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Detroit Lions News & Rumors

Free Agent Notes: Mesko, Whitlock

November 22nd, 2014 at 9:48am CST by Ben Levine

There are still plenty of former NFL players seeking a job for this season. Let’s check out what some of these free agents are up to…

  • The Lions brought in former Patriots punter Zoltan Mesko for a workout on Friday, tweets Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. The 28-year-old split last season between the Steelers and Bengals.
  • Fullback Nikita Whitlock has been suspended by the NFL for four games, tweets Wilson. The former Wake Forest standout spent last season with the Bengals.

NFC Mailbags: Colston, Forte, Peterson

November 22nd, 2014 at 8:57am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday, and that means ESPN’s NFL writers are opening up their mailbags and answering questions. Let’s check out some of the notable whispers from the NFC…

Audition Notes: Wednesday

November 19th, 2014 at 7:51pm CST by Zachary Links

A rundown of today’s workouts..

  • Veteran wide receiver Austin Pettis worked out for the Panthers today, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter). Pettis, who was waived by the Rams in October, also worked out for the Seahawks recently. A third-round pick in 2011, caught 107 balls for 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns for St. Louis.
  • The Panthers also worked out fellow wideout Tysson Poots, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The 6-foot-2, 225-pounder is an Arena Football League player for the Arizona Rattlers.
  • The Lions took a look at cornerbacks Marc Anthony, Richard Marshall, and Kevin Rutland, according to Howard Balzer of USA Today (on Twitter).

Poll: Best Head Coaching Candidates

November 14th, 2014 at 11:02pm CST by Rob DiRe

Colts‘ offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton and Browns‘ offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan have accomplished plenty on their offenses this season, with each team currently leading its current division through nine games. Those performances could lead to big paydays as head coaches next season.

They are not the only coordinators being rumored for head coaching jobs. Giants‘ offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo has been talked about as a possible successor for Tom Coughlin. Broncos‘ offensive coordinator Adam Gase could follow the path of his predecessor, Mike McCoy, who jumped from a record-setting Peyton Manning-led offense to the top job for the Chargers.

The defending champion Seahawks have taken a step back from last season, but the market may not have cooled on both of their coordinators. Both offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn have both been talked about as head coaching candidates, with particular interest coming from the Jets if general manager John Idzik is retained in New York and head coach Rex Ryan is fired.

Todd Bowles has helped put together a great defense in Arizona, as the Cardinals have gone 8-1 despite injuries on the defense. Lions‘ defensive coordinator Teryl Austin could be in a similar position, as his team is currently leading it’s division based on the strength of the defense.

Add to the mix the possibility of Jon Gruden or Bill Cowher returning to the sidelines, or even the possibility of a college coach like David Shaw of Stanford jumping to the NFL, and teams will have a number of options should they decide to pursue a new coach in 2015. That list does not include the head coaches that will lose their jobs at the end of the season, a number of them will hit the open market with impressive records of success. That list could include Ryan, Mike Smith, and Jim Harbaugh, among others.

Which Coordinator Would Make The Best Head Coach?
Todd Bowles - Cardinals 25.11% (170 votes)
Pep Hamilton - Colts 18.61% (126 votes)
Kyle Shanahan - Browns 11.52% (78 votes)
Dan Quinn - Seahawks 11.23% (76 votes)
Adam Gase - Broncos 9.31% (63 votes)
Darrell Bevell - Seahawks 8.42% (57 votes)
Other 6.50% (44 votes)
Teryl Austin - Lions 5.32% (36 votes)
Ben McAdoo - Giants 3.99% (27 votes)
Total Votes: 677

Free Agency Notes: Suh, Bryant, Pierre-Paul

November 14th, 2014 at 5:48pm CST by Rob DiRe

Many NFL teams are focused on making the playoffs during the home stretch of the season, but many of their top players are also worried about their impending free agency. Field Yates of ESPN.com put together a list of five players who are set to receive huge contracts this offseason (subscription required).

The headliner of that list is Lions‘ defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who may be leaving Detroit this offseason for a contract in the range of what J.J. Watt received this past offseason. Dez Bryant, Justin Houston, Demaryius Thomas, and Randall Cobb also made the list of players set up to be paid after the season.

Here are some other notes on player movement this offseason:

  • Along with the list of players who are ready to get big contracts, Yates also listed five players who have seen their stocks soar since the beginning of the season. Much like the five top free agents, the five soaring stocks all come from potential playoff teams. Yates points to DeMarco Murray, Jeremy Maclin, Brian Hoyer, Mark Ingram, and Chris Harris Jr..
  • Bryant appears on Yates’ list of players set up for big contracts, but Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com expects the superstar wide receiver to remain with the Cowboys for at least two more seasons (via Twitter). Archer writes that the Cowboys always keep a player they want, and won’t lose Bryant if they want to keep him (via Twitter).
  • One big name player who doesn’t appear on Yates’ list is Giants‘ defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul. Pierre-Paul has been inconsistent since his breakout 2011 season when he recorded 16.5 sacks. The embattled Giant is ambivalent about returning to the team next year, according to Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post (via Twitter). “Hey, if I’m here, I’m here,” said Pierre-Paul. “If I’m not, I’m not.”

NFC North Notes: Suh, Cutler, Bears

November 13th, 2014 at 1:56pm CST by Zachary Links

Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson won’t correct anyone who wants to compare him to all-time great Randy Moss, writes Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. “Big fan, of course,” Johnson said. “Everybody used the term, ‘You got mossed.’ So, of course, the great catches he made on the field to all of his great plays over the years of his career.” More from the NFC North..

  • Lions star Ndamukong Suh is likely to top J.J. Watt‘s contract in 2015, opines Chris Wesseling of NFL.com. Suh hit the open market at just 27 years old with three first-team All-Pro selections, so it’s not hard to see him clearing the six-year, $100MM extension that Watt inked with the Texans earlier this year. The Jets, Giants, Cowboys, and Bears have already been linked to Suh, one of the league’s most fearsome defensive linemen.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of The Sporting News looks at the Bears‘ bad contracts and how they’re weighing the team down. General Manager Phil Emery‘s decision to sign Jay Cutler to a long-term deal with a guaranteed $54MM over three seasons probably stands as his worst call to date. The deal mimicked Tony Romo‘s contract with the Cowboys, but Cutler’s production did not resemble Romo’s from 2011-2013. Beyond Cutler, the signings of defensive linemen Lamarr Houston and Jared Allen also seem rather foolish in hindsight.
  • Some are calling for the Bears to fire defensive coordinator Mel Tucker, but he says he’s not focusing on his job security, writes Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune. “I just feel pressure to coach the best that I can. That’s the pressure I put on myself,” said Tucker. “I’ve never been anywhere where there wasn’t pressure to win and there wasn’t pressure to play well. I’ve never been in a situation where it wasn’t like that on a day-to-day basis. … I don’t feel any pressure other than what I put on myself. And that’s a lot of pressure.”

Practice Squad Updates: Thursday

November 13th, 2014 at 1:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s practice squad moves..

  • To make room for Small, the Ravens have cut Jace Davis, Wilson tweets.
  • The Ravens are signing fullback Kiero Small to their practice squad, sources close to the former Brown tell Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
  • To make room for Couplin, the Lions have released wide receiver Patrick Edwards from the taxi squad, according to ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein (on Twitter).
  • The Lions are re-signing safety Jerome Couplin to their practice squad, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). The Lions released Couplin earlier this month and he was quickly scooped up by the Bills, though he only lasted a week in Buffalo.
  • Washington has announced that linebacker Jackson Jeffcoat has been re-signed to the practice squad, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post (on Twitter). Washington cut Jeffcoat earlier this week to make room for the returning Barry Cofield.

Extra Points: Vick, Saints, London, Bears

November 11th, 2014 at 10:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Would things have gone differently for the Jets this season if Michael Vick was the team’s starter from Week 1? Running back Chris Johnson sure seems to think so. “Yeah, I think so. I think if he was starting from day one it would be totally different,” Chris Johnson told Seth Walder of the Daily News. “He came in and his role was to help Geno (Smith) develop and try to help him the best he can, but at the end of the day it turned out how it turned out and (we’ve) just got to live with it.” More from around the NFL..

  • Reserve offensive tackle Nick Becton, who was just signed from the Giants practice squad, could be let go by the Saints to make way for the returning Joe Morgan, writes Evan Woodbury of The Times-Picayune.
  • Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight.com takes a deep dive into the NFL’s desire to expand to London, and finds that while a franchise in England could be viable, the league may be overlooking more logical markets stateside, such as Toronto and Mexico City.
  • While it appears the Bears don’t intend to make any coaching changes for now, Peter King of TheMMQB.com suggests the team should make a statement by parting ways with defensive coordinator Mel Tucker, whose unit has allowed 106 points in the last two games.
  • Vick’s future in New York is uncertain, but Danny Knobler of ESPNNewYork.com says that the Jets should make him their quarterback for next season. The 12th-year vet will be 35 next season, but Gang Green has seen some solid play from him over the course of two-and-a-half games.
  • The Ravens miss having linebacker James Ihedigbo in the fold, tweets Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com. The veteran safety left to join the Lions in the offseason and has been making key plays for them this year.

Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday

November 11th, 2014 at 6:11pm CST by Luke Adams

In addition to tweaking their 53-man rosters in preparation for Week 11’s games, teams around the NFL are also making changes to their practice squads. Here are Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts:

  • The Browns signed defensive lineman Jamie Meder to their taxi squad, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal (on Twitter). Meder, an Ohio native, was recently cut from the Ravens’ practice squad.
  • Brian McIntyre (on Twitter) has the goods on the Seahawks‘ latest taxi squad moves. Seattle has signed defensive end Ryan Robinson and running back Cierre Wood while placing running back Demitrius Bronson and defensive tackle Julius Warmsley on the IR. Linebacker L.J. Fort, who was being looked at as a possible fullback option, has been released.
  • The Giants released safety Kyle Sebetic from the practice squad, tweets Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger.
  • The Packers have re-signed wideout Alex Gillett to their taxi squad, releasing Jordan McCray in a corresponding move, a source tells Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
  • Confirming a Monday report, Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com tweets that center Darren Keyton has formally been added to the Lions‘ practice squad, replacing linebacker Jerrell Harris.

Earlier updates:

  • After placing linebacker Patrick Willis on injured reserve today, the 49ers signed another linebacker, Shayne Skov, to their practice squad, the team announced (via Twitter). Skov, who spent the summer with the Niners, was cut from the Buccaneers’ taxi squad last month.
  • Looking to add depth at the tight end position, the Chiefs not only added Phillip Supernaw to their active roster today, but also signed tight end Adam Schiltz to their practice squad, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Schiltz takes the spot vacated by running back Charcandrick West, who was promoted to the 53-man roster today.
  • The Browns have released defensive lineman Jacobbi McDaniel from their practice squad, leaving an opening on the unit, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Twitter link).
  • Linebacker Denicos Allen has been cut from the Buccaneers‘ practice squad, per Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (Twitter link).
  • Amidst a flurry of other roster moves, the Jaguars released cornerback Lou Young from their practice squad today, according to Wilson (via Twitter).

Minor Moves: Monday

November 10th, 2014 at 8:58pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ll track today’s minor transactions in this space, including small tweaks to 53-man rosters as well as practice squad signings and cuts. Here’s the latest:

  • To fill the roster spot vacated by Williams (referenced below), the Bears have promoted guard Ryan Groy from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). In a separate tweet, Biggs notes that right tackle Jordan Mills said he was set to have his rib injury examined today, suggesting the Groy promotion could be a precautionary move in case Mills is sidelined.

Earlier updates:

  • Following Aaron Rodgers‘ shredding of the Bears‘ secondary last night, Chicago has waived defensive back Teddy Williams, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The team has yet to announce a corresponding move.
  • The Chiefs have replaced one offensive lineman with another on their practice squad, announcing in a press release that they’ve released Curtis Feigt and signed Jarrod Pughsley.
  • Offensive lineman Darren Keyton is joining the Lions‘ practice squad in the wake of an injury to Larry Warford, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Birkett speculations that Rodney Austin could be promoted to the team’s 53-man roster in order to accommodate the move.
  • Washington has signed tight end Chase Dixon, an undrafted free agent out of Central Arkansas, to their practice squad, tweets Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Dixon, who initially signed with the Seahawks in May, was cut during the summer and worked out for Washington last week.
  • The Ravens have added offensive tackle Terren Jones to their practice squad, cutting defensive tackle Jamie Meder in order to clear room on the unit, the team announced today in a press release. Following Meder’s release, only one of the 10 players on Baltimore’s taxi squad is a defender.
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