With two of his defensive ends out for Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers, Detroit Lions coordinator Gunther Cunningham finally might be able to unleash one of the NFL's most feared presences on the outside edge.
Cunningham told the Detroit media Friday that he's been waiting for the opportunity to experiment with defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh as an end, and injuries to Willie Young and Lawrence Jackson could clear a spot for the second-year pro.
"We have two other guys that we can put out there," Cunningham said, via the Detroit Free Press. "No. 90 (Ndamukong Suh), I think he'd probably be pretty good. I've been waiting for that for about two years now, and maybe this is the game. And (rookie defensive tackle Nick) Fairley believe it or not, he can do that, too. So we've got enough firepower."
Young (ankle) and Jackson (thigh) were inactive for Sunday's game. Both players were held out of practice all week, and they were listed as questionable on Friday's injury report.
The Free Press reported that Suh lined up as a defensive end on a couple of snaps last season. Fairley said he was an end in one specific package while at Auburn, but he feels more comfortable working on the inside.
"I can stand up there, get on an island, but sometimes I feel like there's too much space out there," Fairley said. "I need to be compact with some bodies around me."
For a complete look at all injuries around the league, go to NFL.com's injury page.
