, that injury bug would stay away.

As I’ve already mentioned, this is certainly a move that could not pan out, but for such little cap space, why not take a swing on a high upside player who will be used in a limited capacity? The potential reward outweighs what little risk there is.