Paris Lenon has made a career out of surprising people.
The 31-year-old linebacker out of Richmond -- an undrafted free agent -- has been released three times. He has played in Europe and in the XFL. But through it all, he’s persevered to carve out a place for himself in the National Football League. On Wednesday, he signed a free agent deal with New England.
“You’re always looking for someone to beat him out, and he ends up playing,” said Detroit assistant coach Phil Snow, who worked with Lenon the last three seasons as the Lions’ linebackers coach. “He was that was in Green Bay, and he was that way with us. He’s a real pro, and I think the Patriots will really like him.”
He wasn’t expected to make much of an impact in Green Bay. But he built himself into an integral part of the Packers’ defense, playing in 64 straight games with Green Bay. He signed a three-year free agent deal with the Lions, and when the middle linebacker job appeared to be too much for the highly touted Boss Bailey to handle, they gave Lenon the job. In his last two seasons in Detroit, he posted 239 tackles.
Snow -- the uncle of Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia -- says that even during last year’s 0-16 season, Lenon was a positive influence in the locker room, a professional at all times who was always working to get better.
“I think he’ll fit in good in New England -- Paris is a real pro,” Snow said. “He works all offseason on his conditioning. He’s in the building all day. He’s a tough guy and the players love him. He gets along with his teammates.
“I’m excited for him to get this opportunity.”
It’s been a long journey to Foxborough for 6-foot-2, 235-pounder. Lenon was originally signed by Carolina as a rookie free agent from Richmond on April 26, 2000. He was released by the Panthers before training camp and spent the 2000 season out of football. He was with Green Bay in the offseason prior to the 2001 campaign, and spent 10 days with Seattle during the 2001 preseason. He played in four games in the fall of 2001 for the Memphis Maniax of the XFL, and was later signed to Packers practice squad for the 2001 regular-season finale and the 2001 playoffs.
In all, he’s played seven years in the NFL -- four years with the Packers (2002-2005) and three with the Lions (2006-2008). In Green Bay, he was a slow starter, but peaked in his final year with the Packers, where he started 12 of the 16 regular-season games and finished with 65 tackles and six passes defensed. After joining Detroit, he started all 48 regular-season games over three seasons. Last year, Lenon led Detroit with 146 tackles (98 solo), including 1.5 sacks, and also forced two fumbles and recovered two fumbles.
In Detroit, he was the middle linebacker in Detroit’s 4-3 defensive scheme. In the Patriots’ 3-4, he projects as an inside linebacker, and will join a group that includes Jerod Mayo, Tedy Bruschi and Gary Guyton. Realistically, he will push Guyton and Bruschi for playing time -- last season, Bruschi played most of the running downs, while Guyton was on the field on passing downs.
“Paris is excited to finally be a part of a winning organization and eager to contribute in whatever way Coach Belichick and his staff see fit,” Lenon’s agent Jon Persch said in an e-mail to WEEI.com Wednesday morning. “Now quite simply, he’s eager to go to work.”
According to Snow, Lenon was more than up to the task when Bailey failed at the middle linebacker spot, but his positional versatility was one of his greatest assets.
“Paris can play any of the three linebacker positions, and I know Belichick really likes that versatility,” Snow said. “He’d probably play inside in the 3-4.
“The only problem with him there is his size. Paris is pretty physical and he’ll do a good job shedding the fullbacks. He does get consumed by guards at times. But he’s not that kind of edge player -- he’s probably going to end up inside.”
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