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Detroit Lions News & Rumors

NFC Notes: Abraham, Hardy, Lawson, Lions

September 15th, 2014 at 1:25pm CST by Luke Adams

As we heard when John Abraham left the Cardinals last week, Arizona’s roster exemption means the veteran defender has five days to rejoin the team or else he won’t be eligible to play this season. So it makes sense that GM Steve Keim said this morning that the club expects a decision from Abraham within “the next 24 hours,” as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com details. If Abraham does decide to retire due to health problems, it may prompt the Cards to explore the free agent market, or perhaps promote a player from their practice squad, for pass-rushing help.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • While the Panthers are under scrutiny about how to handle defensive end Greg Hardy in the wake of his domestic violence incident, head coach Ron Rivera said today that the club hasn’t considered releasing him, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter).
  • The Lions may be sending yet another cornerback to the injured reserve list, according to head coach Jim Caldwell, who indicated to reporters that he wouldn’t expect Nevin Lawson to return this season (link via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com). Lawson, who suffered discloated toes in his left foot yesterday, could be replaced by an outside free agent or practice-squad player Mohammed Seisay, says Caldwell.
  • Caldwell also confirmed in his conversation with reporters, including Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (Twitter link), that while he thinks Nate Freese is going to be a good NFL kicker, the Lions are considering all their options at kicker after some early-season misses by the rookie.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap takes a look at some players whose contract values increased or decreased based on this weekend’s games. In Fitzgerald’s view, DeMarco Murray and Ryan Kerrigan were among the players whose stock improved, while Robert Griffin III‘s potential for a big contract extension was diminished by his latest injury.

Latest On Champ Bailey

September 13th, 2014 at 10:27pm CST by Dallas Robinson

For a surefire future Hall of Famer, Champ Bailey has had a tumultuous offseason. After being released by the Broncos in March, Bailey signed a two-year deal with the Saints, only to be cut again, this time in late August. The 36-year-old cornerback worked out for the Lions on September 4 but wasn’t immediately signed; he’s garnered no other known interest. Bailey doesn’t sound like he’s ready to retire just yet, however, telling SiriusXM NFL Radio (on Twitter) that “if [the Lions] call, that’s a team [he’d] really like to talk to.”

Additionally, Bailey seems amenable to moving to safety, a transition that many aging corners make in order to find work in the NFL. The change has been suggested for Bailey over the past few seasons, and while he’s previously resisted such a move, he says he’d be “open to pretty much anything (position wise) at this point” (link). Since auditioning Bailey, Detroit has worked out a multitude of other cornerbacks, suggesting it wasn’t pleased with Bailey’s workout. It’s just my speculation, but the Jets, who could use help at both corner and safety, could make sense as a landing spot for Bailey.

As evidenced by his lack of employment, Bailey struggled in 2013 — while dealing with injuries, he amassed a -2.5 grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required). However, nearly all of that negative value was due to lackluster performance in the Super Bowl. As recently as 2012, Bailey was his usual self, rating as the 10th-best CB among 113 qualifiers, per PFF. For his career, Bailey has started 212 games, racking up 52 interceptions and 812 tackles.

NFC Notes: Quinn, Lattimore, Lions, Eagles

September 13th, 2014 at 8:03pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Rams had been discussing a long-term deal with Richard Quinn throughout the spring, and because there was no hard deadline for the talks to end, St. Louis management pushed to continue negotiations even as Week 1 came and went, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. The Rams and the 24-year-old Quinn eventually agreed to a four-year extension worth more than $66MM. For his part, Quinn weighed the potential benefits of reaching free agency against the security of guaranteed money. “You have got to take everything into account,” Quinn told Wagoner in a separate piece. “Maybe I have another monstrous year, maybe I have a mediocre year so like I said I am definitely blessed and honored for the Rams to even offer that to me…” Quinn becomes the fourth 2011 first-rounder to sign an extension, joining Patrick Peterson, Tyron Smith, and J.J. Watt. Here’s more from the NFC.

  • Marcus Lattimore, who is currently on the reserve/NFI list, could be the 49ers’ No. 3 running back during the second half of the season, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Following LaMichael James‘ release, rookie Bruce Ellington, who played receiver in college, is acting as San Francisco’s third RB behind Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde.
  • In his latest mailbag at ESPN.com, Michael Rothstein passes along several observations, chief among them being that Richie Incognito is not an option for the Lions. Additionally, Rothstein registers his surprise that Detroit did not add secondary depth during the week, especially following the season-ending injury to slot corner Bill Bentley. The Lions have auditioned several DBs in recent weeks.
  • The Eagles have added a replay specialist to their staff, reports Jason Wolf of the News Journal. Former ACC official Frank Kosman will assist Philadelphia, who won 50% of its challenges last season, in all aspects of replay. It’s a unique move by the Birds, and one I’d expect other teams to emulate.
  • Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer examines the development of Eagles teammates Fletcher Cox and Mychal Kendricks, each of whom was selected in the 2012 draft. Both Cox, a defensive lineman, and Kendricks, a linebacker, have had to adjust to the 3-4 scheme that was implemented in Philadelphia last season.

Minor Moves: Saturday

September 13th, 2014 at 4:50pm CST by Rob DiRe

Here are some minor transactions that have occurred this Saturday before the rest of the week two action begins:

  • The Bears have promoted three players to their active roster for Sunday’s game against the 49ers, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribute (via Twitter). Receivers Josh Bellamy and Chris Williams will be suited up tomorrow, along with center Taylor Boggs.
  • The Vikings have signed running back Joe Banyard off of their practice squad, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). The team has waived full back Zach Line to make room for Banyard.
  • The Patriots have promoted linebacker Deontae Skinner to their active roster, reports Field Yates of ESPN (via Twitter). The team waived linebacker Darius Fleming to make room for the roster move.

Earlier updates:

  • The Jaguars have waived fifth-round pick Chris Smith, reports Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (via Twitter). The defensive end was released to make way for the signing of safety Craig Loston.
  • The Raiders have officially promoted linebacker Bojay Filimoeatu from the practice squad to the active roster, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter). Wilson originally reported the teams plans to do so yesterday, and it has now become official. Filimoeatu slots in the roster spot that was vacated when the team placed Taiwan Jones on the injured-reserve, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
  • The Lions are promoting safety Nate Ness to the active roster, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). Birkett has not played in a game since 2011.

NFC North Notes: Lions, Bears, Vikings

September 11th, 2014 at 1:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Let’s round up a few Thursday items from out of the NFC North, where the two preseason favorites – the Packers and Bears – sit at 0-1, looking up at the first-place Lions and Vikings….

  • The Lions will have an open roster spot after placing Corey Hilliard and Bill Bentley on injured reserve this week, and while it had been assumed that the opening would be used to add a defensive back, it won’t necessarily be an outside signing. Head coach Jim Caldwell said today that the most likely scenario would have the team promoting a player from its practice squad, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. As Birkett points out (via Twitter), Mohammed Seisay and Nate Ness are the two defensive backs currently on the club’s practice squad.
  • Depending on the status of a handful of their injured players, the Bears could make additional roster moves before Sunday, perhaps to add an offensive lineman and/or a wide receiver, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
  • The Vikings were among the teams that had players in for workouts this week, auditioning linebackers Steve Beauharnais and Phillip Steward, as well as guard Jon Halapio, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). It’s worth noting that both Beauharnais and Halapio were cut at the end of the preseason by the Patriots, Minnesota’s Week 2 opponent.

Lions Eyeing DBs, Audition Dimitri Patterson

September 10th, 2014 at 12:18pm CST by Luke Adams

With the Lions preparing to place offensive lineman Corey Hilliard on injured reserve, the team appears likely to add a defensive back to fill Hilliard’s roster spot. As Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com tweets, head coach Jim Caldwell didn’t dispel that notion today, telling reporters that it’s possible the Lions sign a cornerback or safety.

A handful of free agent defensive backs worked out for the Lions last week, including Champ Bailey, Roc Carmichael, Tommie Campbell, Chris Clemons, and Anthony Walters. And today, the team added another name to the list of notable veterans to audition for the team. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter), the Lions had Dimitri Patterson in for a tryout. Patterson, who spent last season with the Dolphins, joined the Jets for training camp and the preseason, but was cut after he reportedly went AWOL about a week before the regular season got underway.

The secondary was already considered one of the weak spots on the Lions’ roster heading into the season, and while it looked solid in the club’s Week 1 win over the Giants, it took another hit during that game. Cornerback Bill Bentley suffered a torn ACL and has since been placed on injured reserve.

Injury Notes: Lions, Raiders, Browns, Cowboys

September 10th, 2014 at 9:50am CST by Luke Adams

We don’t cover every single injury here at Pro Football Rumors, but we’ll always keep tabs on the more significant ones that may force a team to make a roster move or two to add reinforcements. Let’s round up the latest injury news that falls into that category…

  • Lions offensive lineman Corey Hilliard is expected to be sidelined for the rest of the season with a foot injury, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). That helps to explain why the club re-signed Garrett Reynolds this morning, and it means Hilliard will likely head to IR. Having already added a lineman to the 53-man roster today, the Lions could fill Hilliard’s roster spot by signing a cornerback, since the secondary is a little short-handed as well.
  • Raiders special teams ace Taiwan Jones became the first 2011 draftee to sign a contract extension earlier this offseason, but now he’s set to miss a month or two of action. According to Bill Williamson and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com, the recovery timeline for Jones’ foot injury will be about four to eight weeks. If Oakland believes the timeline will be closer to eight weeks than four, Jones could be a candidate for the team’s IR-DTR spot.
  • The Browns expect running back Ben Tate to be out for two to four weeks with a knee sprain, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). Cleveland might add another back to the active roster or practice squad for depth purposes, but I doubt any major move is coming, since Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell played well after Tate left Sunday’s game.
  • Having already lost Sean Lee for the season, the Cowboys saw another linebacker go down on Sunday, as Justin Durant figures to miss the next three or four weeks with a groin injury, a source tells David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. An outside addition is possible for Dallas, though the club could also turn to in-house options like Kyle Wilber or the recently-claimed Korey Toomer.

Lions Re-Sign Garrett Reynolds

September 10th, 2014 at 8:19am CST by Luke Adams

The Lions have re-signed offensive lineman Garrett Reynolds to the fill the final opening on their 53-man roster, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter). That open spot was created when the team placed injured cornerback Bill Bentley on injured reserve. ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan first reported (via Twitter) that Reynolds would rejoin the Lions.

Reynolds, who started 10 games for the Falcons in 2013, lost his starting job late in the 2013 season, despite grading as Pro Football Focus’ 32nd overall guard (subscription required). The 27-year-old was subsequently cut by Atlanta and picked up by the Lions, but failed to earn a spot on the club’s regular season roster during the cut down to 53 players. He’ll provide depth and insurance on the interior of Detroit’s offensive line.

As for Bentley, there was speculation that his season-ending ACL injury would prompt the Lions to add more help in the secondary, and that could still happen, though for now his roster spot has been taken by an offensive lineman. The team worked out Champ Bailey, Chris Clemons, and several other veteran defensive backs last week, and could revisit those options before too long.

NFC Notes: Redskins, Lions, 49ers, Boykin

September 9th, 2014 at 3:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Following Jordan Reed‘s injury on Sunday, the Redskins auditioned a few tight ends today, including Michael Higgins, Kevin Brock, and Tony Scheffler, tweets Zac Boyer of the Washington Times. Scheffler is the most interesting name in the group — the last we heard from him, he was announcing his retirement after sustaining three concussions in the last four years. Apparently he hasn’t decided to move entirely away from the NFL quite yet though.

  • The Lions were already on the lookout for secondary help, having worked out Champ Bailey and other veteran defensive backs last week. Now, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes, the team will have to deal with a season-ending ACL injury for cornerback Bill Bentley, meaning some sort of roster addition appears likely.
  • Having recently rejoined the 49ers, special-teams ace Kassim Osgood tells Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link) that he hopes to play in the NFL at least another three years — that would give him 15 total seasons in the league, at age 37.
  • 49ers CEO Jed York reiterated today that he and head coach Jim Harbaugh will sit down and discuss Harbaugh’s contract, which runs through next year, at the end of the 2014 season, tweets Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
  • In a look at Brandon Boykin, who is playing the nickel role in Philadelphia, Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com examines the cornerback’s contract situation. Boykin is eligible for a new deal at year’s end, and McManus points out that it will be interesting to see if the 24-year-old is content with re-signing in the same role with the Eagles or wants the opportunity to be a starting outside corner elsewhere.
  • Michael Rand of the Star Tribune thinks it makes sense for the Rams to work out a trade with the Vikings for Christian Ponder.

Poll: Which Week 1 Overachiever Is For Real?

September 8th, 2014 at 10:42pm CST by David Kipke

Although Ray Rice‘s release and suspension currently dominates headlines, the first weekend of the NFL season had several intriguing matchups, including some that left many in the football community scratching their heads.

The Lions just lowered the boom on Eli Manning‘s Giants in this season’s first Monday Night Football matchup. The Giants’ secondary had no answer for Calvin Johnson, and eventually fell 35-14 as their offense stagnated, picking up less than 2.5 yards per carry on the ground. Should the Bears and Packers be worried about Detroit? Or is this Giants team just destined to become the NFC East’s doormat this year?

Many thought that the Falcons were one of football’s unluckiest teams last season. Injuries prevented the team’s offensive playmaking core of Roddy White, Julio Jones, and Steven Jackson from ever taking the field together. Atlanta was a popular bounce-back candidate heading into this season, and the team’ supporters were vindicated early by the Falcons’ 37-34 victory over the Saints this past weekend. Are the Falcons a serious playoff contender? Or were they overachieving?

The Patriots just went to the AFC Title Game last season without injured stars Sebastian Vollmer, Jerod Mayo, Vince Wilfork, and Rob Gronkowski. The team would additionally lose Pro Bowl cornerback Aqib Talib to a leg injury in the second quarter of that game against the Broncos. On top of returning all of those impact starters, Bill Belichick‘s squad was strengthened when Darrelle Revis was brought in to fill the the vacated cornerback position after Talib signed with the Broncos in free agency. These new-look Patriots flopped big-time this weekend in the form of a 33-20 loss to the Dolphins. Are the Dolphins for real? Or did they just catch the high-octane Patriots machine before it was firing on all cylinders?

The Bills made some of the biggest waves of the offseason when they traded up on draft night to select Sammy Watkins fourth overall. The win-now move was a clear signal to Bills fans that Doug Marrone intends to contend in his second season at the helm of the team. Although the Watkins move drew some criticism in the spring, the Bills silenced some of those critics by leaving Chicago with a 23-20 victory. The Bears, a popular playoff projection candidate, came into the game with the league’s scariest receiving duo in Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall and a revived pass rush led by Jared Allen. Are Marrone’s Bills going to make noise in the AFC East this season? Or are they going to fall back down to earth next weekend against the Dolphins?

The Titans’ lead was never in doubt on Sunday as the team cruised to a 26-10 victory over the Chiefs in Kansas City this weekend. The Chiefs’ infamous Wild Card meltdown to the Colts last season left confirmed what many skeptics already suspected of Andy Reid‘s squad: that they had vastly overachieved in 2013 thanks largely to the easiest schedule in the NFL. The Titans were expected to rock the boat in a weak AFC South this year, but this commanding victory on the road against a reigning playoff team raised some eyebrows. Are Jake Locker and the Titans going to keep up their winning form? Or did they just take advantage of a highly overrated Chiefs’ team?

Will we see one or more of these teams in the postseason? Do you think any other surprise winners from Week 1 are legit? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Which Week 1 overachiever is for real?
Atlanta Falcons 32.27% (192 votes)
Detroit Lions 28.40% (169 votes)
Miami Dolphins 17.65% (105 votes)
Buffalo Bills 8.74% (52 votes)
Tennessee Titans 7.56% (45 votes)
Another team 5.38% (32 votes)
Total Votes: 595
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