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Detroit Lions News & Rumors

Extra Points: Lions, Jets, Panthers

September 27th, 2014 at 8:39am CST by Ben Levine

Jets and Lions fans may be avoiding each other prior to the teams’ matchup this weekend in New York. However, both groups of fans seem to have similar opinions regarding a potential trade for a notable cornerback. Let’s take a look at who the fans are hoping to acquire…

  • When asked by a reader if the Lions could pursue Cowboys defensive back Morris Claiborne, ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein replied that it’s not very likely. However, if the Lions suffer another injury, they may reconsider.
  • ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini echoes that sentiment, saying a Jets trade for Claiborne makes little sense. The writer also explains why the deal wouldn’t make sense for the Cowboys, considering all the dead money they’d take on by dealing the former first-rounder.
  • Furthermore, Cimini can’t envision the team acquiring another wide receiver, even if Eric Decker‘s injury continues to linger.
  • ESPN.com’s David Newton defends Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula, attributing the team’s struggles to an unhealthy quarterback, new wideouts and a new offensive line.

Lions Notes: Tate, Fauria, Bailey, Jones

September 26th, 2014 at 10:17pm CST by Rob DiRe

As the Lions and Jets prepare to battle this Sunday, a huge factor in the matchup could come to a decision made much earlier this offseason. Both teams entered the offseason with a very similar needs, namely cornerback and wide receiver. While each team elected to more or less ignore their cornerback problem, both made big splashes at receiver. Eric Decker was thought to be the top pass catcher on the market, but it was the Lions who struck a deal first, electing to sign Golden Tate away from the Seahawks. Head coach Jim Caldwell notes that Tate was their first choice from the beginning, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

“I can tell you that Golden was our prime target and we’re glad he’s here,” said Caldwell. “Decker obviously is a fine football player and does a lot of things extremely well.”

Decker is questionable for Sunday, but expects to play. reports Brian Costello of the New York Post.

Here are some other notes as we draw closer to Lions vs. Jets at MetLife Stadium Sunday:

  • While both teams addressed receivers in the offseason, they both failed to improve their situations at cornerback. Each team boasts a top end run defense, with a shaky secondary susceptible to big plays downfield. While answering fan questions on Twitter, Michael Rothstein of ESPN was asked about cornerback Champ Bailey‘s status as a free agent. Both the Jets and Lions could use help at the position, but neither has had any concrete connection to Bailey in 2014. Rothstein believes this could be an indication that Bailey may not have anything left in the tank (via Twitter).
  • Lions’ tight end Joseph Fauria injured his ankle on Wednesday, leaving the team with only two players at the position on the active roster. While Brandon Pettigrew and Eric Ebron should be able to cover for Fauria’s minimal production, it could change the way the team attacks the Jets’ defense. The team will be forced to use more three wide receiver sets unless they decide to promote tight end Jordan Thompson or fullback Emil Igwenagu, who has played tight end, writes Rothstein. They could also consider increased roles for fullbacks Jed Collins and Montell Owens.
  • The Lions run defense has been great through three games, with defensive linemen Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley getting most of the credit. However, Jason Jones has been a huge part of the team’s success, writes Mike O’Hara in his game preview for DetroitLions.com.

Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday

September 23rd, 2014 at 10:05pm CST by Luke Adams

We’re tracking Tuesday’s minor 53-man roster transactions around the NFL in a separate post, but we’ll use this spot to keep tabs on Tuesday’s practice squad moves. Here’s the latest:

  • The Texans have signed punter Chris Boswell to their practice squad, according to James Palmer of CSNHouston.com (on Twitter).
  • The Packers have signed offensive lineman Josh Walker to the practice squad, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). The team released center Josh Allen to make room on the roster.
  • The Chargers signed D.J. Adams and former University of Oregon tight end David Paulson to the practice squad, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
  • The Saints signed fullback/tight end Orson Charles to their practice squad, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
  • The Bears have re-signed Josh Bellamy to their practice squad, tweets Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
  • The Browns signed wide reciever Lee Doss to their practice squad, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. The move fills the vacancy left by Charles Johnson leaving the Browns’ taxi squad for the Vikings.
  • Brandon Smith had a successful tryout for the Jets and they’re expected to sign him to their practice squad, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).

Earlier updates:

  • Defensive back Josh Victorian has filled the final opening on the Lions‘ practice squad, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
  • The Redskins have finalized the addition of center Tevita Stevens to their practice squad, and also announced that offensive lineman Braxston Cave has been cut (Twitter link). That leaves the club with nine players on its taxi squad still.
  • The Panthers have filled the final opening on their practice squad by bringing aboard wide receiver Willie Snead, according to David Newton of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Snead was cut by the Browns at the end of the preseason.
  • After working out for the club earlier today, tight end Emmanuel Ogbuehi has signed with the Ravens‘ practice squad, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Ogbuehi takes the spot vacated by Phillip Supernaw, who has been promoted to the team’s active roster.
  • Offensive lineman Reid Fragel, who was on Indianapolis’ practice squad earlier this season, has signed with the Falcons‘ taxi squad, replacing tackle Terren Jones on the unit, per a team release.
  • As part of the flurry of transactions they made today, the Jaguars added fullback Eric Kettani to their practice squad, filling the 10th and final spot, tweets John Oehser of Jaguars.com.
  • The Colts have removed defensive end Nnamdi Obukwelu from their practice squad with an injury settlement, the club announced today in a press release. Linebacker Trevardo Williams takes Obukwelu’s place on the squad.
  • With outside linebacker Cordarro Law set to join the Chargers‘ 53-man roster, another outside linebacker – rookie Colton Underwood – will take Law’s spot on San Diego’s practice squad, writes Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Workout Notes: Cox, Beauharnais, Stanzi

September 23rd, 2014 at 8:04pm CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles didn’t bring in any offensive linemen for workouts today or Monday, a league source tells Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News (on Twitter). Plenty of teams are busy auditioning players, however. We did a roundup of workout news earlier today and we have a whole ‘nother batch right here..

  • Defensive back Derek Cox and linebacker Steve Beauharnais are among the busiest free agents in the NFL, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Cox tried out for the Saints while Beauharnais worked out for the Buccaneers, a source tells Yates.
  • The Lions worked out defensive backs Chance Casey, T.J. Heath, Aaron Hester, and Kendall James, and wide receiver Ifeanyi Momah, tweets Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com.
  • The Giants worked out quarterback Ricky Stanzi, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter). The Giants also worked out safeties Bacarri Rambo, Corey Lynch and Jerron McMillian and wide receiver Juron Criner, according to Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger (on Twitter).
  • The Packers took a look at linebacker Nate Askew, running back Stephen Houston, running back Cameron White, and tackle Michael Philipp, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Guard Josh Walker was also part of today’s tryouts and he wound up getting signed to Green Bay’s practice squad.
  • Nose tackle Ryan Pickett tried out for the Texans, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com. The veteran started 16 games for Green Bay last season.

Lions Sign Josh Bynes

September 23rd, 2014 at 4:11pm CST by Zachary Links

TUESDAY, 4:11pm: The Lions have officially signed Bynes, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.

MONDAY, 8:00pm: Inside linebacker Josh Bynes is expected to sign with the Lions’ active roster off of the Ravens’ practice squad, sources tell Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Bynes will give Detroit additional linebacker depth after losing Stephen Tulloch to a torn ACL.

Bynes, 25, appeared in 26 games for the Ravens from 2011 through 2014 and made nine starts along the way. In total, Bynes recorded 79 tackles and five pass deflections for Baltimore. The Ravens cut Bynes from their active roster on September 2nd to make room for cornerback Derek Cox, but quickly re-signed him to their taxi squad. As our own Luke Adams detailed earlier this month, Bynes was one of just eleven NFL practice squad players to earn more than the minimum. Bynes had a $15K deal with the Ravens, making him the second-highest paid p-squad player of 2014.

Workout Notes: Chargers, Texans, Lions, Jets

September 23rd, 2014 at 3:52pm CST by Luke Adams

The Chargers are on the lookout for a running back after losing Danny Woodhead to a season-ending injury, and it looks like the team is close to adding one. A number of free agents auditioned for the club today, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter), while Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) identifies D.J. Adams as one of the participants. Adams, who was most recently with the Cowboys, spent a month with the Chargers earlier in the offseason.

As we wait to see which player takes Woodhead’s roster spot in San Diego, let’s round up a few more updates on workouts around the league….

  • As first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the Texans took a look at a handful of free agent punters today in case Shane Lechler misses any time. Lechler is day to day with a hip flexor, per John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter), who also has the list of players who worked out for the club. According to McClain, the Texans brought in Mat McBriar, Zoltan Mesko, Brian Moorman, and Kasey Redfern.
  • Wilson reports (via Twitter) that veteran linebacker Pat Angerer auditioned today for the Lions, who are eyeing linebacker help after losing Stephen Tulloch for the season. Angerer has worked out for the Jets, Saints, and Rams since being released at the end of August by the Falcons.
  • Safety Jamarca Sanford, who was placed on injured reserve and then cut by the Vikings earlier this month, worked out today for the Jets, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
  • The Giants tried out about six players today, including safety Jawanza Starling, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.

Injury Updates: Monday

September 22nd, 2014 at 4:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Teams around the league today are assessing the damage from Week 3’s games, and in some cases the news is sobering. At Pro Football Rumors, we don’t cover every injury, but we’ll keep tabs on the major ones that could result in a player heading to injured reserve or in his team adding a replacement via free agency or trade. Here are the latest Monday updates on those major injuries from this week:

  • According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Panthers running back Mike Tolbert has sustained a hairline fracture in his leg, while Jonathan Stewart has a sprained knee. Tolbert, who also has a bone bruise, won’t require surgery but may miss more than a month, a source tells Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). With DeAngelo Williams also banged up, expect the Panthers to add some help for the backfield this week.

Earlier updates:

  • Like Jason Kelce, whose injury is noted below, Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph will undergo surgery for a sports hernia, reports Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter links). Rudolph is expected to miss about six weeks, which might make him a candidate for the injured reserve list with the designation to return.
  • Saints center Jonathan Goodwin has been diagnosed with a high ankle sprain, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). While an MRI today will determine the severity of the injury, the team anticipates that Goodwin will miss time.
  • As first reported by Howard Eskin of 94WIP Radio in Philadelphia (Twitter link), Eagles center Jason Kelce has a sports hernia injury and is expected to require surgery, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. It’s the latest blow for an increasingly depleted Eagles line, which is already missing Evan Mathis and Allen Barbre and may require an outside addition, as both Eskin and McLane point out. McLane reports that Kelce could end up missing about two months.
  • Lions head coach Jim Caldwell confirmed today that linebacker Stephen Tulloch will be placed on injured reserve after sustaining a torn ACL (Twitter link). As if the season-ending injury wasn’t bad enough, it happened while Tulloch was celebrating a sack of Aaron Rodgers by performing his version of the “Discount Double Check” act.
  • Bills wideout and special-teams ace Marcus Easley has suffered a sprained MCL, and will likely be sidelined for four to six weeks, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Buffalo has yet to use its IR-DTR spot, but Easley may not be a candidate for that designation, since he could return within a month.
  • We rounded up some news on Steelers injuries earlier this morning.

Injury Updates: Sunday

September 21st, 2014 at 8:43pm CST by Rob DiRe

The NFL is almost through another week of football, and the injuries are piling up yet again. An unfortunate reality of the league is that no team will leave healthy from week to week.

Zach Links and Luke Adams have already discussed some of the bigger names to go down. Matt Cassel‘s foot injury paved the way for Vikings‘ first-round pick Teddy Bridgewater‘s NFL debut. Dennis Pitta left the Ravens‘ win with a dislocated hip, and Chargers‘ tailback Danny Woodhead could miss the rest of the season with a high ankle sprain and fractured fibula.

Here are some other injury notes from around the NFL:

Ndamukong Suh Headed To Free Agency

September 21st, 2014 at 11:22am CST by Rory Parks

I wrote earlier today that the Buccaneers and Gerald McCoy were making progress towards an in-season extension, based on a report from Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. In that same piece, La Canfora writes that Ndamukong Suh, who was taken one pick above McCoy in the 2010 draft, appears headed to the open market.

This does not come as much of a surprise. A great deal of ink has been devoted to Suh’s contract situation this offseason, and our Luke Adams wrote back in July that the Lions were tabling extension talks until after the 2014 campaign. According to La Canfora, that plan has not changed, as there have been no talks since before training camp began, and Suh’s demands at that time were quite steep.

Suh has performed well during the first several weeks of the regular season, and the Lions continue to publicly express optimism that they will be able to retain their star defensive lineman. However, as La Canfora observes, “If Suh plays well and stays healthy his price only goes up. And with so few young, dominant players ever hitting the market before their second contracts, Suh’s agents would have a strong sense of his market by the NFL Scouting Combine in February.”

Furthermore, the Lions, unlike the Buccaneers, have several enormous contracts on the books (Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson) and have been right near the salary cap ceiling in recent seasons. Since the franchise tag for Suh in 2015 would cost Detroit a cap hit of about $27MM, there is no way the team will go that route.

So it looks as if Suh will be playing his last games for the Lions this season. He signed with CAA Sports in March, and, as La Canfora points out, “the last time CAA had a top pick play out his rookie contract — former first-overall Mario Williams — he ended up leaving the Texans for a record-setting deal in Buffalo. One would expect Suh to be able to do the same.”

NFC North Links: Peterson, Packers, Lions

September 20th, 2014 at 7:58pm CST by Luke Adams

While the Vikings travel to New Orleans and the Bears prepare for a Monday night contest against the Jets, the Packers and Lions will square off in Detroit in what could be an important early-season battle between division rivals. At the moment, the NFC North is the league’s only division in which all four teams are 1-1, so the winner of that Green Bay/Detroit showdown will be guaranteed at least a tie for first place, and considering Minnesota and Chicago head into their respective games as underdogs, it’s possible that either the Packers or Lions could be sitting alone atop the division on Tuesday morning.

Here are a few Saturday notes from around the division:

  • With Adrian Peterson seemingly on the outs for the Vikings, Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press wonders if the club will use a high draft pick to land a running back in 2015. Walters also adds that, in his view, “it still looks like” Peterson will end up playing for the Cowboys in 2015. A report last month indicated that the veteran running back expressed some interest in eventually heading home to Texas to play for the Cowboys, though of course that was before he was indicted and placed on Minnesota’s exempt list.
  • “Everyone with even minimal interest in the Packers understands [Ted] Thompson will live and die with his draft and develop philosophy,” writes Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. In his piece, McGinn explores how the Green Bay general manager settled on that philosophy, and how it has worked out for the club.
  • In his latest mailbag, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com fields Lions-related questions, addressing why Corey Fuller continues to be active over Ryan Broyles, among other topics.
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