HEADLINES

Detroit Lions News & Rumors

NFC North Notes: Watkins, Lions, Peterson

October 3rd, 2014 at 12:06pm CST by Zachary Links

Bears teammates Willie Young, Ego Ferguson, and Jeremiah Ratliff are all products of Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia. It was an experience that helped mold them for the NFL, writes Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “You can’t explain to anybody else what Hargrave was unless you’ve been through it,” Ferguson, the Bears rookie defensive tackle, said. “People don’t understand unless you’ve been there and understood the struggle and the grind it took to make it.” Today’s look at the NFC North..

  • Back on draft day, when the Bills sent their 2015 first-rounder to Cleveland in order to select Sammy Watkins, there was speculation that the Lions had also been considering such a move as well. But head coach Jim Caldwell said today that the Lions weren’t close to trading up for Watkins, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “I think it was more driven outside of this building than inside,” Caldwell said. “Folks caught onto it and I think that was probably more so than anything else.”
  • The next significant step in the Adrian Peterson case comes on October 8th when he’ll be arraigned on a charge of injury to a child, says Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports (video link). There have been no plea negotiations and the Vikings running back does not want to plea even if that would get him back on the field sooner. Peterson believes he is innocent and wants to clear his name. It’s up to the judge when Peterson goes to trial and prosecutors have said that it could take 9-12 months to get on the docket. If that’s the case, Peterson will not only miss the whole 2014 season, but could miss part of 2015 as well.
  • Because of the injury to Joseph Fauria, rookie tight end Eric Ebron figures to see more time for the Lions, writes Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. “We see that foundation of it is being built,” coach Jim Caldwell said. “We can see the reaction to different situations that he’s confronted with on the practice field and during the course of the games that we think he’s making good progress.”

NFC North Notes: Olsen, Bears, Suh, Lewis

October 1st, 2014 at 6:55pm CST by Zachary Links

Vikings wide receiver Greg Jennings knows there’s a good chance he’ll get booed when he plays at Lambeau Field tomorrow night, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. “I can’t concern myself with that,” Jennings said. “I was on that side when Brett [Favre] came back, so I understand the reaction he got. So I don’t expect it to be anything better than that. I mean, it is what it is. I’m the opposition. I’m an opponent. I want to win.” Here’s more from the NFC North..

  • Greg Olsen was Jay Cutler‘s favorite target when the two were teamed up on the Bears, but he was ultimately dealt to the Panthers after the 2010 season for a third round pick. Even though that pick wound up being turned into Brandon Marshall via another trade, then GM Jerry Angelo admitted earlier today that trading Olsen was a mistake. “He’s met [expectations],” Angelo said on the “Kap and Haugh Show” Wednesday, as CSNChicago.com’s Tony Adracki writes. “It was a mistake to trade him. I understand he wasn’t the ideal fit in the scheme, but we let our best receiver go. Obviously, it was Cutler’s favorite receiver at the time, and we let him out the door.”
  • Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is refusing to talk about his 2015 plans and teammates say that the speculation hasn’t seeped into the locker room, writes Justin Rogers of MLive.com.
  • It’s hard to picture Ray Lewis as anything but a Raven, but he was nearly drafted by the Packers in 1996, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Lewis was on the phone with the Green Bay front office at the time the Ravens were selecting, one spot ahead of the Packers. The Packers had scouted Lewis, a University of Miami product, heavily, but Ozzie Newsome swooped in and got him first.
  • In a speech at Marquette Law School, Packers president Mark Murphy admitted that the NFL has taken “a real hit in terms of credibility,” writes Bob Wolfley of the Journal Sentinel.

Freeman’s Latest: Pats, Suh, Raiders, Goodell

October 1st, 2014 at 10:43am CST by Luke Adams

While Tom Brady has been taking his share of criticism for the Patriots‘ shaky start to the 2014 season, one NFC scout tells Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report that he believes head coach and de facto GM Bill Belichick should shoulder a good portion of the blame.

“The larger problem isn’t Brady. The problem is what’s around Brady,” the scout said. “Belichick has done a horrible job of putting talent around him. [Rob Gronkowski], to me, isn’t half the player he was. Their best player right now is Julian Edelman.”

As the scout points out, the Broncos have taken the opposite approach with Peyton Manning, surrounding him with an “armada” of weapons, while Brady once again works with an underwhelming group of receivers in New England. Freeman touches on several other topics of note within his latest column, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights….

  • After speaking to sources with the Giants and Jets, Freeman suggests both teams have only “marginal” interest in Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. A report on Sunday indicated that the standout defender would be interested in playing in New York when his contract is up in Detroit, but Freeman’s sources think Suh‘s agent Jimmy Sexton may simply be trying to scare the Lions.
  • While Freeman can say “with certainty” that the Raiders have interest in Jon Gruden and Jim Harbaugh as head coaching candidates, Gruden isn’t interested (at least for now) and Oakland likely wouldn’t be able to afford the sort of salary Harbaugh would command.
  • According to Freeman, the outlook for Roger Goodell remains “solid,” with owners around the league still supporting the embattled commissioner. However, much of that support hinges on what Robert Mueller‘s investigation uncovers about the Ray Rice situation.

Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday

September 30th, 2014 at 6:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Tuesday is often a busy day for practice squad transactions, as teams fill spots vacated by players who were promoted over the weekend, or shuffle their 10-man units around based on injuries to the 53-man roster during Sunday’s games. We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad signings and cuts right here, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day….

  • The Lions have added running back William Powell to their practice squad, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter). Powell, 26, was cut by the Texans in late August.
  • The Titans have released quarterback Brad Sorensen from their practice squad, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (Twitter link). Sorensen was a Chargers seventh-round pick in 2013.
  • The Jets have swapped out one cornerback for another, adding LeQuan Lewis to their PS while removing Brandon Smith, per Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter).
  • The Panthers’ practice squad is now full after Carolina signed linebacker Horace Miller and running back Tauren Poole, the team announced on Twitter.
  • The Eagles removed two players from their practice squad, cutting linebacker Brandon Hepburn and offensive tackle Tyler Hoover, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link). Linebacker Jake Knott will return Philly’s PS after serving a four-game PED suspension, says Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).
  • The Rams have re-signed tight end Brad Smelley to their practice squad, tweets Howard Balzer. To clear a roster spot, St. Louis cut defensive end Kourtnei Brown from the PS.

Earlier Updates:

  • The Texans have placed receiver Uzoma Nwachukwu on the practice squad injured list, tweets Palmer. Houston’s PS is now down to eight players.
  • The Dolphins have filled their final taxi squad slot by adding defensive end Emmanuel Dieke, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Dieke was cut by the Giants last month.
  • Browns long snapper Christian Yount may be looking over his shoulder this week, as the Browns announced they’ve added long snapper Charley Hughlett to their practice squad, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter). Hughlett replaces defensive lineman Calvin Barnett.
  • The Bills have swapped one tight end for another, replacing D.J. Tialavea with Jamie Childers, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com.
  • Kicker Chris Boswell has been removed from the Texans‘ practice squad, per James Palmer of CSNHouston.com (Twitter link).
  • Nose tackle Robert Thomas has replaced fellow defensive lineman Hebron Fangupo on the Redskins‘ practice squad, as Mike Jones of the Washington Post tweets. Thomas went unclaimed on waivers after being cut by Washington on the weekend.
  • The Dolphins have removed cornerback Rod Sweeting from their practice squad, signing tight end Jake Murphy to take his place, according to Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter).
  • Wideout Travis Labhart, who was on the Texans‘ practice squad earlier this season, will rejoin Houston’s unit, a source tells David Nuño of KTRK-TV in Houston (Twitter link). The team currently has no openings, so one of the 10 current players will need to be cut or promoted to clear room for Labhart.

Minor Moves: Tuesday

September 30th, 2014 at 5:34pm CST by Luke Adams

In addition to making changes to their practice squads, teams around the NFL are also tweaking the backs of their 53-man rosters today. We’ll round up the day’s minor transactions involving active rosters right here:

  • To make room for Winn, the Lions have placed running back Montell Owens on injured reserve, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. Owens’ contract expires after this season.
  • After he tore ruptured Achilles last week, running back Joe McKnight has been placed on the Chiefs’ injured reserve list, according to Adam Teicher of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Offensive lineman Donald Stephenson‘s four-game suspension is up, so he takes McKnight’s roster spot, per Howard Balzer (Twitter link).
  • The Bears have waived linebacker Terrell Manning, reports Brian McIntyre (Twitter link). Chicago had promoted Manning from its practice squad just over a week ago.
  • Patriots Brandon Browner and Brian Tyms four-game bans are over, and both have received a roster exemption that lasts until October 6, says Balzer (on Twitter).
  • Cornerback Deion Belue was waived from the Jaguars’ injured reserve with a failure to disclose physical condition designation, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

Earlier updates:

  • The Lions are promoting running back George Winn from their practice squad to their 53-man roster, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link). As Garafolo notes, the move could suggest that the team expects Joique Bell to miss this weekend’s game, but Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press points out that Bell isn’t Detroit’s only ailing running back, tweeting that Montell Owens is expected to miss several weeks due to his latest hamstring injury.
  • Linebacker Victor Butler has been dropped by the Cardinals, says Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter). Butler had been added to the roster when John Abraham was sidelined, but didn’t play a snap for the team.
  • The Bears‘ practice squad/53-man roster shuffle continues this week, with the team promoting wideout Chris Williams to take the place of fellow receiver Rashad Ross (Twitter link). Two weeks ago, it was Ross being promoted and Williams being cut.
  • The Steelers have terminated the contract of punter Adam Podlesh, who had been on the team’s reserve/did not report list, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.

Extra Points: Suh, Rice, Dwyer, Cardinals

September 29th, 2014 at 9:37pm CST by Zachary Links

In the face of reports over the weekend indicating that Ndamukong Suh wants out of Detroit, the Lions are refusing to talk about it, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “I’m not going to even go there,” coach Jim Caldwell said. “And the big thing is, I do think that we just played a heck of a football game and I think that’s what’s important. These guys played well, did a great job and we just hope we continue to get them better, got a big one next week.” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday that Suh and the Lions “are preparing” to part ways after the season and that the Pro Bowl defensive tackle is intrigued by the idea of playing in the New York market. More from around the NFL..

  • The NFLPA has informed player reps in a memo that the NFL has agreed to bring in a neutral arbitrator for the Ray Rice appeal, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The two sides have traded names on who that arbitrator should be, but there’s no final choice yet. The NFLPA is hoping that this will set a precedent for future cases.
  • Cardinals running back Jonathan Dwyer has been formally charged with assaulting his wife during two arguments in July, according to The Associated Press. Of course, the day after his arrest, Arizona placed Dwyer on the reserve/non-football illness list, meaning he can’t play for the team again this season.
  • Cardinals defensive lineman Tommy Kelly told Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com that he saw the writing on the wall at the end of his stint with the Patriots. “I saw the situation and I realized I probably wouldn’t be there,” Kelly said. “I couldn’t take busting my tail every day getting to a game and them taking me out of the game for someone who I know isn’t better than me, because he’s a cheaper option. Are we worried about money here? Or are we worried about winning?”

AFC Notes: Tate, Dwyer, Harbaugh, Conner

September 29th, 2014 at 9:24pm CST by Zachary Links

New England is on the road tonight against the Chiefs but there are plenty of Patriots fans in attendance tonight. Erik Frenz of Boston.com caught up with some of them before kickoff and while they were enthusiastic at that point, they’re probably a bit down in the dumps now. Here’s tonight’s look around the AFC..

  • Lions wide receiver Golden Tate matched a career-high with eight catches for 116 yards against the Jets and Gang Green probably wishes he was on their side of the affair. As Tate told reporters, including Birkett, that nearly happened. “Excited to be a part of this,” Tate said. “I‘m glad that Detroit decided to take a chance. Funny thing is that the Jets had a chance to get me also. They were deciding between me and Eric Decker and they went with Decker, a heck of a player also. But thankful for the opportunity to be here and help contribute, help win games and bring that championship mentality.” More from the AFC..
  • Michigan may be interested in him, but Ravens coach John Harbaugh isn’t likely to reciprocate, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. There are a number of reasons why Harbaugh wouldn’t want to chase the job, according to a source, including his friendship with current Michigan coach Brady Hoke. Harbaugh said as much earlier today, as Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com tweets.
  • Fullback John Conner visited the Jets today, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (on Twitter). Conner, who has appeared in 35 games for the Jets, was with the Giants during preseason. With fullback Tommy Bohanon hurt, Conner could have an opportunity to return to the Meadowlands.

Sunday Roundup: Suh, Jets, Steve Smith

September 28th, 2014 at 12:32pm CST by Rory Parks

It has been fairly obvious for some time that Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh would be leaving Detroit at the end of the year, and ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter confirms that the Lions are preparing to move on without him. However, Schefter adds another wrinkle, writing that Suh would love to play in New York, either for the Jets or Giants.

However, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com tweets that the Jets have too much money tied up in their defensive line to be a serious suitor, and Mike Florio of Pro Football talk adds that there is no indication that the Giants would want Suh. Citing Schefter, Florio does add that the Bears and Cowboys will definitely be interested.

Now for some more links from around the league:

  • In a full-length piece, Cimini writes that the Jets‘ most pressing contract concern might center around linebacker David Harris, the “glue” to head coach Rex Ryan‘s defensive unit. Although Muhammad Wilkerson‘s contract situation has received more attention, Harris will be a free agent at year’s end, whereas Wilkerson will still be under club control.
  • Steve Serby of the New York Post writes that the Jets‘ worst-case scenario–that Geno Smith would continue to struggle with his turnover problem, triggering calls for Michael Vick to take over–has come true. Given that Ryan is coaching for his job, another poor showing from Smith this week could lead to Vick’s promotion. Like Serby, Cimini believes that Smith’s job could be on the line today.
  • Not only are the Jets inconsistent on the field, they are also facing internal struggles. In a separate piece, Schefter writes that some members of the Jets front office are disenchanted with the way GM John Idzik has built his roster. Not only do they believe Idzik was not aggressive enough in pursuing upgrades at cornerback, an issue that has received a lot of publicity, but they also feel that Idzik should have used his ample salary cap space to further address the wide receiver, pass rusher, and return specialist positions.
  • Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes that the Ryan Tannehill/Joe Philbin dilemma is not the only player/coach rift on the Dolphins.
  • Rich Tandler of ESPNWashington.com says to look for the Redskins to promote safety Philip Thomas from the practice squad to the active roster–assuming they do not go outside the organization for help–and that one of the tight ends currently on the practice squad, Ted Bolser and Je’Ron Hamm, could also be on the way up, depending on the status of Jordan Reed and Niles Paul.
  • Ira Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune tweets that the Buccaneers have only two players remaining from their 2010 club: Gerald McCoy and Demar Dotson.
  • In a series of tweets, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes that the Panthers did not cut Steve Smith because they thought he could no longer perform at a high level. Instead, they worried that Smith would be “divisive” in the team’s young locker room. Smith refused to take a pay cut and ultimately asked for his release.

NFC Notes: Panthers, Lions, Saints, Giants

September 27th, 2014 at 4:53pm CST by Luke Adams

As we wait to see whether the Eagles can take sole possession of the top spot in the NFC with a win tomorrow in San Francisco, let’s round up some notes from around the conference….

  • Offensive lineman Garry Williams landed on injured reserve for the third time in four years today, and while it’s an unfortunate break for both Williams and the Panthers, the team protected itself against injury in its one-year extension for the veteran, according to Brian McIntyre (Twitter links). Williams’ base salary drops from $650K to $373K on IR, and he’ll miss out on nearly $100K in per-game roster bonuses.
  • While Kyle Meinke of MLive.com initially scoffed at the notion that injured linebacker Stephen Tulloch may have placed his last game with the Lions, he notes that the team could save more than $3MM by cutting the linebacker in the offseason, which is money that could be put toward re-signing Ndamukong Suh or another player. Meinke isn’t advocating for Tulloch’s release and doesn’t necessarily view it as likely, but the combination of the 29-year-old’s ACL injury and cap figures make it a possibility.
  • Mike Triplett’s latest Saints mailbag at ESPN.com deals primarily with questions about Drew Brees‘ potential longevity as he enters his late-30s, and whether it’s realistic to expect New Orleans to be a Super Bowl contender as long as Brees has one of the league’s largest contracts.
  • Meanwhile, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com fields Giants-related questions in his Saturday mailbag, including one on how the team might balance the workload for free agent signee Rashad Jennings and rookie Andre Williams going forward.

NFC North Notes: Munnerlyn, Finley, Tulloch

September 27th, 2014 at 11:02am CST by Ben Levine

Vikings defensive backs Captain Munnerlyn and Robert Blanton were not fined for their hit on Saints quarterback Drew Brees last weekend. The play resulted in a 15-yard penalty and some shoving from both sides.

As ESPN.com’s Ben Goessling writes, Munnerlyn opined that he shouldn’t have been flagged for the play. Brees respectfully disagrees:

“He said that wasn’t a penalty. I said, ‘Of course it was, you suplexed me,'” Brees said. “‘But listen, I like you, I think you’re a good football player. I appreciate the 15 yards, thank you.'”

Let’s check out some more notes from the NFC North…

Load More Posts