- Beyond Ameer Abdullah, Theo Riddick and fullback Michael Burton, the Lions will have a host of fringe ball-carriers competing for their final two running back jobs — assuming Detroit keeps four tailbacks. Ridley looks like the favorite to win the No. 3 job, which Tim Twenyman of DetroitLions.com categorizes as a change-of-pace back. Joining George Winn, Zach Zenner and rookie seventh-rounder Dwayne Washington, the 27-year-old Ridley played in nine games last year with the Jets but received just 36 carries.
- Of course, the Lions’ backfield dynamic could change if they sign Arian Foster, who is set to visit Detroit this week.
Arian Foster will attempt to find a second NFL employer this week, making commitments to visit the Dolphins and Lions, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). The former All-Pro will first visit the Dolphins, being scheduled to do so on Monday, and then meet with Lions representatives later this week.
Coming off a torn Achilles’ tendon last October, Foster had previously been connected to three teams this offseason. It’s looking like two could well be the Dolphins and Lions, both in need of backfield depth.
Detroit parted ways with Joique Bell this offseason and is seemingly in need of running back help, with Ameer Abdullah coming off of an offseason surgery and Theo Riddick profiling as more of a passing-down specialist. The Lions also picked up Stevan Ridley, who hasn’t enjoyed a significant role since a season-ending injury ended his Patriots tenure prematurely in 2014.
- Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin are among the NFL assistants who could be candidates for head coaching jobs next offseason, Mike Sando of ESPN.com writes (Insider subscription required). Both play-callers have been interviewed for a number of gigs in the past, but despite both having success at various stops, neither has ever been hired for a head job. Other options who could expect phone calls next year are the Colts‘ Rob Chudzinski, the Buccaneers‘ Mike Smith, and the Vikings‘ George Edwards, per Sando.
- It’s not clear why the Lions had linebacker Tahir Whitehead in the doghouse for part of last season, but the team showed its support with its checkbook by re-signing him to a two-year, $9MM deal this offseason, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. When Stephen Tulloch went down with a knee injury early in 2014, the Temple product was elevated to the starting lineup and wound up finishing second on the team in tackles. In 2015, however, Whitehead took a backseat to Tulloch in the first half of the season but he started the final eight games and looked strong. Last year, he started nine of his 16 games, recording 47 total tackles, 1 sack, six pass deflections, and one interception. This year, Birkett can envision him clearing 100 tackles.
Had the Lions resided in better position within the NFC hierarchy, Calvin Johnson would have been more likely to consider returning. In an admission not unlike the circumstances surrounding Barry Sanders‘ 1999 retirement, Megatron told ESPN’s Michael Smith the Lions’ poor 2015 season and current status didn’t make leaving the game as difficult as it would have if they built on their 2014 playoff season.
The Lions made two playoff berths during Johnson’s nine years, losing in the first round of the 2011 and ’14 NFC brackets. Detroit went 7-9 in ’15, but its 1-7 start effectively dashed any playoff hopes. Johnson retired in March but said in June that while he has no plans to return, such a re-emergence would be with the Lions.
- The Lions hired former UConn/Maryland head coach Randy Edsall as director of football research/special projects back in January, and today Jim Caldwell explained exactly what Edsall will be up to during the season. “He’s going to do a little bit of advanced scouting for us, taking a look at teams from a defensive standpoint to help our offense,” Caldwell told Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. “We’re going to have him work with a little bit of time management issues, clock management issues. Across the board, there’s going to be quite a few things.” Twentyman compared Edsall’s role to that of Jim Tressel‘s with the Colts in 2011, while Ernie Adams has done similar work with the Patriots for many years.
- Earlier today, the Lions officially released veteran linebacker Stephen Tulloch after months of speculation that they would do so. Detroit saved $6MM against the cap by making the move now (and waiting until Tulloch got healthy to cut him).
Veteran safety Donte Whitner wasn’t happy with the timing of his release from the Browns earlier this year, and he had every right to be upset. After Rodney McLeod, George Iloka, Eric Weddle, Tashaun Gipson, and a cadre of other safeties had already scored large contracts on the open market, Whitner hit free agency about three weeks after many clubs had already spent their free agent money. As such, Whitner will likely have to settle for a one-year deal in the coming weeks.
But Whitner, who will turn 31 years old later this month, is still a talented player, having graded as the league’s No. 24 safety among 89 qualifiers in 2015, per Pro Football Focus. He’s also remarkably durable, as he’s missed only three games over the past six seasons. As such, PFR recently ranked Whitner as the No. 1 free agent available on the defensive side of the ball, ahead of other players such as Leon Hall, Greg Hardy, and Dwight Freeney.
Let’s take a look at some potential landing spots for Whitner as he looks to ink a contract before (or during) training camp…
Carolina Panthers — Former fourth-round pick Tre Boston spent the first two years of his career as a special teams stalwart, biding his time behind Roman Harper while waiting for a starting opportunity. That time has come, but will Ron Rivera and the rest of Carolina’s coaching staff feel comfortable relying on Boston, who has just six starts to his name and has only averaged about 28% playing time over the past two seasons? After rescinding Josh Norman‘s franchise tag, the Panthers will have enough questions at cornerback without having to worry about their safety group, too. Adding Whitner to play opposite Kurt Coleman could help alleviate any concerns the club might have.
Dallas Cowboys — The Cowboys defense has taken its share of hits this offseason, with Rolando McClain, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Randy Gregory all facing multi-game suspensions. Dallas’ secondary has remained untouched, but second-year safety Byron Jones is the only above-average option projected to start in the club’s defensive backfield. Strong safety Barry Church has never been special, and the Cowboys didn’t select a safety in the draft until the sixth round (Central Michigan’s Kavon Frazier). If Tony Romo can stay healthy during the upcoming season, Dallas should return to contention in the NFC East, and Whitner could be the final piece of the puzzle on defense.
Detroit Lions — Lions general manager Bob Quinn has been adamant that his club will field a wide-open competition at strong safety, but the latest reports indicate the former Saint Rafael Bush holds the upper hand over fellow free agent signee Tavon Wilson and fourth-round rookie Miles Killebrew. Bush, though, hasn’t been able to stay healthy during his five-year NFL career. The 29-year-old ended the 2014 season on injured reserve with a broken leg, and missed all but one game last year after tearing a pectoral muscle. Wilson, meanwhile, never started a single contest for the Patriots despite being a former second-round pick, and played just 83 defensive snaps in 2015. All in all, it’s an unproven and untrustworthy group, and Whitner could represent a more sure thing.
Houston Texans — The Texans boasted one of the NFL’s best defensive units in 2015, so they don’t need to add a free agent like Whitner. Houston already had a poor encounter with a veteran free agent safety last season, as Rahim Moore was benched in early November before being released just one season into a three-year deal. But that experience shouldn’t scare the Texans off, as Whitner could add a hard-hitting force to a safety crop that possesses quantity, but perhaps not quality. Andre Hal looks like the club’s starter at free safety, but strong safety could be a toss-up between Eddie Pleasant, Quintin Demps, Antonio Allen, and rookie Kris Dillon. Whitner, for all his faults, looks to be an improvement over any of those options.
Jacksonville Jaguars — The Jaguars are going all-in on the 2016 season, and they spent the majority of their offseason upgrading their defense. After handing big-money deals to defensive lineman Malik Jackson and safety Tashaun Gipson, general manager Dave Caldwell spent all but one of his draft picks on defenders, using his first two to pluck cornerback Jalen Ramsey and linebacker Myles Jack. But after allocating all that capital, strong safety is still a weak spot on the Jags’ roster, as former second-round pick Johnathan Cyprien graded out as a bottom-three safety last year, according to PFF. As such, Cyprien is reportedly in danger of losing his job to James Sample, but perhaps Jacksonville would prefer a more stable veteran. And not for nothing, Whitner has working experience with Gipson, as the pair spent the past two seasons together in Cleveland.
Kansas City Chiefs — Even after losing one safety to free agency (Tyvon Branch) and another to retirement (Husain Abdullah), the Chiefs are still pretty well-stocked at the position. All Pro Eric Berry, the club’s franchise tag designee, will hold down one spot, while Ron Parker will man the other. But with Parker taking on so many other roles in Kansas City’s defense, including nickel corner, Whitner could make for a strong depth addition. It wouldn’t be a perfect match, however, as Berry does his best work close to the line of scrimmage — the same area that Whitner regularly patrols. The Chiefs are going to mess with Berry’s role to accommodate someone like Whitner, so the latter might have to be open to a reserve role.
Los Angeles Rams — The Rams are perhaps the most obvious fit on this list, especially given that they’re the only club with which Whitner has had a known visit. Whitner met with Los Angeles in the beginning of April, and though reports have indicated that he remains “in play” for general manager Les Snead & Co., the Rams might be cooling in their pursuit of veteran safeties. LA’s search for secondary help — which, in addition to Whitner, has involved fellow free agent Dashon Goldson — could be limited by the team’s desire to see how its younger options, such as Maurice Alexander, Cody Davis, and Christian Bryant, play out before adding a more experienced player. The Rams’ only safety with more than five career starts under his belt is T.J. McDonald, who could possibly be facing a suspension after being arrested for DUI earlier this year.
San Diego Chargers — San Diego has already replaced franchise legend Eric Weddle, agreeing to a deal with former Colt Dwight Lowery over the offseason. But strong safety remains a weakness — in his first season as a full-time starter, Jahleel Addae was below-average, ranking as the No. 76 safety in the league, per PFF. The Chargers ranked 25th in defensive DVOA last season, and were even worse specifically against the run, where they placed 31st. Whitner would help in that regard, assisting the front seven in rush defense while Lowery covers the back end. San Diego did assign Addae the second-round restricted free agent tender, so the club clearly values him, but none of his $2.553MM salary is guaranteed, so if the Chargers wanted to go in another direction, they could easily get out of that contract.
Others — Given that former 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is now with the Bears, I initially pegged Chicago as a good fit for Whitner, given that the pair enjoyed success together in the Bay Area from 2011-13. However, the Bears selected two safeties in this year’s draft, and as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune has written on multiple occasions, Chicago would like to see how those younger options play out, and is quite pleased with 2015 rookie Adrian Amos at strong safety.
The Ravens also struck me as a potential landing spot for Whitner, given that general manager Ozzie Newsome has a history of squeezing every last drop out of veteran free agents. But Baltimore already spent money on Eric Weddle this offseason, and even after offloading the troubled Will Hill, the club still boasts cornerback convert Lardarius Webb, former first-round pick Matt Elam, and Kendrick Lewis at safety, so it’s not exactly a position of need. Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com noted that the Ravens have long been fans of Whitner, but allowed that a signing was unlikely.
Finally, the Vikings are known to be looking for the perfect complement to Pro Bowler Harrison Smith, and even after inking Andrew Sendejo to a four-year deal and signing free agent Michael Griffin, the club still doesn’t sound confident with its options at strong safety. Whitner, then, would seem to be a potential fit, but as Ben Goessling of ESPN.com wrote last month, Minnesota is probably looking for a player who can handle pass coverage responsibilities given how often the team moves Smith around the formation. Whitner is not that guy, so perhaps the Vikes aren’t quite a perfect landing spot.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
4:43pm: The Lions waited until Tulloch passed his physical in order to avoid having to pay him $1.1MM as part of an injury protection settlement, Birkett reports. Tulloch previously said the long wait did not stem from an injury-related issue, but the linebacker took several physicals this offseason.
3:44pm: Tulloch had surgery this year, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter), and didn’t pass a physical until today. That explains the lengthy delay and could certainly affect his market, particularly at this juncture.
3:31pm: After months of Stephen Tulloch residing in limbo, the Lions released the longtime linebacker, Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com reports. The 31-year-old veteran will be free to sign with any team. However, being cut nearly four months after free agency began does not help the 1
1th-year player.
The Lions will save $6MM by making this move after completing an odyssey that began in February.
We heard three weeks before free agency was set to open the Lions were planning to release the five-year starter, and Tulloch even thanked the team that day only to be kept on the roster until well after offseason workouts concluded. In waiting for Tulloch to pass the physical, the Lions weren’t in a rush to conclude this process after already paying him the $500K roster bonus he was owed, Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk reports.
“Obviously, I was told back in February that the team kind of wanted to go in a younger direction, which is understandable, but we had some things to work out in between, between that, that’s why kind of things haven’t really unfolded,” Tulloch said in June.
“[I’ve] just been training, getting ready. I know that a couple people reached out when they found out earlier in the off-season [I was going to be released], but obviously it’s been 3 1/2 months.”
Tulloch, who was excused from minicamp during this hiatus, won’t have much time to assimilate at his next destination if he is to land elsewhere. The former fourth-round pick in 2006 led the Lions with 108 tackles last season and started 15 games. The N.C. State product started 67 contests with the Lions, who signed him in 2011 after he spent the first five seasons of his career with the Titans. However, Tulloch’s career turned somewhat during September 2014, when he tore his ACL celebrating a sack.
The Lions did not use Tulloch much on passing downs last season upon his return from surgery, however, diminishing his value.
Lions GM Bob Quinn said recently the team had been in contact with several UFAs this offseason, and Detroit is in position to make a move if it so chooses. After this release, 88 players reside on the Lions’ roster. And the team stands to possess more than $20MM in cap space.
Tahir Whitehead will continue to work as a three-down linebacker for the Lions and looks set to step into Tulloch’s middle linebacker spot in Detroit’s base defense, Birkett writes, with 2014 second-round pick Kyle Van Noy set to receive the first crack at starting at the other outside spot.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
- Given that second-year man Ameer Abdullah isn’t a traditional workhorse running back, the Lions will need someone to separate himself from the pack this summer and ultimately serve as a complement to Abdullah in 2016, writes Justin Rogers of MLive.com. Free agent pickup Stevan Ridley – a 1,200-yard rusher in 2012 – and NFL sophomore Zach Zenner are strong candidates, but Michigan native George Winn also has a chance to win the role, Rogers contends. The 210-pounder has spent time with six organizations since going undrafted out of Cincinnati in 2013, logging 19 appearances and 23 carries – all with the Lions. Detroit also has Theo Riddick as a backfield option, of course, but he’s a far bigger threat as a pass catcher than as a rusher.
- As of Sunday, the Lions hold more than $14MM in cap space, and Bob Quinn told Sirius XM Radio (via Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com) the team may not be done adding help this offseason. “I think there’s a chance that we could add some players here between now and (the start of training camp),” Quinn said. “… There are certain veteran free agents that we have spoken to over the last couple months that we’re keeping tabs on. I’m never going to say never about acquiring a good player.” Detroit’s roster sits at 89 players. The Lions hosted Anquan Boldin on a visit last month, and PFR’s Dallas Robinson reported Denarius Moore worked out for the team this offseason as well. Roster Resource reveals a potential need at defensive end as well, with Devin Taylor and Wallace Gilberry competing for a spot opposite Ziggy Ansah.