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Detroit Lions News & Rumors

North Notes: Peterson, Rice, Lions, Browns

October 8th, 2014 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

Adrian Peterson‘s trial date was set today for December 1, and could happen even sooner than that if Peterson’s camp can expedite the process. With the case likely to be resolved during the season, it could create a predicament for the Vikings and the NFL, whether or not Peterson is found guilty, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Since the use of the exempt/commissioner’s permission spot for players facing charges is a new development, there’s no blueprint for how to proceed once the legal proceedings wrap up.

If Peterson is acquitted, will the Vikings reactivate him immediately? If Peterson is found guilty, will he face an immediate suspension from the league, and will the time he missed count toward that ban? It’s new territory for the league, and as Florio points out, it will be interesting to see how cases like Peterson’s and Greg Hardy‘s play out, and when we’ll see those players back on the field.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two North divisions:

  • Having already appealed the indefinite suspension handed down by the NFL, Ray Rice also may pursue a grievance against the Ravens for terminating his contract after the public release of the elevator video, sources tell Florio. As Florio explains, Rice’s camp would make a similar argument to the one being made in the appeal of the suspension, pointing out that the running back had already been punished for the incident, and that the league and team should have already known all the relevant facts.
  • While the Lions were the only team reported to have Matt Prater in for a workout, the veteran kicker tells Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link) that “five or six” clubs had some interest after he was released by the Broncos.
  • Former Raiders linebacker Kaelin Burnett worked out for the Browns this week, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
  • Wilson also has the details on the free agents who tried out for the Lions and have yet to be reported. We already heard about a few kickers and defensive backs to audition for the club, but Wilson adds the following names to the list of participants (via Twitter): DB Bryan McCann, DT Kheeston Randall, LB Caesar Rayford, CB R.J. Stanford, and CB Trevin Wade.
  • In addition to their workouts reported yesterday, the Bengals also took a look at guard Antoine McClain and linebacker Troy Davis, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
  • Former Packers safety Jerron McMillian auditioned for another NFC North team this week, visiting the Vikings, tweets Wilson.

Extra Points: Megatron, Peterson, Bailey

October 7th, 2014 at 10:09pm CST by Zachary Links

Dodger Stadium is in play as a potential temporary venue for an NFL team moving to Los Angeles, according to Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). Hopefully, whatever team moves there will fare better than the Dodgers did tonight. Tonight’s look around the league..

  • Calvin Johnson carries a cap number of more than $20MM into the next league year and given his recent health trouble, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggests that the Lions could move on from him after this season or next. The fact that Detroit considered trading up for Sammy Watkins or Mike Evans and ultimately decided to use that pick on tight end Eric Ebron suggests that the Lions are at least considering the wisdom of reallocating their dollars, Florio writes.
  • A source with knowledge of the situation tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that Vikings running back Adrian Peterson hopes to emerge from court tomorrow with a December 1st trial date. If he goes to trial on December 1 and is acquitted that week, he could theoretically return to action on December 7, when the Vikings take on the Jets.
  • The Ravens tried out veteran cornerback Champ Bailey, a league source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Bailey recently said that he was willing to play nickel or safety if it meant getting back in the NFL. Meanwhile, on the D-line, the Ravens expect to be without Chris Canty for three weeks following a procedure to alleviate swelling in his wrist, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
  • The Bengals worked out linebackers Adrian Robinson and Yawin Smallwood today, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Robinson, who originally signed with the Steelers as a UDFA, also had stints with the Chargers, Eagles, and Redskins.
  • Linebacker Kevin Reddick is available after being waived by the Chargers and Vic Tafur of The San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter links) could see the Raiders dropping the newly-signed Ray Ray Armstrong in favor of him. The Raiders were fans of the UNC product at last year’s Senior Bowl.
  • The Vikings cut Mistral Raymond from their injured reserve, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
  • Somewhat surprisingly, the Raiders were the only team to put in a claim on wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • Talk of a new stadium and an NFL team coming to Los Angeles should scare the Chargers, writes U-T San Diego’s Kevin Acee. Both the Rams and Raiders could make a play to return to their one-time home and that would hurt the Bolts’ bottom line.

Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday

October 7th, 2014 at 9:16pm CST by Luke Adams

With practices resuming following the weekend’s games, and teams having a better of idea of how serious its players’ injuries are, Tuesdays are often a busy day for practice squad transactions, as clubs replenish their rosters and swap in players at potential positions of need. As such, we expect to update this post plenty of times throughout the day, with the latest news of practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL. Here’s the latest:

  • Defensive tackle Joe Vellano, who was waived by the Patriots on Monday, has agreed to stay with New England on its practice squad, tweets Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com. Vellano is the beneficiary of the new practice squad rules that allow a second-year player to be eligible despite playing in 16 games in 2013.
  • Defensive back Chandler Fenner and wide receiver Julian Talley, both waived by the Giants yesterday, have been re-signed to the practice squad, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
  • The Eagles re-signed linebacker Brandon Hepburn to their practice squad, according to Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter).
  • The Packers signed Joe Kruger, the brother of Paul Kruger, to their practice squad, tweets Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun.
  • Former Ravens defensive tackle A.J. Pataiali’i has been added to the Browns’ taxi squad, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
  • As noted below, cornerback Mike Harris has signed with the Lions‘ practice squad, replacing fellow defensive back Josh Victorian, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
  • The Jets have released cornerback LeQuan Lewis from their practice squad, signing another cornerback – Dashaun Phillips – in his place, the team announced today (via Twitter).

Earlier updates:

  • One wide receiver has replaced another on the Cowboys‘ practice squad, tweets Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, as Tim Benford has been cut and LaRon Byrd has been signed.
  • The Rams are down to nine players on their practice squad, having cut wide receiver Justin Veltung today, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter).
  • The Lions have signed defensive back Mike Harris to their taxi squad, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Detroit had a full 10-man unit, so a corresponding cut will be necessary to finalize the move.
  • Offensive tackle Ryan Miller has been cut from the Broncos‘ practice squad, reports Mike Klis of the Denver Post (via Twitter).
  • The Browns have cut long snapper Charley Hughlett from their practice squad, per agent Brett Tessler (via Twitter). Hughlett was brought in to provide competition for the team’s regular long snapper, Christian Yount, but Cleveland has opted to continue on with Yount.
  • The 49ers have swapped one offensive lineman for another on their practice squad, cutting tackle John Fullington in order to bring aboard guard Andrew Tiller, according to the club.
  • Guard William Campbell and defensive tackle Jeremy Towns are the newest members of the Bills‘ practice squad, replacing fullback Lonnie Pryor and tight end Jamie Childers, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
  • Three days after cutting him from their active roster, the Jaguars have re-signed tight end Mickey Shuler to their practice squad, the team announced today in a press release. To make room on the squad, wide receiver Kerry Taylor has been cut.
  • Last week’s promotion of quarterback Chandler Harnish to the active roster suggested the Vikings were more confident in him than McLeod Bethel-Thompson in an emergency scenario, and the team’s moves today reflected that as well. The Vikes announced in a press release that Bethel-Thompson has been let go from the practice squad, with Harnish, wideout Donte Foster, and defensive back Pierre Warren joining the unit.
  • To keep tabs on all 32 practice squad rosters, be sure to check out our complete list.

Lions To Sign Matt Prater

October 7th, 2014 at 7:16pm CST by Zachary Links

7:16pm: Prater is indeed signing a one-year deal with the Lions, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

6:19pm: The Lions are expecting to sign ex-Broncos place kicker Matt Prater over Jay Feely, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Connor Barth was also among those in consideration but it sounds like he’ll continue to seek employment.

Not long ago, Josh Katzenstein of The Detroit News tweeted that Prater’s tryout had yet to get underway and it was increasingly likely that the Lions would wait until tomorrow morning to make a call. Last season Prater was rock solid for the Broncos, nailing 25 of his 26 field goal tries, including a record 64 yard three-pointer against the Titans in December. During his time in Denver, Prater converted 82.9% of field goals. The kicker was suspended for the first four games of 2014 for violating the league’s substance abuse policy and by the time he was eligible to return, his job was given to Brandon McManus.

The Lions are desperate for a reliable foot after watching Nate Freese and Alex Henery combine for a 33% field goal percentage. For what it’s worth, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter) spoke with Feely, who says that he hasn’t heard one way or another on the Lions job.

Earlier this week, our own Dallas Robinson looked at Prater’s market and noted Detroit as an obvious fit.

NFC North Notes: Peterson, Bears, Lions

October 7th, 2014 at 3:04pm CST by Luke Adams

It was a good weekend for the Packers, who blew out the Vikings last Thursday, then got to watch the division-rival Lions and Bears lose their respective games on Sunday. After a sluggish start to the season, the Packers now sit in a tie for first place atop the NFC North, with a chance to extend their winning streak this weekend in Miami. Here are a few Tuesday updates from around the division:

  • Adrian Peterson will be arraigned tomorrow, and a spokesperson for the Vikings running back says he’ll plead not guilty to child abuse, tweets Jason Cole of Bleacher Report. That means a trial is likely, and the process could “take a while,” says Cole.
  • Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com also doesn’t expect Peterson’s case to be resolved anytime soon, as he hears from the DA’s office in Montgomery County, Texas that they don’t anticipate a trial date being set tomorrow (Twitter link). Assistant DA Phil Grant has expressed to La Canfora multiple times that it could be at least six months before Peterson’s case goes to trial, which would rule out the possibility of a return to the field in 2014 (Twitter link).
  • We heard earlier today that kick returner Trindon Holliday isn’t drawing any interest from the Panthers, but at least one NFC North team is taking a look at him. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reports (via Twitter) that Holliday worked out for the Bears today — Chicago has had trouble finding a consistent and reliable option in the return game so far this season.
  • Wilson also provides another tidbit from out of the NFC North, tweeting that Dominique Franks was scheduled to work out for the Lions before he agreed to re-sign with the Ravens. Detroit is also taking a look at cornerbacks like Ellis Lankster and Curtis Marsh today, as we noted earlier.

Lankster, Marsh Working Out For Lions

October 7th, 2014 at 10:53am CST by Luke Adams

There’s a good chance the Lions will have a new kicker on the roster by the end of the day, having scheduled auditions for veterans Matt Prater, Jay Feely, and Connor Barth. However, that’s not the only position at which the team is considering free agent options. According to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (via Twitter), cornerback Ellis Lankster is working out for the Lions today, while Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post reports that the club is also taking a look at cornerback Curtis Marsh.

Lankster, who spent three seasons with the Jets from 2011 to 2013, saw a little action for New York this season, but has been cut twice by the team since the start of September. A free agent for the last couple weeks, Lankster now seems to be out actively seeking another job rather than waiting to see if the Jets require his services again.

As for Marsh, the 26-year-old was selected in the third round of the 2011 draft by the Eagles and has spent most of his career since then in Philadelphia. Since being waived by the Eagles during roster cutdowns at the end of August, Marsh has also worked out for the Titans.

The Lions have tried out several veteran defensive backs during the first few weeks of the 2014 season – including Champ Bailey and Chris Clemons – but so far have mostly relied on internal options and younger, under-the-radar free agent pickups. So far, the secondary has held up fairly well — through the season’s first four weeks, Football Outsiders had the Detroit defense ranked second in DVOA, including fourth against the pass.

NFC Notes: Lions, Harbaugh, Cards, Eagles

October 6th, 2014 at 1:30pm CST by Zachary Links

After cutting Alex Henery, the Lions are in the market for a new kicker (again) and there aren’t a ton of options out there outside of Jay Feely and Matt Prater, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Other available names include Giorgio Tavecchio, Derek Dimke, and 38-year-old Neil Rackers, while Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link) mentions veterans Connor Barth, Rian Lindell, and Garrett Hartley as other possibilities.

With Feely, Prater, and Barth all set to audition for Detroit on Tuesday, let’s round up a few more notes on the Lions’ kicking options, as well as other updates from around the NFC:

  • As Feely prepares to try out for the Lions, he’s helped by the fact that punter Sam Martin handles kickoffs for Detroit, tweets Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Martin is one of a few punters to handle kickoff duty in the NFL and that means Feely will only be needed for his strength: Nailing field goals.
  • Some Lions fans have wondered aloud if Jason Hanson would entertain the idea of coming out of retirement, but Hanson’s agent tells Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter) that his client is done playing football.
  • As reports of tension between 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh and his players continue to pile up, many in the locker room came to his defense after yesterday’s 22-17 win over the Chiefs, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. “There’s really been no drama. It’s all been created by you guys (media), something to talk about. We seriously don’t think about that, talk about that, give that any thought. . . . We don’t care,” said left tackle Joe Staley. Kicker Phil Dawson and quarterback Colin Kaepernick also showed their support for Harbaugh.
  • 49ers CEO Jed York issued yet another denial of reports that Harbaugh will be out of a job even if the team wins the Super Bowl this year. “It’s categorically not true,” York told DIRECTV’s Rich Eisen, according to Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group. York acknowledged that Harbaugh can sometimes rub people the wrong way, but also said that the coach and GM Trent Baalke “work fairly well together.”
  • Cardinals general manager Steve Keim says that he won’t be adding another quarterback yet, writes Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. In theory, both Drew Stanton and Carson Palmer could be ready for the Redskins this week. The team will determine the status of both in the next day or two and go from there.
  • The Eagles emphasized upgrading special teams in the offseason and yesterday was proof they accomplished that, writes Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The Eagles’ first score on Sunday came on a blocked punt and they have four special-teams touchdowns this season, including one in each of the last three games.

Lions Release Alex Henery

October 6th, 2014 at 11:53am CST by Zachary Links

12:15pm: Connor Barth will be a part of the auditions tomorrow too, according to Birkett (via Twitter).

12:06pm: Former Broncos kicker Matt Prater will join Feely for the workout, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

11:53am: Jay Feely is on his way to Detroit to work out for the Lions tomorrow, a source tells Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (on Twitter).

11:25am: That didn’t take long. Lions coach Jim Caldwell told reporters, including Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter), that the team has cut kicker Alex Henery. The Lions have not signed his replacement yet, but that should be coming rather soon.

Henery missed all three of his field goal attempts yesterday, including a 50-yard attempt that would have given Detroit a 17-14 win. Instead, it was the Bills and kicker Dan Carpenter who got the field goal opportunity and the win by the same score. Henery missed a 52-yarder but made a 51-yard field goal try against the Jets, giving him a 1-5 completion percentage over his two weeks for Detroit.

The Lions will now move on to their third kicker in the 2014 season. Nate Freese, who won the preseason battle over Giorgio Tavecchio for the job, was axed after he missed a costly field goal against the Packers in Week 3.

Caldwell said experience will be a factor in the selection of their next kicker, tweets Birkett.

NFC Links: Harbaugh, Donnell, Prater, Eagles

October 4th, 2014 at 4:39pm CST by Rob DiRe

The 49ers have a very volatile situation on their hands, as tensions between management and head coach Jim Harbaugh are only outmatched by those between the coach and his players. Much has been made about this ongoing situation, but the team was still playing at a high level last week. Their defense suffocated the Eagles’ offense, and the team still looks like a Super Bowl contender despite currently sitting at third in the NFC West.

Seth Wickersham of ESPN profiled Harbaugh, writing that he thrives in chaos and that it doesn’t matter what the atmosphere is in the locker room. His competitiveness could be enough and overcome the tensions and the 49ers could be looking at another deep playoff run.

Here are some more links from around the NFC:

NFC Links: Lions, Panthers, Vikings

October 4th, 2014 at 9:31am CST by Ben Levine

You can be assured that Eagles cornerback Bradley Fletcher has had this weekend’s matchup against the Rams circled on his calendar. After all, the former third-rounder was not re-signed by the team, and the 28-year-old instead joined the Eagles on a two-year, $5.25MM contract. Even though his former team didn’t put up much of an effort towards retaining him, Fletcher isn’t worked up about the ordeal. Via Bob Grotz of The Trentonian…

“It will be good to see them again,” Fletcher said. “I look forward to the competition of the game. I look forward to going against them. But at the end of the day it’s another football game to me. I look at it as another game to get a ‘W’ and another game to put ourselves in a better position going forward in the season. I don’t really look at it as … I don’t really have a whole lot to say as far as talking to them.”

“The decision I made to come here to Philadelphia is the right decision. I’m happy to be here. It’s a great organization and I’m enjoying it. I look forward to this Sunday. It will be cool to play the team I started out with but this was where I want to be.”

Let’s take a look at what else is happening around the NFC…

  • With LaAdrian Waddle on his way back from injury, the Lions likely won’t be pursuing a free agent offensive tackle, writes ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein.
  • The handling of the Steve Smith situation will not have any impact on negotiations between the Panthers and future free agents, writes ESPN.com’s David Newton.
  • Considering how long it takes to acclimate a new player into a team’s system, Newton doesn’t believe the Panthers will pursue an offensive lineman to replace Byron Bell.
  • Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway continues to recover from a broken hand and three broken ribs, but he’s still trying his best to contribute to the team. “Just trying to help them out with stuff I’m seeing,” Greenway said (via Andrew Krammer of 1500 ESPN Radio). “Formations, communications I’m hearing and trying to get the information to those guys and do what I can.” 
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