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Detroit Lions News & Rumors

North Notes: Bears, Forte, Brown, Steelers

August 17th, 2015 at 5:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, the Browns announced that backup center Ryan Seymour has been suspended for four games without pay for violating the NFL’s policy on performance enhancing substances. In a statement, Seymour said that he did not “knowingly” take a banned substance and added that he will be “much more careful in the future,” Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com tweets. Here’s more from the AFC and NFC North..

  • Bears running back Matt Forte has come to the realization that this season might be his last in a Bears uniform, Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com writes. “All I can do is talk to them about it and they can say yes or no. They said we’re not talking about that type of stuff right now, so all I can do is play football. I’ve come to the realization that every run or catch that I may have might be my last in a Bears uniform, so if they don’t want to re-sign me, I’ll have to play somewhere else,” Forte said.
  • Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown‘s desire for an extension is “fueled by” the deals given to Dez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas, and T.Y. Hilton, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) hears. The Steelers are listening to Brown’s requests, but if they rework his deal, they want to wind up with a contract that will put him under club control for the remainder of his career.
  • Browns GM Ray Farmer told Grossi (Twitter link) that quarterback Connor Shaw underwent surgery on Monday morning. He adds that Shaw suffered ligament damage and not a broken thumb as some believed earlier.
  • Harland Gunn and Dionte Savage were among the offensive lineman that worked out for the Lions last week, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets.

NFC Notes: Peterson, Giants, Evans, Lions

August 15th, 2015 at 9:34pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Despite all the rumors and news surrounding Adrian Peterson over the offseason, the Vikings running back always felt that he’d return to Minnesota, as he tells Mark Craig of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “Deep down inside, I always knew I’d be back here,” said Peterson. “I like looking at situations and putting myself in other people’s positions. No way the Vikings were going to let me go.” Peterson will have to run behind a Phil Loadholt-less offensive line, as we learned earlier tonight that the Vikings right tackle tore his Achilles.

Here’s more from the NFC:

  • The Giants have suffered a rash of injuries in their secondary, leading Paul Schwartz of the New York Post to wonder if the G-Men might be forced to make some additional signings. Rookie safeties Landon Collins and Mykkele Thompson each suffered injuries in last night’s preseason game (Thompson’s is more serious, as he’s expected to miss the season), and although head coach Tom Coughlin hopes that corner Prince Amukamara will return soon, he admits that new players may have to be brought in.
  • The Saints extended guard Jahri Evans this offseason — mostly to create cap space — but Larry Holder of the Times-Picayune isn’t sure how much the 31-year-old has left. Comparing Evans to a pitcher who has lost his fastball and has become “craftier,” Holder nevertheless observes that Evans has been regularly beaten by opposing defensive lineman during camp.
  • Offensive lineman Darren Keyton will miss the entire season after tearing his patellar tendon, tweets Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com, and according to Kyle Meinke of MLive.com, the Lions didn’t wait around to look for candidates to take Keyton’s role. Detroit held OL tryouts directly after today’s practice, but the names of the players involved were not released.

NFC Notes: Shembo, Washington, Packers

August 14th, 2015 at 11:59am CST by Luke Adams

The Falcons cut linebacker Prince Shembo earlier in the offseason when he was facing felony charges in an animal cruelty case. Now that he has pleaded those charges down to a misdemeanor and resolved the case, Shembo may land on Atlanta’s radar again, says D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“I’m sure that we will [discuss Shembo], but general manager Thomas [Dimitroff] and I have not gotten together on that, at this point,” Falcons head coach Dan Quinn said.

As Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk observes, you can make an on-field case for the Falcons re-signing Shembo, a former fourth-round pick. However, considering the linebacker admitted to killing his ex-girlfriend’s dog and was also investigated but not charged at Notre Dame with sexual assault of a woman who later committed suicide, Shembo may not be worth the trouble. He’ll also likely be facing NFL discipline for running afoul of the league’s personal conduct policy.

Here are several more Friday notes from across the NFC:

  • Niles Paul and Logan Paulsen may both be out for the year for Washington, but the team isn’t eyeing free agent tight end Zach Miller, according to John Keim of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
  • While many of their rivals around the league get impatient and pursue high-priced free agents to fill holes, the Packers have continued to “draft, develop, and reinvest,” writes Field Yates of ESPN.com in his Insider-only look at how Green Bay built its current roster.
  • Several days after the Lions made DeAndre Levy the highest-paid 4-3 outside linebacker in the league, Lavonte David signed an even bigger deal with the Buccaneers to set the new standard at the position. Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap takes a closer look at how the two contracts stack up against to one another, throwing in Bobby Wagner‘s new extension with the Seahawks as a point of comparison.
  • With Jimmy Graham no longer in the mix in New Orleans, the Saints will need a player – or a combination of players – to step up and provide help for quarterback Drew Brees this year, writes Zolan V Kanno-Youngs of USA Today.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/11/15

August 11th, 2015 at 7:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Tuesday’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves from around the NFL:

  • The Bills have signed cornerback Lavelle Westbrooks and waived/injured receiver Caleb Holley, Joe Buscaglia of WKBW tweets.
  • The Cowboys have signed defensive back Brandon Smith, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com (on Twitter). To make room for Smith, the Cowboys waived/injured Chris Whaley, who tore his Achilles on Monday (link).
  • After getting word that JaCorey Shepherd suffered a torn ACL and will be out for the season, the Eagles added another cornerback to their roster, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve signed former Ravens seventh-round pick Marc Anthony.
  • The Lions have placed tight end David Ausberry on their injured reserve list, ending his season, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. Twentyman adds that the team signed cornerback Jocquel Skinner to fill the newly-created roster opening.
  • In addition to confirming their previously reported signing of defensive tackle Tony McDaniel, the Buccaneers announced several more moves today in a press release. Tampa Bay signed punter Karl Schmitz, who was cut earlier this week by Denver, and waived rookie linebackers Quinton Alston and Sammuel Lamur.
  • To make room on their roster for new kicker Garrett Hartley, the Steelers waived/injured QB/WR Devin Gardner, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link). Gardner, who originally signed with the Patriots as an undrafted rookie out of Michigan in May, figures to land on Pittsburgh’s IR if he clears waivers.
  • The Cardinals have made a change in their secondary, re-signing safety Ross Weaver and cutting another safety, D.J. Campbell, tweets Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com.
  • The Falcons have removed safety Terell Floyd from their roster, reaching an injury settlement with him, according to the team.
  • Three months after signing him as an undrafted free agent, the Packers have cut rookie wideout Ricky Collins, the club announced today in a press release. Battling a heel injury, Collins never got off Green Bay’s PUP list during camp.
  • After clearing waivers, linebacker Matt Robinson will revert to the Jaguars‘ IR with a hamstring injury, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union.
  • According to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link), the NFL reinstated the previously-terminated contract between the Cowboys and linebacker Will Smith, who is back on the team’s injured reserve list.

Extra Points: Los Angeles, Cardinals, Levy

August 10th, 2015 at 9:19pm CST by Zachary Links

Ahead of tomorrow’s meeting, San Diego city officials are meeting with NFL today in Schaumburg, Illinois, Albert Breer of NFL.com tweets. The city of St. Louis has already met with the league. He adds that there is no meeting scheduled as of yet between the NFL and the city of Oakland, because there’s been no progress on that front (link). Here’s more from around the NFL..

  • Cardinals coach Bruce Arians says that he’s not happy with the play of his running backs and will discuss options for outside help with GM Steve Keim, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com tweets. When asked if Ray Rice will be among the options considered, Arians said no (link).
  • San Diego officials announced a stadium financing plan that would require $750MM in private money from the Chargers and NFL with $350MM in public funds, Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego tweets. Meanwhile, Chargers attorney Mark Fabiani struck back with a strongly worded statement that refuted the viability of the plan (via Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, Twitter links).
  • The early word from Chicago is that Carmen Policy should not be underestimated when it comes to the Los Angeles situation, Mike Florio of PFT tweets. Policy, the longtime NFL exec, is pushing the Carson stadium project.
  • The Lions were smart to get their extension with DeAndre Levy done before Lavonte David reached agreement with the Buccaneers, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com tweets. Corry reasons that David’s deal might have complicated things for Detroit.
  • The Ravens lost ace returner Jacoby Jones this offseason but they’re not sweating it because their system has been successful in producing many different quality returners, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com writes. Currently, Michael Campanaro, Asa Jackson and DeAndre Carter are listed as the top three on the team’s unofficial depth chart. Lardarius Webb and Steve Smith also have expressed an interest in running back kicks.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/10/15

August 10th, 2015 at 4:32pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest minor moves and signings from around the NFL..

  • The Dolphins signed running back Demitrius Bronson and safety Phillip Thomas, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald tweets. To make room, Miami waived/injured safety Shamiel Gary and waived receiver Tyler McDonald.
  • The Colts re-signed guard Kitt O’Brien and waived guard Dionte Savage, Mike Chappell of the Indy Star tweets. Just days ago, the Colts cut O’Brien and signed Savage.
  • The Broncos claimed Matt Hall off waivers from the Colts, Wilson tweets.
  • The Saints waived UDFA wide receiver Malcome Kennedy from their IR, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Seahawks signed safety Tyrequek Zimmerman, Wilson tweets.
  • The Patriots signed Tony Creecy and Logan Stokes while cutting Chris White and Mason Brodine, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
  • The Lions signed tight end Jacob Maxwell, who was briefly with the team as a UDFA, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets.
  • The Titans waived-injured cornerback Curtis Riley and picked up fellow corner Will Brown, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweets.
  • The Jaguars signed defensive end Camaron Beard and waived/injured linebacker Matt Robinson, John Oehser of Jaguars.com tweets.
  • The Eagles signed ex-Falcons wide receiver Freddie Martino and released fellow wideout John Harris, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Defensive end Frances Mays has also been waived/injured.

Earlier updates:

  • The Packers announced that they have released punter Cody Mandell, as Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com tweets. Mandell was in competition with fellow punter Tim Masthay, but that showdown didn’t even make it until the preseason opener.
  • The Browns worked out and signed linebacker Moise Fokou, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). To make room for Smith, the Browns have cut Rodney Smith, Wilson tweets.
  • The Seahawks cut Robert Smith with a failed physical designation, Wilson tweets. The safety was claimed off waivers from the Colts late last week.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/8/15

August 8th, 2015 at 8:55pm CST by Ben Levine

Here are Saturday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL:

  • The Colts made several moves along their offensive line today, adding guard Dionte Savage while waiving guard Kitt O’Brien and tackle Matt Hall (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle). O’Brien lost his roster spot quickly, as he was just signed yesterday.
  • In Kansas City, the Chiefs have also been busy, signing offensive tackle Anthony Dima and receiver Adam Drake, and waiving linebacker Sage Harold and receiver Armon Binns, writes Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.
  • The Rams have signed defensive tackle Marcus Forston, who has spent the past few years with the Patriots, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. In order to create a roster spot, the team waived running back Terrence Franks, a 2015 undrafted rookie free agent (Twitter link).
  • The Cowboys have removed linebacker Justin Anderson from their injured reserve list, according to Wilson (Twitter link), who reports Dallas reached an injury settlement with Anderson. The Cowboys also cut fellow linebacker Will Smith, who, like Anderson, had been on the club’s IR.

Earlier updates:

  • The Browns signed former Ravens tryout cornerback Joe Rankin, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). A 2014 undrafted player from Division I-FCS Morgan State, Rankin worked as an overnight forklift operator to save enough money to train for another NFL opportunity.
  • Former Arena League and CFL cog Shawn Lemon signed with the 49ers, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (on Twitter). The Steelers waived the 26-year-old outside linebacker last week.
  • The Steelers have placed safety Isaiah Lewis on the waived/injured list, and they’ve signed safety Jordan Dangerfield to take his spot, the team announced (via Twitter). Lewis, a former undrafted rookie, was signed to a futures contract at the end of last season. The Michigan State product had been battling a hamstring injury for most of camp. Dangerfield has previously been with the Steelers, participating in their 2014 camp and practice squad before being signed to a futures contract. He was waived last month when Pittsburgh added offensive lineman Kelvin Palmer.
  • The Lions have waived cornerback Ethan Davis, tweets ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein. The undrafted rookie had joined Detroit earlier this week.

Lions Sign DeAndre Levy To Extension

August 8th, 2015 at 9:45am CST by Luke Adams

SATURDAY, 9:45am: Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press has the details on Levy’s extension (via Twitter):

The linebacker’s 2015 base salary will be worth $1MM, followed by base salaries of $5.25M (2016), $5.75M (2017), $6.25M (2018) and $6.75 (2019). The 2016 and 2017 salaries are only guaranteed for injury, but the years will become fully-guaranteed on the third day of the league year.

As Birkett notes, Levi’s cap hit for 2015 was lowered to $4.4MM (down from the previous $4.5MM cap hit), and the writer adds that the signing bonus cap will be worth $2.4MM each season.

THURSDAY, 12:35pm: Levy’s deal, which is now official, will be worth $33.72MM over four years, with $20MM in guaranteed money, tweets Rapoport. It’s unlikely that the whole $20MM will be fully guaranteed at signing, but the annual average on the contract is $8.43MM, making Levy the highest-paid 4-3 outside linebacker in the league by a comfortable margin.

WEDNESDAY, 1:40pm: Levy’s extension will be for four years, according to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (via Twitter).

1:25pm: The Lions have reached an agreement on a contract extension for linebacker DeAndre Levy, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Locking up Levy to a long-term deal had been a priority this offseason for general manager Martin Mayhew, who said this week that he has also been in discussions about a new contract for Haloti Ngata.

Levy, 28, has developed into one of the Lions’ most important players on either side of the ball since joining the franchise in 2009 as a third-round draft pick. In 2014, he established a new career high in tackles, racking up 155 stops to go along with 2.5 sacks, five passes defended, and an interception.

According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), only one 4-3 outside linebacker played more snaps last season than Levy’s 1,072, and only two players at the position received better grades from PFF than the standout Lion. Levy performance was particularly strong against the run, earning him a +21.1 grade in that category.

While Bobby Wagner‘s new contract with the Seahawks, worth $43MM over four years, may have paved the way for the Lions to get something done with Levy, it would be a little surprising if he matched or exceeded Wagner’s per-year salary of $10.75MM. Middle linebackers like Wagner are typically paid better than 4-3 outside linebackers like Levy.

According to Over The Cap’s data, the top contract for an outside linebacker on a 4-3 team belongs to another Seahawk, K.J. Wright, who is earning $27MM over four years, for an average of $6.75MM per season. Levy should easily exceed that figure, though it remains to be seen if he’ll be paid like a top inside linebacker — I expect he will.

With Levy’s contract agreed to, the Lions can focus on locking up Ngata, which will be a priority for a defense that lost Ndamukong Suh earlier in the offseason. Like Levy, Ngata is entering the final year of his contract, and is on track to earn a salary of $8.5MM in 2015. Levy had been set to earn just $3.5MM, though he’ll likely make much more than that now, assuming his new deal includes even a modest signing bonus.

The Buccaneers also figure to be keeping a close eye on the details for Levy’s extension, since they have a similar player – Lavonte David – eligible for a new deal of his own. Since David is nearly three years younger than Levy, he may land an even bigger contract when the Bucs are ready to finalize something with him.

Extra Points: Sam, CJ2K, D-Jax, Ravens

August 6th, 2015 at 9:40pm CST by Luke Adams

The Montreal Alouettes are feeling very good about Michael Sam‘s progress and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) would be very surprised if he doesn’t make his CFL debut Friday night. Sam left the CFL team for personal reasons over the summer but recently returned to practice. Here’s more from around the NFL..

  • Despite talk and speculation to the contrary, there’s nothing going on between the Texans and running back Chris Johnson, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (on Twitter) hears from a source. Johnson, who survived a drive-by shooting earlier this year, has gone unsigned so far this offseason.
  • Following a collision with a blocking sled, DeSean Jackson has been diagnosed with a separated shoulder, and the Washington wideout is expected to miss “a few weeks,” per Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Jackson should be ready to go for the regular season, so he figures to remain on the active roster.
  • The Ravens didn’t immediately sign ex-Niner Chris Cook following his workout with the team today, but it’s clear Baltimore is still considering adding a veteran cornerback, tweets Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun.
  • Bears rookie wide receiver Kevin White could start the year on the PUP list, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). White, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2015 draft, reportedly expects to begin running on his injured shin early next week.
  • Joel Corry of CBSSports.com passes along a couple more details on DeAndre Levy‘s extension with the Lions, tweeting that the deal drops the linebacker’s base salary to $3.5MM in 2015, but he’ll receive a $12MM signing bonus.

Extra Points: Rivers, Ravens, Levy, Mingo

August 6th, 2015 at 11:43am CST by Luke Adams

Multiple reports, including one earlier this week from the San Diego Union-Tribune, have suggested that Philip Rivers and the Chargers have established a deadline for their contract extension negotiations, with the quarterback set to play out the final year of his contract if no deal is reached by next Thursday. However, Rivers downplayed the notion that there’s a hard deadline to get something done, as Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com writes.

“My mentality has been the same since March, which is I’m playing this season right here,” Rivers said. “Like I said a few weeks ago, if something happens, it does. But I don’t think you should hold your breath for an update any time soon.”

As we wait to see whether Rivers and the Chargers can work something out this month, let’s round up a few more odds and ends from across the league…

  • Having been released yesterday by the 49ers, cornerback Chris Cook already has his first meeting lined up. According to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter), Cook will visit John Harbaugh and the Ravens after playing for Jim Harbaugh in San Francisco last year.
  • Financial details of DeAndre Levy‘s extension with the Lions still aren’t available, but Levy acknowledged that the deal will make him the highest-paid 4-3 outside linebacker in the NFL, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. That means Levy’s deal will be worth more than the $6.75MM per year K.J. Wright is earning.
  • Browns linebacker Barkevious Mingo is undergoing arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee today, and is expected to be sidelined for about a month, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. If all goes well, Mingo figures to remain on the active roster and should be able to return for the team’s Week 1 game.
  • It’s time for Ray Rice to be given a chance to return to the NFL, Christine Brennan of USA Today opines. Brennan feels that the former Ravens tailback has been more contrite in his apology and more aware of the ramifications what he did than the likes of Greg Hardy or Adrian Peterson. Several teams have question marks in their backfield at this time, so it’s not hard to imagine someone at least considering Rice, though the general consensus is that the veteran has lost a step.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

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