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Detroit Lions News & Rumors

Lions Work Out CB Sterling Moore

November 2nd, 2017 at 3:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

Sterling Moore‘s drawn interest from multiple teams this week despite being released by the Saints last week.

The veteran cornerback made a second visit during this work week on Thursday, trekking to Detroit to work out for the Lions, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Moore spent time in Houston on Tuesday working out for the Texans. With the Lions, the seventh-year corner has some familiarity. GM Bob Quinn was with the Patriots when Moore began his career in New England six seasons ago.

Moore played in two games for the Saints this season after starting in 12 a year ago. The ex-UDFA has bounced around the league since his 2011-12 stay in New England but has been deployed as a starter by each of the three other teams with which he landed. He would likely be a depth addition for Detroit at this point, however.

A pectoral injury slowed Moore this season, but Pro Football Focus rated him as the Saints’ best corner in 2016.

Lions’ Taylor Decker Returns To Practice

November 1st, 2017 at 12:08pm CST by Zachary Links

Lions left tackle Taylor Decker will begin practicing on Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) hears. It’s a big step forward for Decker, who began the season the PUP list. Taylor Decker (vertical)

When Decker takes the practice field, it will trigger a three-week window for the Lions to activate him. If, for some reason, he is not activated within those 21 days, the Lions will be unable to use him for the remainder of the year.

Decker was said to have a four-to-six month timeline when he suffered his shoulder injury in June and he has progressed well in his recovery. The Lions are eager to get the 23-year-old back on the field, particularly given the way fill-in Greg Robinson has performed. Robinson currently ranks as the fourth-worst qualified tackle in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus. To make matters worse, both Robinson and reserve Emmett Cleary missed Sunday’s game with ankle injuries and their status is uncertain for Monday night against Green Bay.

As a rookie, Decker was rated as the 23rd-highest tackle out of 78 qualified players, per PFF.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/31/17

October 31st, 2017 at 8:09pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s practice squad updates:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Detroit Lions

  • Released: T Storm Norton

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

Washington Redskins

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/31/17

October 31st, 2017 at 5:16pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

  • Promoted to active roster: OL Maurquice Shakir
  • Released: WR Griff Whalen

Buffalo Bills

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/30/17

October 30th, 2017 at 8:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Detroit Lions

Minnesota Vikings

Oakland Raiders

Jaguars, Eagles Interested In Calvin Johnson?

October 30th, 2017 at 2:52pm CST by Zachary Links

As of this writing, wide receiver Calvin Johnson is still retired. But, if he decided to play again, it sounds like the Lions would be open to trading his rights between now and Tuesday’s deadline. If Megatron can be coaxed out of retirement, the Jaguars would have interest in acquiring him, ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen (video link) hears. The “speculation” is that the Eagles would also be among those to look into acquiring Johnson. Calvin Johnson (vertical)

Even if Johnson does have the itch to play again, there would be a number of hurdles for all parties to work through. The wide receiver’s contract runs through 2019 and includes a cap number $21MM for this year. He’ll also have to pass a physical on the first try and that’s not a slam dunk given how long he has been away from the game.

Any team getting into bed with Megatron will also want to know that he is firmly committed to playing football. He has been asked about a potential return at various points but has denied any interest.

“I’m not coming back, man,” Johnson said back in December. “Look, man. I got stuff that’s going to hurt for the rest of my life. I got a finger that’s literally bone-on-bone. This bad boy, it gets smaller. The more and more I do, it grinds bone-on-bone. Literally from last year, I went this year to get another X-Ray and this is after I retired, I knew it was messed up but I didn’t know to what degree because it was hurt.”

The 7-1 Eagles could use a pass catcher like Johnson, but they might want to put their resources towards acquiring a left tackle instead. The 4-3 Jaguars, meanwhile, have already taken on a sizable contract by acquiring former Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus.

Lions Contacted About Calvin Johnson, Eric Ebron

October 29th, 2017 at 10:21am CST by Rory Parks
  • Two teams have called the Lions to discuss acquiring the rights to retired WR Calvin Johnson, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, and Detroit told those clubs to go ahead and reach out to the future Hall-of-Famer. However, Johnson has been noncommittal at best, so it does not seem as if he will change his decision to remain retired, which he reiterated just two months ago.
  • We learned yesterday that the Lions are shopping TE Eric Ebron, and according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Detroit is receiving inquiries from multiple teams about Ebron. Per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link), Ebron has admitted that he could be dealt.

NFC Notes: Lions, Bucs, Cowboys, Seahawks

October 28th, 2017 at 9:31pm CST by Micah Powell

Tight end Eric Ebron is the biggest name being floated around by the Lions with the trade deadline looming, according to Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. General manager Bob Quinn has been aggressive since assuming the job nearly two years ago, and even pulled off a midseason deal in 2016 when he traded Kyle Van Noy to the Patriots, Meinke notes. A first-round pick out of North Carolina in 2014, the athletic tight end was expected by many to have a breakout campaign following a career year in 2016 but that has not been the case. Ebron has tallied more than two catches in a game just once this season but still possesses freakish physical traits that could lead a team to take a shot on the fourth-year pass catcher. Ebron is signed through 2018 and is due to earn $8.25MM next season.

Here’s more from the NFC:

  • Jameis Winston reinjured his shoulder against the Bills in Week 7, Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter confirmed in an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link). “[Jameis] was doing better, he played very well, especially in the second half against Buffalo,” Koetter said. “We did have that one sack-fumble in the first half, and he did kind of reinjure it, and so that’s what led to him not throwing on Wednesday or Thursday this week.” Despite missing two days of practice, Winston took all reps on Friday and will start vs. Carolina in Week 8.
  • The Cowboys are not looking to move any of their receivers, team vice president Stephen Jones said in a radio interview with 105.3 The Fan (Twitter link). Jones added the team has not specifically been asked about Cole Beasley‘s availability in a trade. After posting a career-high 75 catches in 2016, Beasley has hauled in just 16 grabs in the team’s first six games this season. It also doesn’t bode well for the slot receiver’s future in Dallas that the team drafted Ryan Switzer, a near carbon copy of Beasley, in the 2017 NFL Draft. Beasley is signed through 2018 and is due to make $3.25MM next season.
  • The Seahawks are paying Dion Jordan $7.2K and Malik McDowell $5K per week while the two are on the NFI list, tweets Joel Corry of CBS Sports. Though a team doesn’t have to pay a player on the NFI list since the injury occurred away from the field, Seattle was able to come to terms with the two defenders. Jordan returned to practice this week, so the team has three weeks to activate him to the 53-man roster or he will not be eligible to play again this season. McDowell is still out indefinitely.

Lions Activate Sam Martin From NFI List

October 28th, 2017 at 2:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Lions will deploy a third punter this season, but this one is at least their preferred option. Sam Martin will return to his post as Detroit’s punter on Sunday night after the Lions activated him from the non-football injury list Saturday, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com reports.

To make room for Martin’s roster return, the Lions cut defensive end Jacquies Smith. The Lions signed Smith last week after the Buccaneers waived him earlier this month.

Martin will make his season debut after residing on Detroit’s NFI list since the preseason concluded. The fifth-year punter dealt with a foot injury sustained away from the team, but the Lions have not disclosed how it occurred. Detroit cut veteran punter Jeff Locke earlier this week. Locke held down the fort for the Lions, who lost previous Martin replacement Kasey Redfern to a season-ending injury suffered during Week 1.

The 27-year-old Martin, though, is coming off a season where he posted the second-best net punting average (44.2 yards) in league history. The one-time fifth-round pick — and recipient of a Lions extension in 2016 — played in 64 regular-season games from 2013-16 prior to suffering this summer setback.

Signed during the Lions’ bye week, Smith did not play in any games for the team. A two-year Tampa Bay starter, Smith suited up for one Bucs contest prior to being waived this season. The fourth-year player will head back onto the waiver wire.

Details On Matt Prater's Extension

October 28th, 2017 at 10:07am CST by Ben Levine
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