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Detroit Lions News & Rumors

Matthew Stafford Expected To Play This Weekend

October 14th, 2017 at 10:21am CST by Ben Levine

Recently appearing before a congressional subcommittee regarding brain injuries in football, former Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy said his former organization didn’t want him speaking about CTE.

The Lions responded to their former player’s statement, saying “[w]e are aware of his comments and we strongly disagree with this claim that anyone from our organization tried to silence him.”

[SOURCE LINK]

  • Matthew Stafford is listed as questionable for tomorrow’s matchup against the Saints with an ankle injury, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that the Lions quarterback is expected to play. The 29-year-old is one pace for one of his most efficient NFL season, as he’s completed 64.2-percent of his pass attempts for 1116 yards, nine touchdowns, and only one interception.

Haloti Ngata Out Four Months

October 13th, 2017 at 9:48pm CST by Dallas Robinson
  • Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata will require a four-month recovery period after undergoing surgery on a torn bicep Thursday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). As had already been reported, Ngata won’t be able to return to the Lions this season, but that injury timeline means he should be fully healthy by the time free agency opens in 2018. Ngata isn’t under contract for next year, and the soon-to-be 34-year-old interior defender has flirted with retirement in the past. It’s unclear whether he intends to continue his career for another season.

Lions Sign DT Caraun Reid

October 11th, 2017 at 7:43pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Lions have signed free agent defensive tackle Caraun Reid and waived linebacker Thurston Armbrister, the club announced today.Caraun Reid (Vertical)

Detroit is attempting to fortify its front four after placing veteran interior defender Haloti Ngata on injured reserve earlier today. While the Lions rank eighth in overall defensive DVOA, much of that success is due to the team’s secondary. Detroit’s defensive line, meanwhile, has received middling marks, as it ranks 17th in adjusted line yards and 18th in adjusted sack rate.

Reid isn’t the only new addition to the Lions’ front, as the club also agreed to sign former Packers defender Datone Jones this week. Before inking Reid and Jones to bolster its line, the Lions worked out defensive tackles Brandin Bryant and Joey Ivie, tweets veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer. Former Bears interior lineman Will Sutton also auditioned for Detroit.

Reid, 25, will now enter his second stint in the Motor City — he appeared in 26 games for the Lions from 2014-15, and made 12 starts in that latter season. Detroit waived him last September, and while he landed with the Chargers, Reid tore his ACL after only seven contests. The Lions have been running a multi-player rotation at defensive tackle, as Ngata, A’Shawn Robinson, Akeem Spence, and Jeremiah Ledbetter have all played on at least 40% of the team’s snaps this season. Reid will likely factor into that group as a reserve on the inside.

Like Reid, Armbrister has also enjoyed separate runs with the Lions. The 28-year-old saw action in 14 games for Detroit a season ago, but has since spent time on the Lions’ practice squad. He was promoted for the club’s prior two games, but was inactive for both contests. It shouldn’t be a surprise if Armbrister winds up back of Detroit’s taxi squad if he clears waivers.

Dan Orlovsky To Retire

October 11th, 2017 at 5:40pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky has announced his retirement in a piece for Sports Spectrum.Dan Orlovsky

Orlovsky, 34, entered the league as a fifth-round pick out of UConn in 2005. He participated in two separate stints with the Lions — the club that drafted him — and is perhaps best-known for his seven-game run as a starter for Detroit in 2008. After one season with the Texans, Orlovsky started five games for the Colts in 2011 before landing with the Buccaneers from 2012-13 and re-joining the Lions in 2015.

Orlovsky inked a deal with the Rams this summer, but he was released after losing out to Sean Mannion in the Los Angeles backup quarterback battle. The Rams ultimately brought in a third quarterback — former Jaguars draft pick Brandon Allen — off waivers just days after cutting Orlovsky.

PFR extends its best wishes to Orlovsky in retirement.

Lions Place Haloti Ngata On IR

October 11th, 2017 at 9:25am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions announced that they have placed Haloti Ngata on injured reserve. Ngata suffered a bicep injury last week against Carolina that will keep him off the field for the rest of the season. Haloti Ngata (vertical)

Players can return from IR after eight weeks and bicep injuries aren’t always season enders, but this tear is significant enough to rule the defensive tackle out for the rest of the year. Ngata has never played in less than 12 games in any given season, so this is largely new territory for the veteran.

Ngata’s 2017 campaign ends after five games with seven tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble. It’s possible that this will mark the end of his career as well.

Ngata will turn 34 in January and his contract will expire at the end of the season. Earlier this year, he was giving real thought to retirement and coaches weren’t sure whether he’d actually suit up until March.

Ngata has earned many millions throughout the years and has a career resume that few can match. He’s been a starter since entering the league as a first-round pick of the Ravens in 2006 and has been playing at a high level for all 12 years. He was – and still is – among the league’s most talented interior linemen and earned five straight Pro Bowl nods from 2009 through 2013. He also picked up a pair of First-Team All-Pro selections (2010, 2011) during that stretch. With a Super Bowl ring on his finger, Ngata can walk away from the game knowing that he met all of his goals and then some.

NFL Workout Updates: 10/10/17

October 10th, 2017 at 9:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

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

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Oakland Raiders

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFC Notes: Lions, Stafford, Eagles, Seahawks, Bears

October 10th, 2017 at 4:21pm CST by Zachary Links

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford suffered a hamstring injury and a sprained ankle in Detroit’s 27-24 loss to Carolina, a source tells ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano. Stafford’s status is currently up in the air and his week of practice will determine whether he plays Sunday against New Orleans. The good news is that if Stafford does miss time, it sounds like it won’t be a lengthy absence.

Here’s a look at the NFC:

  • Eagles coach Doug Pederson admitted to reporters that it’s going to be tough to get lineman Lane Johnson through the league’s concussion protocol in time for Thursday night’s game (Twitter link via Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com).
  • Seahawks running back Chris Carson lost a good chunk of money thanks to his injury and the split in his contract, as Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) points out. His weekly salary is now based off $348K while on IR rather than $465K.
  • Bears linebacker John Timu, who was carted off the field on Sunday with a scary-looking injury, only suffered a high-ankle sprain (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). He’ll be out 2-4 weeks, which is a much better prognosis than many expected at first.

Lions To Sign DE Datone Jones

October 10th, 2017 at 12:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Former Packers defensive end Datone Jones is signing with the Lions, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Jones spent the summer with the Vikings, so he’s getting a good tour of the NFC North. Datone Jones

Jones joined Minnesota in the spring with the hope that he would thrive in a 4-3 defense. That didn’t quite happen and health issues in late August left him on the outs.

The 27-year-old will slot in behind starting defensive ends Ezekiel Ansah and Anthony Zettel. He might not be able to play up to the expectations laid out for him when he was a first-round draft pick, but he could be a worthwhile rotational piece for Detroit.

George Johnson, Jeremiah Valoaga, and Cornelius Washington are also on the roster for DE support.

NFL Workout Updates: 10/9/17

October 9th, 2017 at 7:50pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a rundown of Monday’s workouts from around the NFL that were not already noted on PFR:

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Lions Release DE Armonty Bryant

October 9th, 2017 at 1:49pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Lions have released defensive end Armonty Bryant, the club announced today. Bryant, who was coming off a four-game suspension, had to either be added to Detroit’s 53-man roster or released by today when his roster exemption expired.Armonty Bryant (vertical)

Bryant, who was banned for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, has been suspended three times in the past year. The Lions claimed Bryant off waivers from the Browns last October, and while he appeared in just five games in 2016, he did tally an impressive three sacks during his short campaign. In the best season of his four-year career, 2015, Bryant totaled 14 appearances and 5.5 sacks.

Detroit ranks sixth in defensive DVOA, but that’s largely because of the club’s secondary, as the Lions’ defensive line is just 17th in adjusted sack rate and 28th in adjusted line yards, per Football Outsiders. Anthony Zettel, a 2016 sixth-round pick, has given the Lions incredible production (four sacks) and currently ranks as the league’s No. 9 edge defender, per Pro Football Focus. Ezekiel Ansah and free agent addition Cornelius Washington have been serviceable, as well, meaning Detroit has more depth than originally thought.

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