Detroit Lions Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

Lions Place C Travis Swanson On IR

December 29th, 2017 at 8:33am CST by Sam Robinson

Travis Swanson will not return for the Lions’ Week 17 game against the Packers, and it’s possible the center has played his last game as a member of the team.

Detroit placed its fourth-year snapper on IR on Friday. Swanson suffered a concussion earlier this month and hasn’t played since Week 14. The Lions signed wide receiver Jace Billingsley to replace Swanson on the 53-man roster.

An unrestricted free agent at season’s end, Swanson has been a full-season starter in each of the past three seasons. However, the former third-round pick will end a third consecutive campaign on IR. He also saw a concussion send him to the injured list to conclude last season. He missed the final four Lions regular-season games in 2016.

Breer’s Latest: Black Monday Preview

December 28th, 2017 at 9:31am CST by GregGoldstein

With the final week of the NFL’s regular season approaching, that only means two things; 12 teams will soon be focusing on reaching the Super Bowl, while the rest will start to look ahead to next season. One major part of looking forward is addressing who on the coaching staff will be returning in 2018. Many of these coaching questions are answered on the day following Week’s 17 conclusion, conveniently called “Black Monday”.

Veteran reporter Albert of Breer of Sports Illustrated, gave a preview of the coaches he expects to stay and the ones that will likely be shown the door in his most recent column. Breer ranked the potential firings as “Likely/Done”, “We’ll See”, and “It’s Complicated”. In total, there were 15 head coaches mentioned who could see their situations change starting next week.

Here’s a quick look at Breer’s takes on some of the league’s hottest coaching questions:

There were five head coaches included in the “likely/done” category including: Bears‘ John Fox, Bengals‘ Marvin Lewis, Lions‘ Jim Caldwell, Colts‘ Chuck Pagano and and the Giants‘ interim coach Steve Spagnuolo. The four full-time head coaches on this list have all had their fair share of success in the league. In fact, three of them led their current teams to multiple playoff appearances during their tenure. However, Caldwell and Lewis have been unable to win a postseason game with Pagano and Fox having failed at continuing the past success they have shown during their careers in football. Breer notes that while the “expectation is that Fox will be gone”, the decision on the fate of general manager Ryan Pace is true question facing the franchise this offseason. There’s been rapid speculation about Lewis, Caldwell and Pagano throughout the year, so their inclusion on this list is no surprise. Finally, the Giants are currently interviewing general manager candidates who will almost certainly be looking to lead their own head coaching search once hired.
Breer puts six current head coaches in the ‘we’ll see” part of the list. This portion mentions the Cardinals‘ Bruce Arians, Broncos‘ Vance Joseph, Raiders‘ Jack Del Rio, Buccaneers‘ Dirk Koetter, Titans‘ Mike Mularkey and the Redskins‘ Jay Gruden. There’s a variety of situations going on here with Breer noting that Arizona could see Arians retire, which could lead them to other current NFL head coaches: Todd Bowles and Bill O’Brien. Del Rio and Gruden have had their fair share of success because of quality quarterback play, but both have managed to decrease confidence because of an inconsistent 2017 season. However, Breer points out that both are signed long-term so their owners would have to eat the remaining years of their current deals. Mularkey and Koetter were rewarded for the relationships they formed with their QB’s, but there’s been disappointment with how this season has unfolded for their teams. Breer notes that should Mularkey lose this Sunday, he could be on the chopping block come Monday morning with the team looking to hire an offensive-minded coach like Josh McDaniels. Finally, Joseph has forced himself to the hot seat even in his first year of coaching the Broncos, though Breer says himself that this situation is “unpredictable” given that team president John Elway is just “not pleased with how the season’s gone”.
Browns head coach Hue Jackson, and the two previously mentioned O’Brien and Bowles of the Texans and Jets, find themselves on the “it’s complicated” section of Breer’s roundup largely because of just the many factors are at play in regards to their situations. Jackson got a vote of confidence from owner Jimmy Haslam himself, but new general manager John Dorsey could have his sights on implementing his own guy after a winless season. O’Brien has made the playoffs before, but has struggled committing to a QB even after the team selected Deshaun Watson in the first round. Bowles has done a lot with a little in New York this season, but ownership could go in a different direction with a new starting signal caller likely walking into the building next year. Also, there is the potential that all three coaches could move onto new head coaching gigs with the number of openings that could be available this offseason. The final and definitely most surprising inclusion on this list was Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, who Breer mentions could retire at age 66 with a roster about to see major turnover in the next few years. Although, I would venture that nothing he’s said this season would indicate that being the case.

Colts Sign QB Brad Kaaya Off Lions Practice Squad

December 26th, 2017 at 8:33pm CST by Micah Powell

The Colts signed rookie quarterback Brad Kaaya off the Lions’ practice squad on Tuesday, ESPN’s Mike Garafolo reports (Twitter link).

It’s yet another move for the Miami product, who was drafted by the Lions and cut entering the regular season. He was then claimed by the Panthers on Sept. 3 and then released on Oct. 17. Detroit swooped in to reclaim him on Oct. 18, but was cut yet again just five days later. He rejoined the team and was assigned to the practice squad just days later and served there until the Colts snagged him.

With the Hurricanes, Kaaya appeared in 38 games in his first three seasons and amassed 9,968 yards before declaring for the draft following his junior season. Though he was projected as a third- or fourth-round pick in 2017, Kaaya slipped all the way to the sixth round.

With Andrew Luck set to return in 2018 and current starter Jacoby Brissett under contract through 2019, it seems unlikely Kaaya will contribute with the Colts in the future.

Extra Points: Titans, Lions, Pats, Vikings

December 25th, 2017 at 8:22pm CST by Zachary Links

A very special Christmas edition of Extra Points:

It has been an open subject of debate in league circles whether the Titans will shell out substantial money to land a big name head coach this offseason, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com writes. Mike Mularkey is still employed as the team’s head coach, but some anticipate that the Titans will shake things up in the offseason if they miss the playoffs. The 8-7 Titans can make the postseason with a win over the Jaguars in Week 17 or losses from the Chargers and Bills.
Lions Vice President of Player Personnel Kyle O’Brien is emerging as potential GM candidate for other teams in the NFL, Alex Marvez of The Sporting News (Twitter link) has learned. Meanwhile, there’s some speculation about the job security of head coach Jim Caldwell.
The talk of the league is that the Patriots, Vikings, and Eagles coaching staffs will be very popular the league’s head coaches jobs start to open up next week, Mike Jurecki of 98.7 FM tweets. Recently, members of each staff were recommended for head coaching gigs by the NFL’s Career Development Advisory Panel.

Could Matt Patricia Replace Caldwell in 2018?

December 25th, 2017 at 10:01am CST by GregGoldstein

The Lions have stood behind head coach Jim Caldwell for the past four seasons, despite not winning a playoff game. However, it may be time for the franchise to move on after the team lost to the Bengals on Sunday. Patriots defense coordinator Matt Patricia may be a prime candidate if the job opens up because of his relationship with current Lions general manager Bob Quinn, according to Alex Marvez of Sporting News (Twitter link). The two men worked together in New England when Quinn was a high level decision maker in the Patriots front office, so the hire would be a natural fit.

NFL Workout Updates: 12/21/17

December 21st, 2017 at 8:26pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s workout updates, with all Twitter links via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle and veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer:

Arizona Cardinals

WRs Harvey Binford, Rashad Ross, Brandon Zylstra; DBs Jonathon Mincy, Kacy Rodgers (link)

Cincinnati Bengals

OL Gabe Ikard, Max Rich, Austin Shepherd, Jerry Ugokwe (link)

Cleveland Browns

RB Kelvin Taylor; DT Jimmy Staten; LB Max Bullough; CBs Makinton Dorleant, Demetrius McCray, Sheldon Price; DBs James Sample, Earl Wolff (link)

Dallas Cowboys

WRs K.D. Cannon, Dezmin Lewis, Tevaun Smith; LBs Tyrell Adams, Arthur Miley; DBs Jeremy Boykins, Marcus Cromartie, Marqueston Huff, Ezra Robinson (link)

Denver Broncos

TE Gavin Escobar; DTs Paul Boyette, Will Sutton; LBs Houston Bates, Jayrone Elliott, Connor Harris, Marcus Rush; DBs Rickey Jefferson, Jordan Moore, J.R. Nelson, D’Joun Smith, Malik Smith (link)

Detroit Lions

CB Jarnor Jones (link via Balzer)

Houston Texans

DE Kasim Edebali; DT Rickey Hatley; DB Tracy Howard (link)

Kansas City Chiefs

TE Marcus Lucas (link)

New Orleans Saints

WR Diontae Spencer (link)

New York Giants

QB Brandon Burge; WR Nick Demski; OL Freddie Burden; DBs Malik Golden, Ed Reynolds (link)

New York Jets

G Greg Pyke (link via Balzer)

Pittsburgh Steelers

RB James Summers (link)

San Francisco 49ers

TE Brandon Barnes; OL Erik Austell; DT Euclid Cummings; LB Chris Casher; CB Shaq Richardson (link)

Seattle Seahawks

RBs Kalif Phillips, Jalen Simmons (link)

NFL Recommends Coaching Candidates

December 21st, 2017 at 12:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Each year, the NFL’s Career Development Advisory Panel releases a list of candidates for head coaching jobs. According to Mike Lombardi of The Ringer (Twitter link), that list includes:

Dan Campbell (Assistant Head Coach/TE coach, Saints)
Jim Bob Cooter (Offensive Coordinator, Lions)
John DeFilippo (Quarterbacks Coach, Eagles)
George Edwards (Defensive Coordinator, Vikings)
Josh McDaniels (Offensive Coordinator, Patriots)
Matt Nagy (Offensive Coordinator, Chiefs)
Matt Patricia (Defensive Coordinator, Patriots)
Jim Schwartz (Defensive Coordinator, Eagles)
Pat Shurmur (Offensive Coordinator, Vikings)
Dave Toub (Special Teams Coach, Chiefs)
Steve Wilks (Defensive Coordinator, Panthers)
Mike Vrabel (Defensive Coordinator, Texans)

McDaniels, of course, comes with previous head coaching experience. He was probably too young to handle those responsibilities in Denver, but he has reasserted himself as an offensive wunderkind. Both McDaniels and Patricia will be hot candidates for head coaching jobs this year, so the Patriots may have to make serious changes on the coaching staff.

There is some overlap with the list of minority candidates recommended by the Fritz Pollard Alliance, though Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and Titans offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie did not make the cut on this list. Austin received head coaching interviews in each of the last two offseasons, so he seems likely to garner some consideration this time around.

Notable 2018 Pro Bowl Incentives/Escalators

December 19th, 2017 at 9:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The NFL announced the 2018 Pro Bowl rosters earlier tonight, and aside from determining which players will spend a week in Orlando early next year, the rosters also dictate several important bonuses and/or contract escalators for individual players. Former NFL agent and current CBSSports.com contributor Joel Corry has rounded up the notable incentives earned tonight, and we’ll pass those along below. As Corry notes (Twitter link), only first ballot Pro Bowlers who actually participate in the game (unless injured or playing in the Super Bowl) are in bonuses, which are typically paid out by the end of March.

Here are the notable Pro Bowl bonuses and escalators that were preliminarily netted this evening (all links to Corry’s Twitter):

Bonuses

Ravens S Eric Weddle, $1MM; requires Baltimore in playoffs (link): Still playing like one of the league’s best coverage safeties at the age of 32, Weddle needs the Ravens to land one of the AFC Wild Card slots in order to earn his incentive. Baltimore appears to on course to do just that, as FiveThirtyEight gives the club an 87% of earning a postseason berth. That playoff appearance will be largely due to the Ravens’ defense, which ranks second only to Jacksonville in DVOA.
Bills S Micah Hyde, $400K (link): Sean McDermott can coach defensive backs. After spending years finding gems at safety for the Eagles and Panthers, the Bills head coach has helped Hyde transform into a top-notch DB. Hyde, who inked a five-year, $30.5MM contract with Buffalo in the spring, ranked a respectable 53rd in Pro Football Focus‘ safety grades a year ago. This season? He’s ninth.
Raiders G Kelechi Osemele, $300K (link): Under general manager Reggie McKenzie, the Raiders have employed what is often referred to as an “all cash” salary cap management system, wherein prorated signing bonuses are rarely used while base salary guarantees, roster bonuses, and — as evidenced by the number of Oakland players on this list — incentive clauses are heavily employed. Osemele, the league’s highest-paid interior offensive lineman, is signed through 2020 with cap charges north of $10MM in each season.
Rams K Greg Zuerlein, $250K (link): While the Los Angeles offense garners the most headlines, the club’s special teams unit has maintained its dominance under coordinator John Fassel, who briefly took over as the Rams’ interim head coach in 2016. Fassel, Zuerlein, & Co. have managed a No. 2 ranking in special teams DVOA, while Zuerlein himself has been worth 15.1 points of field position (second in the NFL).
Raiders T Donald Penn, $200K (link): Penn’s summer holdout lead to extra guarantees in the future, but didn’t end with a change to his 2017 salary, meaning this bonus part of his original deal. The 34-year-old Penn is currently on injured reserve, and will miss his first game since 2007 on Sunday. Still, his renegotiated contract now contains a $3MM guarantee for 2018, meaning he’s likely part of the Raiders’ plans.
Patriots ST Matthew Slater, $150K (link): Slater has now earned a Pro Bowl berth in every season since 2011. At some point, it’s fair to wonder if Slater is skating by on reputation, as he played only a quarter of the Patriots’ special teams snaps this year. Slater missed more special teams tackles than he made prior to his 2016 berth, tweets Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus.
Raiders C Rodney Hudson, $100K (link): For all of Oakland’s problems this season, the Raiders have continued to boast some of the NFL’s best pass-blocking offensive lineman. Hudson is the best pass-blocking center in the league by a wide margin, meaning he’s eminently affordable at $8.9MM annually.

Escalators

Lions CB Darius Slay, $550K base salary increase in 2018 (link): As Corry reports, Slay had three ways to earn this heft escalator — post five or more interceptions (he sits at seven), play on 80% or more of Detroit’s defensive snaps (he’s at 97.6%), or earn a Pro Bowl berth. Slay managed all three in what has become the best season of an increasingly impressive five-year career.
Eagles T Lane Johnson, $250K base salary increase each season from 2018-21 (link): Depending on Jason Peters‘ health and the Eagles’ plans, Johnson could very well be playing left tackle as soon as 2018. Even with his base salary set to increase, Johnson won’t have a cap charge north of $13.5MM over the life of his contract.
Eagles G Brandon Brooks, $250K base salary increase each season from 2018-20 (link): General manager Howie Roseman zeroed in on Brooks at the outset of the 2016 free agent period, and the 28-year-old has quickly proved to be one of the best free agent signings in recent memory. Brooks will earn an $8.5MM base salary — the largest during his five-year deal — in 2018.
Eagles TE Zach Ertz, $250K base salary increase from 2019-21 (link): Per Corry, Ertz also picked up a $100K bonus for 2017. Ertz has already set a career-high in touchdowns (eight) and has a shot to set new marks in receptions and yards even though he missed two games with injury. A former second-round pick, Ertz ranks among the top-five tight ends in catches, yards, and scores.

NFL Workout Updates: 12/19/17

December 19th, 2017 at 9:37pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:

Chicago Bears

WRs Corey Brown, Aaron Dobson, DeVier Posey (link via Adam Caplan of SiriusXM)

Cleveland Browns

RB Devine Redding; WRs C.J. Board, Devin Lucien; TE Henry Krieger-Coble; CBs T.J. Lee, Jonathon Mincy; S Kenny Ladler (Twitter links)

Detroit Lions

WRs James Wright, Brandon Zylstra (Twitter links)

Green Bay Packers

QBs Garrett Fugate, Matt McGloin; WR Jake Kumerow; C Lucas Crowley; LB Jacob Lindsey; CB Manny Asprilla (link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com)

Indianapolis Colts