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Detroit Lions News & Rumors

NFC Notes: JPP, Bradford, 49ers, Megatron

November 4th, 2015 at 1:35pm CST by Luke Adams

Jason Pierre-Paul is practicing for the Giants, and while the team had initially been eyeing a Week 10 showdown with the undefeated Patriots as a target date for JPP’s return to the field, it sounds like he could play in Week 9 against the Buccaneers (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News).

As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (via Twitter), Pierre-Paul’s one-year deal with the Giants was set up to be based on seven weeks’ worth of playing-time incentives and per-game roster bonuses. However, if JPP makes his season debut this weekend, he would have eight weeks to try to earn those bonuses and incentives.

As we wait to see if Pierre-Paul is activated for the Giants’ next game, let’s round up some more odds and ends from across the NFC….

  • If the Eagles offered Sam Bradford a four-year contract extension at some point, it sounds like that’s news to him, as the veteran quarterback told reporters today (Twitter link via Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer). “That offer must have gotten lost in the mail,” Bradford said.
  • Colin Kaepernick likely hasn’t started his last game for the 49ers, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), who says that the team hopes to get the quarterback back on the field in the second half, believing he has too much talent to simply give up on him. While the Niners may feel that way today, continued ineffectiveness from Kaepernick down the stretch could result in him being traded or even released in the offseason.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap, writing for The Sporting News, sounds more skeptical that Kaepernick will see much playing time during the remainder of the 2015 season, and suggests the 49ers will likely find a way to move on from their quarterback in the offseason.
  • Asked if he asked the Lions to consider moving him prior to the trade deadline, wide receiver Calvin Johnson replied that he hasn’t thought about anything like that, according to Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press. “No, I haven’t got to a point where I’ve said that,” Johnson said. “I’m just always trying to play ball. I love my teammates, so that hasn’t crossed my mind.”
  • Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane is on track to return to practice next Monday after spending the season’s first nine weeks on the physically unable to perform list, writes Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk. Lane’s return to practice would begin a three-week clock for the Seahawks to either move him to the active roster or shut him down for the year.

Lions Place DeAndre Levy On IR

November 4th, 2015 at 1:02pm CST by Luke Adams

After a few weeks of deliberation, the Lions have decided to place linebacker DeAndre Levy on the injured reserve list, ending his 2015 season, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter). With the newly-opened roster spot, the club officially signed linebacker James-Michael Johnson, whose deal was reported yesterday.

Levy, 28, made his season debut in a Week 5 blowout loss to the Cardinals, but aggravated the hip injury that had kept him sidelined for the first several weeks of the season. Although he said after the game that he didn’t think this injury was as bad as the strained muscle he suffered in August, he underwent surgery on the hip, and the Lions ultimately made the decision to shut him down for the year.

In 2014, Levy established a new career high in tackles, racking up 155 stops to go along with 2.5 sacks, five passes defended, and an interception. So it didn’t come as a surprise that the team signed him to a four-year, $33MM contract extension in August that, at the time, made the former third-round pick the highest-paid 4-3 outside linebacker in the league.

The timing of the extension was good for Levy, whose stock would’ve dipped this winter if he became a free agent coming off his troublesome hip issue. As is, he’ll return to Detroit next season ready to play the first year of his new four-year deal, which keeps him under team control through 2019.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/3/15

November 3rd, 2015 at 4:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Tuesday’s minor signings, cuts, and other non-trade transactions from around the NFL:

  • The Raiders cut wide receiver/kick returner Walter Powell, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets.
  • The Saints signed wide receiver T.J. Graham while cutting fullback Austin Johnson and safety Akeem Davis, according to Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune (Twitter links).

Earlier Updates:

  • The Chargers, once again dealing with a banged-up offensive line, are re-signing veteran center J.D. Walton, per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Chris Watt, who had seen some time at center, was among San Diego’s offensive linemen who left Sunday’s game against the Ravens due to an injury.
  • With Keenan Allen headed to the injured reserve list, the Chargers will also be signing wide receiver Javontee Herndon, who had been on the club’s practice squad, per Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link). Herndon certainly won’t be counted on to emulate Allen’s production, but he’ll provide some depth for San Diego’s receiving corps.
  • The Texans are signing former Chiefs sixth-round pick Eric Kush to their 53-man roster, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). The 26-year-old interior offensive lineman will join the Houston roster in the wake of a knee injury to C/G Greg Mancz, who has been placed on IR, Wilson observes (via Twitter).
  • Former Jaguars linebacker James-Michael Johnson is signing with the Lions, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. While Johnson didn’t see much action for either the Jags or Bucs this season, he earned 18 starts for the Browns and Chiefs from 2012 to 2014.

Trade Rumors: Mack, Weddle, Boldin

November 2nd, 2015 at 4:05pm CST by Zachary Links

Cardinals GM Steve Keim says that while there are always talks going on, there is “nothing imminent” for his team, as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com writes. When asked specifically about targeting a pass rusher, Keim noted that teams aren’t really offering up anyone that fits the bill unless they are overpaid or dealing with off-the-field issues. Even if the Cardinals aren’t on the precipice of anything, a whole lot can change between now and the deadline. Meanwhile, plenty of other teams are assessing their trade options at the midway point. Here’s the very latest:

  • Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) hears that Bears defensive end Willie Young and Eagles defensive end Vinny Curry can be had via trade. Neither player is getting much playing time so far in 2015.
  • More from Cole (video link), who hears that the Browns expect Alex Mack to exercise his opt-out clause and go to the highest bidder, therefore making him a prime trade candidate heading into the deadline. The center’s deal features a no-trade clause, but he is allowed to waive it to expedite a move to a contending team.
  • Cole adds that pending free agents Eric Weddle (Chargers) and Anquan Boldin (49ers) aren’t really in play since both teams are hoping to net compensatory draft picks for them in the offseason if they head elsewhere. As a result, it would take a significant haul to pry either player loose.
  • When asked if a trade for a running back could happen, Texans head coach Bill O’Brien said, “I don’t see that coming,” as John McClain of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
  • Falcons head coach Dan Quinn says that trades are not a priority for the team right now, as Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweets.
  • Browns linebacker Paul Kruger isn’t surprised to hear his name in trade rumors because of “the way [he’s] been used,” Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer writes.
  • Joel Corry of CBSSports.com came up with some creative hypothetical trade ideas, including one that would have the Panthers acquire Calvin Johnson from the Lions.
  • Keeping up with the theme of hypothetical deals, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com would like to see Washington send Robert Griffin III to the Chiefs for fellow QB Chase Daniel. Another interesting idea would have the Bears ship Alshon Jeffery to the Falcons in exchange for a second-round choice.

Update On IR-DTR Players

November 2nd, 2015 at 10:31am CST by Luke Adams

We’re now through eight weeks of the NFL season, which means we’re approaching the year’s halfway point. It also means that players who were placed on the injured reserve list with the designation to return prior to the regular season are eligible to be activated and play in their respective teams’ next games.

Players placed on IR with the designation to return are eligible to begin practicing after six weeks, and can return to game action after eight weeks, so there are some IR-DTR players who have begun practicing already, and some of them could be activated for Week 9. Not every player will be healthy enough to return immediately now that they’ve become eligible to do so, but we should see at least a handful of the 10 players who have been on IR-DTR all year be activated to 53-man rosters in the coming days.

Here’s a breakdown of the 10 IR-DTR players eligible to be activated for Week 9:

  • Jay Ajayi, RB (Dolphins): Ajayi recently said that he’s back to full health, though the Dolphins may have a decision to make in their backfield if they decide to activate the rookie runner.
  • Alex Carter, CB (Lions): Carter is on track to begin practicing after the Lions’ Week 9 bye, and likely won’t be activated right away.
  • David Cobb, RB (Titans): Cobb is expected to be activated this week, and at least one Titans beat reporter believes the rookie is capable of earning a high percentage of the team’s carries.
  • Demar Dotson, T (Buccaneers): When he began practicing, Dotson admitted his injured knee wasn’t where he wanted it to be, but it sounds like he’s made enough progress to be activated this week.
  • Charles Gaines, CB (Browns): Gaines returned to practice when he was eligible to do so, and sounds like he’s eager to get back on Cleveland’s roster. If the Browns want him active for Week 9, they’ll have to make a move soon, since the team plays on Thursday this week.
  • Dee Milliner, CB (Jets): Head coach Todd Bowles said last week that he believes Milliner will be ready to play as soon as he becomes eligible, though he cautioned that the team will need to find room on the active roster.
  • Maurkice Pouncey, C (Steelers): There has been some speculation that Pouncey could be sidelined for the entire season, but head coach Mike Tomlin still expects his veteran center back this year. That likely won’t happen for a few more weeks though, since the initial diagnosis put Pouncey on track to be out until at least Week 12.
  • Bryan Stork, C (Patriots): The Patriots’ offensive line has been hit hard by injuries this season, so having to decide between Stork and David Andrews at center will be a welcome problem for the team. Stork appears on track to return in Week 9.
  • John Sullivan, C (Vikings): After suffering a setback and undergoing another surgical procedure, Sullivan won’t be back anytime soon, and may not play at all this season.
  • Brent Urban, DE (Ravens): Asked two weeks ago about Urban, head coach John Harbaugh said that the defensive end wasn’t practicing, adding that his recovery would probably take “a few more weeks.”

While these 10 players are the only ones on IR-DTR eligible to return in Week 9, there are 12 more who will gain eligibility in the coming weeks. The full list can be found right here.

Among those 12 other IR-DTR players, the most notable name is Tony Romo, who can’t play until Week 11. The Cowboys quarterback is eligible to begin practicing this week, but Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link) hears that won’t happen quite yet. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Romo is still on track to return to the field when he’s eligible for game action, but it makes sense to keep getting Matt Cassel first-team practice reps in the meantime.

Jim Caldwell Expects To Remain Lions’ Coach

November 1st, 2015 at 4:45pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The last NFL head coach to suffer an embarrassing defeat in London — the Dolphins’ Joe Philbin — was fired before he had a chance to coach another game stateside. But after the Lions lost by 35 points to the Chiefs this morning, Detroit head coach Jim Caldwell doesn’t expect to similarly lose his job once he returns to the States.

“Hey, you know what, I’m working every single day,” Caldwell told reporters, including Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “My job is to get in and get my job done. Those things are answered by someone else and not me. But I fully anticipate being able to continue to do my job.

“You ask me that question all the time and I’m going to answer the exact same way,” Caldwell added. “I told you this is a day-to-day business. I’ve always known that since 1979 when I first entered, so there’s no issue there. It’s just the way it is. So leave it at that.”

Caldwell had a successful first year in the Motor City, leading the Lions to an 11-5 record and a playoff appearance. But the club has bottomed out thus far in 2015, stumbling to a 1-7 record, and ranking in the bottom 10 in both offensive and defensive DVOA, per Football Outsiders. Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and two other offensive assistants were fired following last Sunday’s game, but, at least through one contest, new OC Jim Bob Cooter‘s presence hasn’t seemed to help.

The Lions now head into a bye week, so if management was intent on firing Caldwell in-season, now would probably be the time to do it. Even if Caldwell does retain his job for now, it’s looking more and more like he will be out after the season. Albert Breer of NFL.com recently reported that if Caldwell is shown the door at season’s end, general manager Martin Mayhew would likely be fired, as well.

NFC Rumors: Johnson, JPP, Gurley, Curry

November 1st, 2015 at 11:31am CST by Sam Robinson

One of the biggest surprises in the league this season may extend for a potential encore. The Cardinals are discussing an extension for Chris Johnson, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports. Although no deal is imminent, both sides discussed the issue this week. Johnson’s playing on a one-year contract he signed in August. Signed to an $870K deal with no guarantees, the 30-year-old Johnson ranks second in the league with 567 rushing yards.

Let’s take a look at what else is transpiring around the NFC before Week 8’s early tilts kick off.

  • Jason Pierre-Paul has a chance to play next week, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Giants are reportedly open to it. They rank 31st in the NFL with nine sacks thus far. Pierre-Paul can earn $50K for each half-sack he records in an incentive-laden contract and will receive $8.7MM if he can reach 10 in the Giants’ remaining nine games. The sixth-year veteran’s only recorded double-digit sacks in two seasons.
  • The 49ers have discussed Alex Boone, Joe Staley and Vernon Davis (Twitter link) with teams, but CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora hears (Twitter link) that Staley is considered the most available. The 31-year-old Staley’s in the middle of a six-year, $44.65MM contract and has cap numbers of $8.3MM and $11.2MM the next two seasons. Staley’s deal runs through 2019.
  • Eagles fourth-year defensive end Vinny Curry‘s surfaced in trade discussions, Schefter reports (as relayed by Andrew Kulp of CSNPhilly.com). A 6-foot-3, 279-pound tweener in a 3-4 scheme, Curry could have value as a 4-3 end. He’s in the final year of his rookie deal and likely to depart the Eagles after the season, Kulp writes. The CSNPhilly reporter notes the best the Eagles could get for Curry, who has never started a game but recorded nine sacks off the bench last season, is a mid-round pick.
  • Rams GM Les Snead‘s paranoia over whether one of the team’s NFC West rivals would take Todd Gurley invited him to act quickly during the draft, Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times reports. Snead was concerned about the 49ers or Cardinals drafting the potential NFC rookie of the year, so the team’s interest in the Georgia star remained a mystery. “I definitely was excited when they took me at No. 10. I was kind of shocked. They really kept it quiet,” Gurley told Farmer. “I know when they do those visits to do background checks back home, one of my high school coaches was like, ‘Yeah, the Rams came by,’ and I’m like, ‘They’re not going to take me.'”
  • NFL executives peg Robert Griffin III‘s trade value as minimal, considering his fifth-year $16.2MM option that is guaranteed against injury, and are more inclined to let Washington release the beleaguered signal-caller, Liz Clarke and Mark Maske of the Washington Post report.
  • Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wonders if Lions GM Martin Mayhew will be the latest post-London staff casualty, using Matt Millen‘s 2008 ouster as a reference point of Detroit bucking the usual trend of firing GMs after the season.

NFC Notes: 49ers, JPP, Lions, Bears

October 31st, 2015 at 5:58pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

A quick look around the NFC…

  • If the 49ers – losers of five of their first seven games – continue their downward spiral through the rest of the season, first-year head coach Jim Tomsula and his staff (notably offensive coordinator Geep Chryst and defensive coordinator Eric Mangini) could end up as the fall guys, per Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. While general manager Trent Baalke and quarterback Colin Kaepernick may also be under fire, Maiocco believes both have built up credit within the organization via past accomplishments. Thus, they have better odds than the coaches of remaining with the Niners in 2016.
  • Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, finally back with the team after a July 4 fireworks accident that cost him his right index finger, is confident his injury won’t affect his on-field performance. “There’s not going to be a major adjustment. As far as my hand goes, I’ll get used to it. I’m just fortunate to play football again,” Pierre-Paul said, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. “The day I walked in here I already won. People said I was going to be out for the whole season,” the 26-year-old added. Pierre-Paul won’t play in the Giants-Saints game Sunday and it’s unclear at the moment when he’ll make his season debut.
  • New Lions offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter had past run-ins with the law in Knoxville – a DUI in 2006 and an aggravated burglary charge in 2009 – but the records of his arrests mysteriously vanished, according to Robert Allen of the Detroit Free Press. “There’s no record. There’s nothing,” said Knoxville police spokesman Darrell DeBusk.
  • The Bears worked out free agent punter Zoltan Mesko on Friday, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). Chicago brought in the left-footed Mesko in an effort to prepare for Vikings lefty Jeff Locke – whom the Bears will face Sunday.

Coaching Notes: Chargers, Caldwell, Fox, Del Rio

October 31st, 2015 at 12:25pm CST by Ben Levine

As Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com writes, it hasn’t been a great three weeks for the Chargers defense. In that span, the unit has allowed 30 first-half points to the Raiders, 548 yards to the Packers, and a game-winning touchdown to the Michael Vick-led Steelers.

Defensive coordinator John Pagano understands that he may be on the hot seat if his squad doesn’t turn it around.

“It starts with: we’re all accountable, No. 1; myself,” Pagano said (via Tom Krasovic of The San Diego Union-Tribune). “We’ve got to do a better job. We didn’t play good. We didn’t coach good.”

“This might be adverse times for us as a football unit, but it’s not adversity that will overcome us. There’s bigger things out there in life that we or guys will go through. This is something that we’ve got to grow from right now, and learn from as a team. Sometimes, it’s not an easy path.”

Let’s check out some more coaching notes from around the NFL…

  • Smith also believes that Lions coach Jim Caldwell shouldn’t be comfortable with his job security, noting that any decision would be made by owner Martha Ford. Caldwell fired three assistants earlier this week, and Smith wonders if the decision may have come from ownership. Facing a potential 1-7 start to the season, the writer says the coaching moves could be Caldwell’s final opportunity to “reinvigorate” his offense.
  • Bears head coach John Fox understands that it can be difficult for players to adapt to a new leader, and he likes what he’s seen despite his team’s 2-4 start. “We’re battling, and there are a lot of changes,” said told Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune. “You’ve got players learning new systems in all three phases, players getting used to the coaches, coaches getting used to the players.”
  • There have been rumblings that USC could pursue Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio, a USC alum, as a replacement for Steve Sarkisian. However, general manager Reggie McKenzie shut down those rumors. “We talked when we first came together–he wants to be the coach of the Oakland Raiders,” McKenzie told Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News. “His mind is not looking anywhere else… He’s sincere and I’m sincere with this. We don’t see that as an opportunity for him. He wants to be here. He’s going to do well here in Oakland, believe that.”

North Notes: Ratliff, Lions, Levy, Ravens

October 30th, 2015 at 12:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran defensive tackle Jeremiah Ratliff is currently a free agent, free to sign with any NFL team, but as details continue to trickle out about last week’s incident at Halas Hall, it appears increasingly unlikely that another team will give him a shot this season.

Ratliff showed up last Wednesday in no condition to practice, prompting the Bears to send him home. After the team made the decision to cut him, Ratliff returned to the club’s practice facility, saying at one point that “he felt like killing everybody in the building,” according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune, citing a report from Lake Forest Police.

Ratliff left Halas Hall and returned again later, at which time he reportedly said, “I am the devil” and that he “wished staff member’s children would die.” Although no charges were filed against Ratliff, the Bears did call local police, with team officials alerting police of their belief that the 34-year-old owns multiple firearms, according to Campbell.

As the Bears attempt to move on from last week’s incident, let’s check in on some other items from out of the NFL’s North divisions….

  • The idea that the Lions may consider parting with quarterback Matthew Stafford after this season is “comical,” GM Martin Mayhew told reporters today, including Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Mayhew also dismissed the possibility of a Calvin Johnson trade: “Both of those guys are very important to what we’re doing as a franchise, great people off the field, great teammates. And both of those guys have Hall of Fame potential. So to say that we should move those guys doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.”
  • DeAndre Levy, recovering from hip surgery, may not see the field again this season after playing just 17 regular season snaps. However, Mayhew doesn’t regret locking up the Lions linebacker to a long-term extension prior to the season, as Birkett writes. “He’s not the first guy to sign an extension and get hurt. That happens sometimes,” Mayhew said. “You hate when it happens, but certainly through no fault of his own. It’s a serious injury that he’s dealing with.”
  • It was a busy day for Mayhew, who also said that he expects the Lions to be buyers, not sellers, at next week’s trade deadline.
  • The Ravens‘ front office and coaching staff have received no phone calls and just one text message from Terrell Suggs since the veteran pass rusher tore his Achilles a month and a half ago, writes Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun. GM Ozzie Newsome says he isn’t worried about the lack of communication with Suggs, who may be rehabbing on his own, adding that he expects the 33-year-old to return to the team next season.
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