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Detroit Lions News & Rumors

North Notes: Heyward, Lions, Bennett

June 10th, 2015 at 5:15pm CST by Zachary Links

Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward is due for a big-time contract and will likely ink one before training camp opens, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes.

“I try to stay out of the process and just focus on what I can control,” Heyward said. “I’d love to get a contract, but I have to just continue to keep my eyes on the prize. I would love for it to happen. I think they want it to happen.”

Last season, Heyward was the first defensive end to lead the Steelers in sacks in a decade as he and Jason Worilds tied with 7.5 a piece. Heyward says he plans on being even more of a force this season and topping that total. Here’s more out of the North divisions..

  • There are a number of Steelers entering their walk years, but Heyward might be the only one to sign a new deal, Bouchette writes. The Steelers may try to sign tackle Kelvin Beachum, but they may not pay him what he’s likely worth on the opening market. Last year, Pro Football Focus rated him as the fifth best left tackle in the game.
  • The Lions hosted a ton of notable veteran free agents on Wednesday but did not sign any of them immediately after the session, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. Wide receivers Brad Smith and Robert Meachem and running backs Ben Tate and Daniel Thomas were among the free agents in Detroit today but none of them have deals – at least not yet. The Lions appear set at running back after drafting Ameer Abdullah in the second round to pair with Joique Bell, but Bell is still recovering from offseason surgeries. Tate and Thomas, in theory, could be called upon if Bell’s recovery takes longer than expected.
  • Bears head coach John Fox is unsure if Martellus Bennett will attend the team’s mandatory minicamp, as Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com writes. The tight end is pushing for a raise from the $4.9MM base he’s scheduled to earn in 2015. The 2014 Pro Bowler has two years left on a four-year, $20.4MM deal he signed in March of 2013.

NFC Notes: Reid, 49ers, Lions, Rodgers

June 9th, 2015 at 8:37pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a quick look at the NFC..

  • 49ers safety Eric Reid is getting ready to play this season, but he told Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle that he’s given some thought to leaving the NFL because of the three concussions he’s sustained. “Everybody evaluates their own situation as far as playing this game,” the 23-year-old said. “I’ve evaluated mine and I’ve decided I still want to play.” The former 2013 first-round pick said he might seek more medical advice, but he intends to play in 2015.
  • Former Lions guard Rodney Austin was found guilty today in a North Carolina court of four misdemeanor charges stemming from an April accusation of domestic violence, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. Austin was found guilty of assault on a female, assault on a child under age 12, interference with an emergency communication, and larceny. Mark Magazu, Austin’s agent, said in a statement that Austin “maintains his innocence” but does not plan to appeal the judge’s findings. Austin has been a practice-squad player for most of the last three years with Detroit.
  • With his entire entire starting offense back from last year, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers feels that his team has what it takes to win the Super Bowl this year. “I think the talent is definitely there,” Rodgers said, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. “But just like last year, you’ve got to see how the team comes together.”

C.J. Mosley Visited Dolphins

June 9th, 2015 at 1:09pm CST by Luke Adams

1:09pm: According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter), three teams are interested in Mosley, whose visit with the Dolphins is now over.

12:51pm: A report last week indicated that defensive tackle C.J. Mosley was drawing interest from an unknown suitor, while another report yesterday suggested he was making a visit, presumably to that some mystery team. The club hosting Mosley has now been identified, as Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets that the veteran free agent is visiting the Dolphins today.

Mosley obviously isn’t the first former Lions defensive tackle to catch the Dolphins’ eye this offseason, and while Ndamukong Suh received far more headlines, Mosley was a solid contributor in Detroit last season too. Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required) ranked him 26th out of 81 qualified defensive tackles, viewing him as slightly above average against both the pass and the run.

Despite adding Suh, the Dolphins don’t have a ton of veteran depth at the defensive tackle position, so it makes sense that the team would be considering adding a player like Mosley, especially since he has a history with Dolphins executive Mike Tannenbaum, having played for the Jets back during Tannenbaum’s stint in New York.

Still, it remains to be seen whether Mosley will reach an agreement with the Dolphins, as multiple reports have suggested the Lions have also been in touch with his camp about a possible return. Most veterans settle for the minimum salary this late in the offseason, but if at least two clubs are interested in signing Mosley, he may land a little extra.

NFC Notes: Meachem, Lions, Boone

June 8th, 2015 at 8:36pm CST by Zachary Links

Former Saints wide receiver Robert Meachem will be working out for the Lions on Tuesday, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter). As previously reported, Detroit will also host receiver Brad Smith and running back Ben Tate on Tuesday. Here’s more from the NFC..

  • 49ers lineman Alex Boone, who had not been part of the team’s offseason program to date, will be on hand for the veteran minicamp that runs Tuesday through Thursday, a league source tells Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. The Niners’ starting right guard was away from the team for the entire 2014 offseason while fishing for a better deal. He wound up settling for a two-year pact, a deal that he’s ostensibly trying to upgrade from now. The 49ers lost their other starting guard, Mike Iupati, in free agency and last week learned that starting right tackle Anthony Davis would retire.
  • Cardinals linebacker Larry Foote says the itch to play hasn’t hit him yet and he’s likely to coach this season, Kyle Odegard of AZCardinals.com tweets. The Cardinals added Foote to their coaching staff earlier in the offseason with the intent of signing him to the roster later in the summer if he decided to continue playing.
  • Todd Archer of ESPN.com wonders if the Cowboys should lock up Tyrone Crawford now or later. Crawford finished with just three sacks but he had 29 quarterback pressures and four tackles for loss as he learned the defensive tackle position on the fly. Set to make just $675K in the final year of his rookie deal, it could make sense for Dallas to lock Crawford down for multiple years beyond 2015. Still, he’s rather unproven as those three sacks are the only sacks of his career.
  • Rainer Sabin of The Dallas Morning News wonders if Darren McFadden can get his second wind with the Cowboys. Dallas has always been enamored with the former Raiders back, but he has lost much of his luster due to injury in recent years. “He was a guy that was interesting to us,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said of McFadden. “Obviously he has some skill sets with his explosiveness and his speed. He can take it to the house if he gets the right seam. He’s an interesting back for us. We think he can bring something to the table here.”

Lions To Work Out Daniel Thomas

June 8th, 2015 at 7:02pm CST by Zachary Links

“Give me your tired, your old, Your veteran players yearning to see playing time.”

The Lions added yet another name to their list of veteran players being auditioned on Tuesday. Detroit will work out veteran running back Daniel Thomas, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). Thomas now joins the likes of Ben Tate, Brad Smith, and Robert Meachem in an effort to impress the Lions.

Thomas, a second-round pick in 2011, was initially displaced from the Dolphins when they added Knowshon Moreno last offseason. However, Moreno went down with a dislocated elbow in September, prompting Miami to reunite with the 27-year-old. In four seasons with Miami, Thomas has run for 1,480 yards off of 409 attempts, good for just 3.6 yards per carry. Last year he saw time in 12 games, rushing for 168 yards off of 44 carries, good for a 3.8 yard average on each try.

Strangely enough, this will be Thomas’ second time auditioning opposite of Tate this offseason. The two backs shared the field in late May when showing their stuff for the Cowboys.

Ben Tate To Work Out For Lions

June 8th, 2015 at 5:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Running back Ben Tate is on his way to Detroit for a Tuesday workout with the Lions, a source tells ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson (on Twitter).

Tate, 26, was long viewed as one of the best running backs in the NFL without a starting job. When he broke free from being Arian Foster‘s understudy, however, he did not impress. After signing with the Browns, Tate was leapfrogged on the depth chart by rookies Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West. Tate was bounced in November and picked up off waivers by the Vikings, but his stint only lasted until week 7.

The former Auburn standout received one more opportunity in the postseason, signing with the Steelers and seeing five carries in Pittsburgh’s Wild Card loss to the Ravens. He’s now an unrestricted free agent, and – unsurprisingly – he’s generating much less interest this offseason than he did a year ago. Tate worked out for Dallas back in May but didn’t land a deal, despite their murky running back situation.

For the season, Tate accumulated just 371 rushing yards on 119 carries, good for an average of 3.1 yards per rush. That’s a significant step down from the 4.7 mark he posted during the previous three seasons in Houston, over a span of 421 carries.

North Notes: Lions, Flacco, A. Brown

June 8th, 2015 at 2:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Special teams standout Brad Smith, who has played all over the field in his NFL career, will pay a visit to the Lions on Tuesday, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. While Smith has seen time at quarterback, running back, and wide receiver during his NFL career, and was a very productive kick returner a few years ago, his primary contributions at this point in his career will come in kick and punt coverage.

Meanwhile, a Lions free agent, defensive tackle C.J. Mosley, is visiting an unknown team today, per Birkett. There were conflicting reports last week on whether Detroit has interest in re-signing Mosley, and Birkett notes that while the Lions have engaged with the defensive lineman about a possible return, no agreement is imminent.

Here’s more from out of the NFL’s two North divisions:

  • Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco would like to play in the NFL until he’s at least 40 years old, as he tells Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Of course, we should probably take Flacco’s comments with a grain of salt at this point, considering he just turned 30 earlier this year.
  • While the Steelers may not adjust Antonio Brown‘s contract this year, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com, with the help of former NFL salary cap analyst J.I. Halsell, attempts to identify a potential extension scenario that could work for both sides.
  • Judge David Doty will hear the NFLPA’s motion to hold Roger Goodell in contempt of court in the Adrian Peterson case on August 13, tweets Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. Doty ruled in favor of the NFLPA back in February, granting the union’s motion to overturn the league’s decision on Peterson’s suspension, but the NFL didn’t reinstate the Vikings running back until mid-April.
  • Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun passes along word of a couple auditions taking place this week, reporting (via Twitter) that center/guard Ben Gottschalk is trying out for the Packers today and former Hawaii defensive end Beau Yap is working out for the Bengals tomorrow.

Lions Interested In Re-Signing C.J. Mosley?

June 5th, 2015 at 9:12am CST by Luke Adams

9:12am: A source tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that, contrary to Meinke’s report, the Lions have moved on from Mosley. If that is indeed the case, it’s possible that Mosley’s camp is attempting to use supposed interest from the Lions to gain leverage with another team.

8:50am: The Lions’ interior defensive line has undergone some major changes this offseason, but the team may be able to maintain a little continuity heading into the 2015 season. According to Kyle Meinke of MLive.com, the Lions have interest in re-signing veteran free agent C.J. Mosley — a marijuana-related incident that resulted in a two-game suspension in 2014 isn’t blocking the defensive tackle’s return. Negotiations are ongoing, and there’s a chance a deal comes together as soon as next week, says Meinke.

While the departure of Ndamukong Suh was the most notable event affecting Detroit’s defensive line, the team also lost Nick Fairley to the Rams, bringing in Haloti Ngata and Tyrunn Walker to fill the hole at defensive tackle. One report in May suggested that the Lions may explore the trade market to fortify the interior defensive line, though team president Tom Lewand said last week that nothing was in the works on that front.

Suh and Fairley, arguably the two top defensive tackles on the market, grabbed the free agency headlines this offseason, but Mosley had a solid 2014 campaign as well. Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required) ranked him 26th out of 81 qualified defensive tackles, viewing him as slightly above average against both the pass and the run. Re-signing Mosley would give the Lions a solid veteran presence to complement a group that – outside of Ngata – is lacking in experience.

Still, a return to Detroit isn’t a lock for Mosley, who turns 32 in August. According to Meinke, the veteran defender is receiving interest from at least one other suitor, so the Lions may have to offer him for more than just a minimum salary benefit contract to lock him up.

NFC Notes: Crowder, Panthers, Seahawks

June 4th, 2015 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Rookie wide receiver Jamison Crowder, selected by Washington in the fourth round of this year’s draft, was allegedly involved in a domestic dispute, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports. As Marvez details, a since-deleted Instagram post appears to accuse Crowder of domestic violence (Twitter link).

“The Washington Redskins are aware of an off-field situation involving Jamison Crowder,” the team said in a statement to FOX. “We have been in touch with the NFL office and will continue to follow proper League protocol and assist them in any way we can to gather all of the facts. We will not be making any further comment at this time.”

As we wait to see what comes of the investigation into Crowder, here are a few other Thursday items from across the NFC:

  • “The biggest thing it does for us is it gives us a fixed cost,” Panthers GM Dave Gettleman said of Cam Newton‘s new extension, per Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. “And we’ve been very intentional and thoughtful about how we’re spending our money, and we’ll continue to do that. We’ve been planning for this.” As Person notes, the team has also been planning for a new contract for linebacker Luke Kuechly, which should happen eventually, and the Panthers want to extend linebacker Thomas Davis as well.
  • Addressing Jermaine Gresham‘s visit to New Orleans, Saints head coach Sean Payton said the tight end’s meeting went well, and that he thinks Gresham could be a good fit (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune).
  • The Seahawks announced a handful of promotions in their front office today, including elevating Scott Fitterer and Trent Kirchner to co-directors of player personnel. Both Fitterer and Kirchner drew interest from other teams this past winter, as Fitterer interviewed with the Eagles and Kirchner met with the Jets.
  • Speaking of those Seahawks, Jason Fitzgerald of The Sporting News takes a closer look at the salary cap situation in Seattle, where the team must make decisions on a number of players eligible for contract extensions and one notable contributor (Michael Bennett) who wants to rework his deal.
  • The Lions have moved Xavier Proctor from the defensive line to the other side of the ball, and will try him as an offensive tackle, per Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (Twitter link).

Minor Moves: Wednesday

June 3rd, 2015 at 4:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The NFL’s transaction wire has been fairly quiet so far today, but we’ll round up any additional minor moves made tonight in the space below. For now, here are today’s minor transactions from around the league:

  • Yesterday, we heard that the Lions were re-signing running back Rasheed Williams to their 90-man roster, and today Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com confirmed the move. In order to create space on the roster for Williams, Detroit parted ways with wide receiver Erik Lora, who signed with the team a few weeks ago after spending some time with the Vikings in 2014.
  • The Raiders waived/injured seventh-round pick Andre Debose with an Achilles injury, as Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com tweets. Debose figured to play a significant role in the return game, which explains the team’s signing of Trindon Holliday earlier today.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

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