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Detroit Lions News & Rumors

NFC Notes: Suh, Peterson, RGIII, Hardy

December 4th, 2014 at 10:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Bucs defensive tackle Gerald McCoy signed the richest contract ever for a player at his position two months ago and he’s rooting for Lions pending free agent Ndamukong Suh to shatter that figure, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “I hope he breaks the bank,” McCoy said. “He’s an awesome player, an all-pro, Pro Bowl player. Was Rookie of the Year. Just a dominating force since he’s been in the league. Everything that’s coming to him, he deserves it.” More from the NFC..

  • There has been no settlement reached in the Adrian Peterson appeal yet, so the hearing went on as planned today, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). The hearing for the Vikings running back wrapped up around 3:20 CT (link).
  • There’s a “real chance” Robert Griffin III will be Washington‘s starting QB before this season is over, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). A report earlier today indicated that coach Jay Gruden wants the team to get rid of RGIII in the offseason.
  • Rams coach Jeff Fisher is most certainly telling the truth when he says that he doesn’t regret the 2012 blockbuster deal that sent the draft rights to RGIII to Washington, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t missed opportunities in that draft. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes, of the 74 picks used before the Seahawks took quarterback Russell Wilson, the Rams had five of them. Instead, the Rams selected Michael Brockers, Brian Quick, Janoris Jenkins, Isaiah Pead, and Trumaine Johnson with those picks.
  • Panthers coach Ron Rivera had positive things to say after pending free agent Greg Hardy visited with some of his teammates on Saturday. “He looks good. He looks like he’s fit and in shape,” Rivera said, according to Bill Voth of Black And Blue Review. “I had a chance to say hello, talk a little bit. Between he and I, it was a nice conversation. He’s trying to keep himself busy, and he’s just waiting to find out what his situation and circumstances are going to be.” Still, given Hardy’s baggage, it’s unclear if there’s a future for him in Carolina.

Lions Haven’t Considered Ray Rice

December 1st, 2014 at 2:47pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lions’ running game is in bad shape, but they haven’t considered signing the newly-reinstated Ray Rice, as Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com writes. “We haven’t considered that at this point,” Lions head coach Jim Caldwell said.

Rice played for Caldwell when he served as quarterbacks coach in 2012 and as offensive coordinator in 2013, so he has an idea of what Rice is capable of when everything is clicking. Rice ran for 1,143 yards in 2012 with 478 yards receiving on his way to his third career Pro Bowl selection. However, last season, Rice gained only 660 yards on the ground with 321 receiving yards.

The Lions have one of the very worst rushing offenses in the league with just 81.67 yards per game this season and an average of 3.33 yards per carry. Joique Bell has been the team’s leading rusher with 581 yards on 164 carries, good for just 3.5 yards per carry. Reggie Bush has been largely ineffective as he battles injury and while Theo Riddick has shown some promise, the former sixth-round pick is hardly a world beater. George Winn, the fourth tailback on the depth chart, primarily plays special teams.

Still, the Lions may be desperate for help, but it doesn’t appear that they’re desperate enough to withstand the public relations nightmare that would come from signing Rice. Caldwell sees Rice returning to the field at some point, but it sounds like it won’t happen in Detroit.

“I’m not real sure what will happen to him in the league,” Caldwell said. “Certainly I do believe in second chances, as I have mentioned on several occasions and at some point in time I think he will get one. When that’s going to happen, I don’t know.”

The Colts and Saints, despite their denials, are reportedly two of four teams to have shown interest in Rice since his reinstatement. The Cardinals and Falcons also have running back needs but it’s unknown whether they’ve considered or reached out to the embattled running back.

NFC Notes: Harbaugh, Coughlin, Lions

December 1st, 2014 at 10:44am CST by Luke Adams

Multiple reports have popped up suggesting the 49ers will attempt to trade head coach Jim Harbaugh this offseason, but Greg Gabriel of the National Football Post is skeptical of such sumors. In Gabriel’s view, there’d be little incentive for a team to give up a draft pick of any value for a head coach with one year left on his contract who may not even want to come to the team in question. While I’m not as entirely dismissive of the idea as Gabriel is, I think a trade could only happen if Harbaugh was allowed to negotiate with his suitor before the deal was consummated, perhaps working out an extension as part of the deal.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • It’s nearly impossible to find someone in the Giants organization who hopes that the Tom Coughlin era is over, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. However, as Vacchiano concedes in the next breath, with the team sitting at 3-9 and coming off an embarrassing loss against the lowly Jaguars, co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch may have no choice but to part ways with the longtime head coach.
  • Who could coach the Giants next, if this is Coughlin’s last season? Gary Myers of the New York Daily News examines some possible candidates.
  • Lions general manager Martin Mayhew has received his share of criticism over the years in Detroit, but Kyle Meinke of MLive.com believes the GM deserves praise for putting together a roster that has Detroit in the thick of the playoff race this season, pointing to the Lions’ 2013 draft class as a feather in Mayhew’s cap.
  • The new contract extension Patrick Peterson signed this summer has the Cardinals cornerback under increased scrutiny this season, and too often he’s not playing up to that deal, says Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap. Fitzgerald also identifies Washington wideout Pierre Garcon as a player whose performance as of late has been hurting his value.

NFC Mailbags: Panthers, Ingram, Bush, Giants

November 29th, 2014 at 10:59am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday morning, and that means ESPN’s NFL writers are opening the mailbags and answering reader questions. Let’s take a look at some interesting notes from the NFC…

  • The Panthers could move on from DeAngelo Williams after the season, says David Newton. Meanwhile, Jonathan Stewart, who still has a couple of years left on his contract, is more likely to stick around.
  • Mike Triplett wouldn’t be surprised if the Saints let Mark Ingram walk and opted to utilize their running back depth instead.
  • It would make sense for the Lions to consider trading Reggie Bush if they were to receive a solid offer, writes Michael Rothstein. However, the writer believes Bush still has a place in the team’s offense, and he adds that it would be tough to move a 30-year-old running back.
  • Dan Graziano’s gut tells him that both Giants coach Tom Coughlin and general manager Jerry Reese will be safe following the season, but he warns that the final stretch of the season could ultimately determine their fate.
  • John Keim guesses that Washington could expect a third or fourth-rounder in exchange for Robert Griffin III. He expects a “low-rounder at best” for Kirk Cousins.

Ray Rice’s NFL Future

November 28th, 2014 at 7:03pm CST by Rob DiRe

Now that Ray Rice is eligible to sign with an NFL team as a free agent, his chances of joining a team this season are not high. While Rice still carries a high profile as far as running backs go, his value as a ballcarrier has been greatly diminished.

Albert Breer of NFL Network points out that his disastrous 2013 season is hurting his chances on top of the baggage that he will bring to his next team (via Twitter). He averaged a dismal 3.0 yards per carry, which raises question about how much he would help a team anyway. Breer notes that the on-field performance is the biggest difference between the cases of Rice and fellow embattled tailback Adrian Peterson (via Twitter). Peterson’s talent and ability does not have the questions attached to it that Rice’s does. NFL teams have always been willing to take chances on players with checkered pasts, but only if their talent justifies it (via Twitter).

Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report reiterated that he does not believe that Rice will ever play in the NFL again (via Twitter). The public relations nightmare that will come with Rice will be a deterrent for teams, and Freeman believes that the video attached to the running back’s case will be the difference between his case and others in similar situations (via Twitter).

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports that Rice has stayed in phenomenal shape throughout the process, waiting for the opportunity to play this season. He disagrees with Freeman, saying that if no one signs Rice in the next month, he will be able to find a team during the offseason (via Twitter).

The chances Rice signs with a team after the season are much better than an immediate signing, and Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times believes he will have a team shortly after the Super Bowl (via Twitter). His reasoning is that it will give a new fan base six months to get used to him before he takes the field.

An added wrinkle is that any team that signs Rice will still be defying NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s suspension. If a team were to sign him for the stretch run, it would be “directly slapping Goodell in the face,” according to Ben Volin of The Boston Globe (via Twitter).

Even still, there are a few potential playoff teams that could be potential landing spots for Rice’s services, writes Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. Among them are the Colts, Cardinals, Falcons, Lions, Broncos, and Chargers. Still, the need would have to outweigh the overwhelming negative publicity that would likely come along with Rice.

NFC Notes: Lynch, Peterson, Bush, Suh

November 27th, 2014 at 1:26pm CST by Luke Adams

As the second half of the Bears/Lions game gets underway in Detroit, let’s round up a few Thanksgiving Day notes from around the NFC….

  • While head coach Pete Carroll insists that the Seahawks expect running back Marshawn Lynch to continue his career in Seattle in 2015, it won’t be an easy decision for the team, given Lynch’s age and increasing cap number. In an Insider-only piece, Field Yates of ESPN.com takes a closer look at the team’s upcoming decision on Lynch.
  • With the appeal hearing for his suspension set to commence next Tuesday, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has until tomorrow to submit any materials he plans to introduce at the hearing, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
  • After signing with the Cardinals, veteran running back Michael Bush is looking forward to getting a fresh start in Arizona, telling ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss that he didn’t feel as if he got a “fair shake” from the Bears during his last year in Chicago.
  • Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press believes the Lions should let defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh walk in free agency, arguing that GM Martin Mayhew and his staff have exhibited a knack for finding less cheaper – and often younger – defensive talent in the draft and free agency.
  • In a story for ESPN The Magazine, Tim Keown takes an interesting look at Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith‘s financial history since entering the NFL, including the Pro Bowler’s struggle with his family’s demands for money.

North Notes: Suh, Lions, Browns, Bengals

November 26th, 2014 at 7:54pm CST by Zachary Links

In terms of tiebreakers, a loss to an NFC team like the Saints wouldn’t be devastating, but Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t want to hear any of that heading into Sunday’s game, writes Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “I absolutely think it is a must-win,” he said. “We feel that this is a very important game and we have to put together a stretch of football like we never played before.” Tonight’s look at the North divisions..

  • Lions coach Jim Caldwell said he supports Ndamukong Suh‘s business interests, but he wouldn’t speculate on how Suh’s quest to be a billionaire would impact contract negotiations. “I’m not going to talk about that particular area,” Caldwell said, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “That’s one that we’ve always said that will be dealt with after the season’s over with.” Suh is likely looking to be one of – if not the – highest paid defensive players in the game. It stands to reason that he could trump Gerald McCoy‘s deal but he might not clear J.J. Watt‘s extension with the Texans.
  • The Browns worked out offensive lineman Maurice Hurt, tight end A.C. Leonard, and defensive end Zach Thompson, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter).
  • The Bengals worked out tackle Charles Brown, according to Wilson (on Twitter). Of course, the Bengals also signed Jamon Meredith, so there might not be a position open for Brown at this time.

Lions Waive Kellen Davis, Promote Austin

November 25th, 2014 at 11:40am CST by Luke Adams

A little over a month after signing with the team, tight end Kellen Davis has been waived by the Lions, tweets Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. Offensive lineman Rodney Austin will take Davis’ spot on the 53-man roster, having been promoted from the practice squad, while linebacker Jerrell Harris joins the taxi squad.

Davis, who turned 29 last month, has grabbed 50 balls for 561 yards and 12 touchdowns during his six-year NFL career. However, he didn’t add to those totals with the Lions — he was targeted just three times during his brief stint with the team, and didn’t record a single reception.

The Lions signed Davis when the team had multiple tight ends ailing. With Eric Ebron, Joseph Fauria, and Brandon Pettigrew all healthy and back in the lineup, the club had a more pressing need for depth on the offensive line, which led to Austin’s promotion.

North Notes: Lions, Paea, Gipson, Steelers

November 24th, 2014 at 1:59pm CST by Zachary Links

Thanks in part to the addition of Golden Tate, the Lions are one of the league’s best offenses on paper, but they’ve been anything but, writes Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. The Lions and their flat offense got blown out 34-9 by the Patriots on Sunday. More from the North divisions..

  • It might be time for the Bears to open up contract extension talks with Stephen Paea, tweets Dan Pompei of Sports On Earth. The defensive tackle has been responding well to Paul Pasqualoni’s coaching so far this season and has been a bright spot for Chicago’s defense.
  • There’s some optimism that Browns free safety Tashaun Gipson could be back within a shorter range than initially thought, but he’s still doubtful for the rest of the regular season, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Gipson suffered a Grade 3 MCL injury, a diagnosis which isn’t as dire as the ACL tear that some had feared.
  • The Steelers were targeting Odell Beckham Jr. in the first round but the Giants beat them to it with the No. 12 overall pick, tweets Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Steelers, at No. 15, wound up with linebacker Ryan Shazier. Later on in the fourth round, the Steelers grabbed a wide receiver in Clemson product Martavis Bryant.

North Notes: Blount, Gordon, Cobb

November 23rd, 2014 at 8:48am CST by Rory Parks

Although he acknowledges that there is no evidence to suggest that LeGarrette Blount wanted to get himself released from the Steelers when he left the field prior to Pittsburgh’s Monday night win over the Titans, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wonders if Blount “walk[ed] out on the Steelers so he could walk right back to the New England Patriots.” Bouchette notes that, with no ramifications whatsoever–although the Steelers certainly could have penalized him instead of essentially rewarding him for his behavior–Blount “went from a team fighting to make the playoffs to one among the favorites to win it all, one where he had success last season and was used more often than he was with the Steelers.” Even if it sounds a bit like a conspiracy theory, Bouchette believes it is fair to think that Blount knew exactly what he was doing and that everything played out according to plan for him and for New England.

Now for some more notes from the league’s north divisions:

  • The Browns expect star receiver Josh Gordon to be on the field for 20-30 snaps in his first game of the 2014 season this afternoon, according to ESPN.com staff.
  • Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports that a ruling on Ray Rice‘s appeal hearing is expected by tomorrow. Even if the former Ravens running back is reinstated, of course, it will be difficult for him to find a job in the league this season.
  • Even though they have been publicly silent on the issue, ESPN’s Ed Werder tweets that Vikings ownership and management were pushing throughout the season to get Adrian Peterson back on the field. Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that Minnesota’s coaching staff would love to have Peterson back, and Werder adds in a full-length piece that head coach Mike Zimmer believes Peterson has not played his last game in a Vikings uniform.
  • Although he believes the Packers will work out an extension with Randall Cobb, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com writes that Cobb’s excellent 2014 season is driving up his price, possibly out of Green Bay’s budget. On the other hand, even though the Packers have a number of young wideouts on the roster, Demovsky notes that none of those players have proven they are capable of filling Cobb’s shoes.
  • Ben Volin of the Boston Globe describes how Lions defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh has finally paired excellent play with clean play in his free agent season.

 

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