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Detroit Lions News & Rumors

Lions Release LS Don Muhlbach

August 17th, 2021 at 4:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Lions will cut ties with the second-longest-tenured player in their history. They released long snapper Don Muhlbach on Tuesday, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. This will end an 18-season partnership.

First-year Lions HC Dan Campbell, Muhlbach’s teammate from 2006-08, described this as a difficult decision — one that occurs on the long snapper’s 40th birthday. It will halt the specialist’s run of Lions work at 260 games. Muhlbach, whose birthday happened to fall on the date NFL teams had to pare their rosters down to 85 players, had not missed a game since the 2009 season.

Muhlbach is a two-time Pro Bowler who had signed a series of one-year contracts to stay with in Detroit. The Lions’ new regime signed off on another Muhlbach one-year deal in March, but the Campbell- and Brad Holmes-led team will go in a different direction at this position.

Muhlbach’s 260 games with the Lions ranks in the top 10 all time for contests played with a single franchise. His ex-teammate, kicker Jason Hanson, played the most games with one team in NFL history — 327, from 1992-2012. Campbell played with both Muhlbach and Hanson,

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/15/21

August 15th, 2021 at 5:48pm CST by Rory Parks

Here are today’s minor moves. All teams must cut their rosters to 85 players by 4pm ET on Tuesday.

Buffalo Bills

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Cut: TE Pro Wells

Detroit Lions

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Cut: CB Cameron Kinley, TE De’Quan Hampton and WR Josh Pearson

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/12/21

August 12th, 2021 at 5:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: CB Dominique Martin
  • Waived/injured: LB Randy Ramsey

Indianapolis Colts

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Re-signed: WR Darece Roberson
  • Waived: CB Bryan Mills

Tennessee Titans

  • Signed: LB Reggie Floyd
  • Waived: WR Kalija Lipscomb
  • Waived/injured: OL Adam Coon

Lions Cut Quinton Dunbar

August 12th, 2021 at 11:45am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions have released cornerback Quinton Dunbar, per a club announcement. In a related move, they’ve added running back Craig Reynolds to the 90-man roster. 

Dunbar joined the Lions in April on a one-year contract. However, it was a veteran salary benefit deal with a modest signing bonus of just $137.5K, so the Lions won’t be on the hook for much.

Dunbar — once entangled in a bizarre legal situation with friend Deandre Baker — was traded from Washington to Seattle last year. Injuries cut his season short, but the Seahawks and Cardinals still showed interest in him as a free agent. The young corner was set to join forces with Jeff Okudah, helping to replace Desmond Trufant and Justin Coleman. Now, Dunbar could now wind up on his fourth team in three years.

Dunbar broke through in 2019, rating as one of Pro Football Focus’ top corners and nabbing four interceptions. He held opposing quarterbacks to a 61.2 passer rating that year, but saw just six games in 2020 thanks to knee surgery.

To date, the ex-UF Gator has 31 starts to his credit across six seasons.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/11/21

August 11th, 2021 at 8:54am CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

  • Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Bradley Roby
  • Waived: WR Damon Hazelton

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

  • Claimed off waivers from Cardinals: OT Ryan Pope

New York Giants

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Lions Sign K Zane Gonzalez

August 10th, 2021 at 1:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

After losing longtime kicker Matt Prater to the Cardinals in free agency, the Lions have added Arizona’s previous kicker. Zane Gonzalez agreed to a one-year deal with the Lions on Tuesday, according to his agency (Twitter link).

Detroit used Prater as its kicker from 2014-20, but he left for Arizona in March. The Lions signed former Bengals specialist Randy Bullock, but they have now added some veteran competition.

Gonzalez, 26, kicked for the Cardinals from 2018-20, catching on in the desert after the Browns cut him early in the 2018 season. The former seventh-round Browns pick fared well in 2019, making more than 86% of his field goal tries. Last season, Gonzalez was less effective (73%) and played a role in the Cards’ late-season swoon. He missed a 45-yard field goal in a three-point loss to the Patriots and saw another game-tying try — a 49-yarder — fall short of the uprights in a three-point loss to the Dolphins.

Bullock, 31, is a nine-year veteran who spent the past four years as the Bengals’ kicker. To make room for Gonzalez on their roster, the Lions are waiving kicker Matthew Wright, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter).

Lions To Sign CB Nickell Robey-Coleman

August 9th, 2021 at 4:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

After Monday’s workout, the Lions are signing Nickell Robey-Coleman, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This will reunite the veteran slot cornerback with new Lions front office bosses Brad Holmes and Ray Agnew.

The new Lions GM and assistant GM were with the Rams during Robey-Coleman’s three-year Los Angeles stay, with Agnew serving as the team’s director of pro personnel when Robey-Coleman signed there in 2017. The Lions were the only team connected to Robey-Coleman this offseason, and the 28-year-old cover man will attempt to stick with a fourth NFL franchise.

Robey-Coleman played last season with the Eagles, and while he did not fare as well in Philly as he did in L.A., the Lions will pair him with 2020 No. 3 overall pick Jeff Okudah and recently added vet Quinton Dunbar. Detroit dismantled its 2020 cornerback crew, cutting Desmond Trufant and slot defender Justin Coleman this offseason. The Lions have now added two ex-Rams defensive regulars this year, with Robey-Coleman following Michael Brockers to the Motor City.

Pro Football Focus ranked Robey-Coleman as a top-20 overall corner from 2017-19, when he manned the slot for Wade Phillips-led Rams defenses. The eight-year veteran will transition to first-year DC Aaron Glenn‘s unit in Detroit.

Robey-Coleman began his NFL career with four Bills seasons, arriving in Buffalo as a UDFA. He has done well to beat the odds and stick around in the league, and the rebuilding Lions will provide another opportunity.

Lions Sign WR/KR Darius Jennings

August 9th, 2021 at 11:06am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions have signed wide receiver Darius Jennings, per a club announcement. In a related move, center Drake Jackson has been waived. 

Jennings entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Browns back in 2015. After starting out on the practice squad, the Virginia product earned his promotion. he caught 14 passes for 117 yards in four games, showcasing speed and potential for GMs around the league.

The next couple of years were spent on various practice squads before he resurfaced with the Titans in 2018. Operating as Tennessee’s kick returner that season, he took kick 94 yards and all the way to the house. His 31.7 yards per return average led the league in ’18, but the Titans jockeyed him on and off the roster in ’19.

Jennings, 29, was set to play with the Chargers last year but that deal didn’t last. If he sees the field in Detroit, it’ll mark his first live action since 2019.

Lions To Host CB Nickell Robey-Coleman

August 8th, 2021 at 9:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Lions will look into a veteran cornerback Monday. They are set to work out Nickell Robey-Coleman, according to veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson (on Twitter). Despite the calendar having flipped to August, this marks the first piece of Robey-Coleman news since he became a free agent in March.

Although Robey-Coleman played the 2020 season with the Eagles, his most prominent NFL work came in Los Angeles. The 29-year-old defender has ties to both Lions GM Brad Holmes and assistant GM Ray Agnew, with each being with the Rams throughout Robey-Coleman’s time with the team. Robey-Coleman spent three seasons with the Rams, playing in L.A. from 2017-19.

The new Lions HC and DC — Dan Campbell and Aaron Glenn — were on the other end of Robey-Coleman’s defining play, his controversial collision with Tommylee Lewis near the end of the 2018 NFC championship game. The ex-Saints staffers will obviously not let that stop their new team from taking a look at the veteran slot defender. Robey-Coleman has eight years’ experience. If signed, he would join ex-Rams teammates Jared Goff and Michael Brockers in Detroit.

Robey-Coleman has been one of the league’s better slot defenders over the past several years, bouncing from Buffalo to L.A. to Philly. Pro Football Focus viewed the Rams’ version of Robey-Coleman as a high-end cover man, ranking him as a top-20 corner from 2017-19. PFF slotted him outside the top 80 during his one Eagles season, however. Robey-Coleman allowed a 78.8% completion percentage on passes thrown his way in 2020 — well north of his Rams marks.

The Lions have changed up their corner group considerably this offseason, cutting both Desmond Trufant and slot man Justin Coleman after injury-marred seasons. They signed Quinton Dunbar and drafted Ifeatu Melifonwu in the third round.

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