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Detroit Lions News & Rumors

Extra Points: Winston, Flowers, CJ2K, 49ers

June 19th, 2014 at 9:26pm CST by Zachary Links

Jameis Winston‘s father, Antonor Winston, believes his son plans to play two more seasons at Florida State, writes Jeff Sentell of The Birmingham News. The quarterback is slated to graduate in December of 2015 but if he jumps early, he’ll likely find himself as a top 10 pick in next year’s draft. Winston is also a promising baseball prospect and has been projected by some to be a first round pick in the 2015 MLB Draft. Tonight’s glance around the NFL..

  • Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune (via Twitter) heard this morning from a league source that free agent cornerback Brandon Flowers is not expected to visit the Vikings. Flowers, who was cut loose by the Chiefs last week, is visiting with the Chargers before potentially taking visits elsewhere, but it sounds like Minnesota is not on the docket.
  • Jets tailback Chris Johnson is upset with the Titans for cutting him so late in the offseason and former NFLPA president Kevin Mawae is on his side. “I’ve got to give some credit to Chris,” Mawae said on 102.5 The Game, according to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com. “There are some times when the business side of it is done wrong and if the team knew they were gonna cut him or whatever, then I’m in agreement with Chris that they should have done it earlier. There’s no sour grapes about it. You just don’t do business that way, is what I think Chris is trying to say and I would agree with that.”
  • Tight end Vernon Davis and guard Alex Boone want new contracts from the 49ers and are holding out from practice until they get them. Unfortunately for them, as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com explains, the club has a history of not caving into such holdouts. San Francisco set an important precedent in 2011 with running back Frank Gore and it’s hard to see them going against that now with Davis and Boone.
  • Although some have hammered Colin Kaepernick for signing a team-friendly deal with the 49ers, he says the contract is an all-around win, writes Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today Sports. “You can skew things anyway you want,” Kaepernick said. “At the end of the day, a lot of the way the contract is set up is the way every other quarterback’s contract is set up. The things that aren’t set up like those contracts are because we wanted them that way, so we could sign other players.“
  • Brandon Pettigrew has been a scapegoat for the Lions‘ struggles during his five years in Detroit, but he says he didn’t let that cloud his judgement before deciding to re-sign with the club, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. This season, Pettigrew will share playing time with first-round pick Eric Ebron and second-year pro Joseph Fauria.

Brandon Flowers Rumors: Monday

June 16th, 2014 at 2:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The Chiefs‘ release of Brandon Flowers on Friday injected some life into a free agent market that has been lacking real impact players for the last few weeks. While Flowers wasn’t at his best in 2013, he’s a 28-year-old Pro Bowl cornerback free to sign with any team, so there will certainly be plenty of clubs with interest. We’ll round up Monday’s rumors on Flowers right here, with the latest updates added to the top of the page throughout the day:

  • Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link) hears that the Vikings‘ call on Flowers was just a preliminary check-in and that there’s nothing serious brewing at this point.
  • The 49ers aren’t one of the 10 teams that reached out to Flowers, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.

Earlier updates:

  • The Lions are “seriously considering” making a run at Flowers, says Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
  • The Vikings, Lions, and Falcons made inquiries on Flowers shortly after the Chiefs cut him, according to Chiefs Insider at Scout.com (Twitter link). Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 Twin Cities (Twitter link) later confirmed that the Vikes had made a call on the veteran corner.
  • Add the Ravens to the list of teams that have reached out to Flowers so far, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. According to Wilson, ten clubs have called on Flowers, so there are a handful of unknown teams in the mix. Still, talks remain in the preliminary stage, per Wilson’s source.
  • The Titans are doing their homework on Flowers, but don’t expect him to land in Tennessee, says Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean, pointing out that the ex-Chief doesn’t seem like an ideal fit in the Titans’ system (Twitter links).
  • The Redskins don’t have interest in Flowers, a source tell Mike Jones of the Washington Post (Twitter link).

Extra Points: Thomas, Jaguars, Sanders

June 15th, 2014 at 10:14pm CST by Ben Levine

Cornerback Terrell Thomas played 16 games for the Giants in 2013, proving that his torn ACL was long behind him. However, the 29-year-old has yet to find a team for next season and he’s blaming it in on his past injury.

Thomas took to SiriusXM NFL Radio and told hosts Alex Marvez and Zig Fracassi his thoughts on front offices’ hesitation to sign him (hat tip to ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio):

“I understand that,” Thomas said, “but I played in 18 games last year, and I’ve still got tread left on these tires.

“This NFL game is not loyal. It’s a part of business. I understand it and I respect it. As a veteran, I’m a plug-in starter. I don’t need to go through OTAs, through minicamps to get reps… I can go in and play right now. So I’ll be ready whenever my number’s called, whenever the right team picks me. All I need is one team to love me. All I need is one team to give me an opportunity. My play speaks for itself.”

Following the Lions release of Chris Houston on Friday, Florio guesses that Thomas’ next destination will be Detroit.

Let’s see what else is going on around the NFL…

  • The Jaguars do have some aging veterans on the roster, but ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco doesn’t envision any of them being on the roster bubble. Nonetheless, he mentions that defensive ends Jason Babin and Tyson Alualu and defensive backs Mike Harris and Chris Prosinski will be pushed by young players.
  • DiRocco would also be “very surprised” if wide receiver Ace Sanders didn’t make the Jaguars roster. Coming off a 50-catch season, Sanders would only stand to lose his roster spot if he continues to be “average” as a punt returner.
  • Ben Volin of The Boston Globe takes a quick look at some holdout candidates, mentioning Texans wideout Andre Johnson, Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch, and 49ers tight end Vernon Davis and guard Alex Boone.

NFC Notes: Cards, Lions, 49ers, Rams

June 14th, 2014 at 4:47pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Cardinals have plenty of time to evaluate the players on their roster before they have to cut it down to 53 men, but Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com has predicted which 53 will be suiting up for the team Week 1. Weinfuss writes that the first 45 were easy, but narrowing down the final eight was a difficult decision. Paul Fanaika, Brittan Golden and Jaron Brown were some of the toughest cuts on this list.

Here are some other notes from around the NFC:

  • Since the Lions released veteran cornerback Chris Houston, they are left with a thin secondary, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Rashean Mathis should be slotted to be the team’s top corner, but the 33-year old veteran is not what he once was. After Mathis, the team has last year’s second-round pick Darius Slay, who struggled mightily in 2013. Aside from those two, there is a long list of question marks rounding out the depth chart.
  • The 49ers acquired Jonathan Martin earlier this offseason, and are now trying to move him inside from tackle to guard, writes Tyson Langland of Bleacher Report. However, Langland is far from optimistic about Martin’s ability to change positions with his new team. Although he has struggled at both left and right tackle, his inexperience at the position as well as his alleged lack of arm strength and aggressiveness make Langland believe he will be a bad fit at guard.
  • With Radio City Music Hall unavailable for the 2015 NFL Draft, other cities aside from New York are getting excited at the prospect of hosting the draft either next year or down the road. With Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York (at Madison Square Garden) fighting to host the draft, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post Dispatch reports that the Rams are getting into the mix as well. Rams executive vice president Kevin Demoff and President of the St. Louis Sports Committee Frank Viverito have discussed a willingness to bring the Draft to St. Louis. “We’ve had conversation about what it would take, and would be interested if the NFL winds up doing this on a long-term basis,” Demoff said. While the 2015 NFL Draft might not be a possibility, the city is open to the possibility of obtaining a future NFL Draft.
  • Eagles‘ kicker Alex Henery struggled in 2013, including a missed field goal and short kickoffs in a playoff loss to the Saints. Even still, he is not worried about his job security, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “Competition can always make you better, but it’s not like I’m worried about it,” Henery said recently. “I’m here to do my thing and do it the best I can. . . . I’m a perfectionist. That’s what drives me.”

Brandon Flowers Notes: Jets, Panthers

June 14th, 2014 at 2:00pm CST by Rob DiRe

Since Brandon Flowers was released by the Chiefs yesterday afternoon, rumors began to fly about what teams could be interested in the Pro Bowl cornerback. The Falcons were established as one of the frontrunners for his services, and a number of other teams have been linked to the former Chief.

  • The Jets, Falcons, Texans, Lions, and Eagles are all still potential landing spots for Flowers’ services, writes Lorenzo Reyes of USAToday.com. The Jets need secondary help in general, as do the Eagles. The Texans and Falcons have personnel connections with defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel and general manager Scott Pioli, respectively. The Lions make sense after the release of veteran corner Chris Houston.
  • The Jets certainly could use an upgrade in the secondary, but Rich Cimini has held firm that he would not expect the team to reach out to Flowers. He reports that the team has not expressed interest yet (via Twitter), and reiterated that he would be surprised if they do.
  • The Panthers could also be in the mix, despite signing former first-round pick Antoine Cason this offseason, writes Reid Foster of Cover32.com. The team has just over $5MM in cap space to work with, and a need in the secondary. Foster also writes that making a run at Flowers could keep him away from one of their rivals in the NFC South, the Falcons.
  • The Raiders have a need at corner, that has only been magnified after 2013 first-round selection D.J. Hayden went down with an ankle injury, according to Justin Smith of BleacherReport.com. With Hayden hurt, the team is looking to a pair of 49er castoffs Tarell Brown and Carlos Rogers to play big roles this upcoming season.
  • The Vikings corners were bad in 2013, and Flowers could provide an upgrade their as well writes Christopher Gates of DailyNorseman.com. Although Flowers measured poorly according to Pro Football Focus’ numbers last season, he still performed better than Marcus Sherels, Josh Robinson, and Chris Cook and would provide a higher upside than all three.

Extra Points: Clowney, Mathieu, Slay, Carrington, Kalil, Turner

June 14th, 2014 at 1:00pm CST by Matt Feminis
  • Texans No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney, who was bothered by a groin injury, underwent surgery to repair a sports hernia, relays Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. Clowney is expected to be ready for training camp.
  • The Cardinals are taking a patient approach with defensive back Tyran Mathieu and nose tackle Alameda Ta’amu, both of whom are recovering from torn ACL injuries, writes NFL.com’s Dan Hanzus. “I had Oct. 1, or after the (bye week) as the target date for me personally,” says head coach Bruce Arians. “If they do something better than that, God bless ’em.” The Cardinals’ bye comes in Week 4 before a road game at Denver.
  • Detroit Free Press columnist Drew Sharp says the Lions were wise not to “cave to public pressure” and reach for a cornerback in the first round because he expects 2013 second-rounder Darius Slay to make strides in year two. That said, in light of Chris Houston‘s release, Sharp says Slay must be the Lions’ most improved defensive player in 2014. Meanwhile, in a rundown of the team’s cornerbacks, Sharp’s colleague Dave Birkett calls Slay a work in progress, “But he’s long and athletic and after struggling with zone concepts will be a better fit in Teryl Austin’s new defense.”
  • Could Alex Carrington be an under-the-radar steal for the Rams? St. Louis Post-Dispatch writer Joe Lyons says, the 26-year-old, 6-5, 300-pound defensive lineman “seemed to be on the verge of a breakout season with the Buffalo Bills last year when a torn quadriceps tendon ended his campaign after just three games.” In fact, entering last season, Carrington was viewed by Pro Football Focus as a “secret superstar,” calling him “one of the league’s most promising young pass-rushing DTs.”
  • A right knee injury was to blame for Vikings tackle Matt Kalil‘s sophomore dropoff, writes Chris Tomasson in the Pioneer Press.
  • “Other than being 20, there’s not much negative you can say” about Panthers third-round guard Trai Turner, says ESPN’s David Newton.
  • The contracts of the NFL’s highest-paid centers – Maurkice Pouncey, Alex Mack and Ryan Kalil – were examined by OverTheCap.com’s Jason Fitzgerald, who says annual value can be misleading.

Free Agent Notes: Holmes, Houston, Barnett

June 13th, 2014 at 6:35pm CST by Ben Levine

We haven’t heard much about Santonio Holmes since he was released by the Jets in March. That doesn’t mean those around him aren’t confident. His camp believes the veteran will be signed by a “receiver-needy” team during training camp, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post.

“He’ll definitely be on a team,” said Holmes’ personal trainer Tom Shaw. “Just like James Harrison will be on a team. As long as teams don’t think he’ll be a distraction, he’s going to get picked up.

“I think that’s the big thing. Teams are interested in him. They want to see him work out to check his injury. He hasn’t had any problems with his injury, which is a good thing.”

Teams are certainly wary of the injuries that have limited the 30-year-old to only 15 games the past two seasons. They’re also concerned about his reputation as a poor locker room presence, but Shaw doesn’t think that will a problem.

“I think Santonio Holmes has grown up,” Shaw said. “He’s grown up more than I’ve seen any player I’ve worked with over the years. That’s a big plus…I really think he’ll be a model citizen on any team he goes to.”

According to Costello, Holmes has been working out in Florida since the winter.

Let’s see what else is going on with some notable free agents…

Minor Moves: Giants, Jean, Lynch

June 13th, 2014 at 5:36pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves include a pair of Giants, a trio of wide receivers and (you guessed it) four injured players. Let’s check them out…

  • Giants wide receiver Kris Adams was added to the team’s reserve list, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. Adams had two catches with the Colts in 2012.
  • The Giants have come to an injury settlement with defensive back Jocquel Skinner and removed him from their injured reserve, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
  • Vikings wideout Lestar Jean has cleared waivers and will be placed on injured reserve, the team announced (via Twitter). Jean has ten career receptions for 186 yards and one touchdown.
  • The Colts have placed safety Corey Lynch on the injured reserve, according to Craig Kelley of Colts.com (via Twitter). The 29-year-old will be joining defensive end Fili Moala, who was placed on the IR earlier this week.
  • The Titans have signed wide receiver Rico Richardson and waived injured linebacker James Gayle, reports ESPN.com Paul Kuharsky (via Twitter). Richardson was on the Chiefs practice squad last season and was released by the Texans last month. Gayle is an undrafted rookie out of Virginia Tech.
  • The Lions have added offensive tackle Bryce Quigley, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. The undrafted rookie, who suffered a season-ending injury in San Diego State’s finale, worked out with the Lions yesterday.

Lions Release Chris Houston

June 13th, 2014 at 1:59pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lions have released cornerback Chris Houston, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. The move is the one we’d been waiting for, as it helps create the cap room for the club to have signed first-round pick Eric Ebron. Houston battled a toe problem last season and underwent surgery in May.

“Chris Houston underwent a significant medical procedure this spring,” the Lions said in a statement. “Both parties felt that the best course of action at this time is to release Chris and allow him to rehabilitate his injury away from the Club. The Lions appreciate Chris’ contributions over the years and wish him the best in his recovery.”

Houston, 29, has started at cornerback in Detroit for the last four seasons, and signed a five-year, $25MM contract with the team just last spring. The deal included a $6.5MM signing bonus, so the Lions will assume a sizable chunk of dead money by cutting the veteran this year. Because the move happened after June 1, $1.3MM of the prorated bonus money will apply to 2014’s cap, with the other $3.9MM applying to 2015’s.

Depending on the timetable for Houston’s recovery from surgery, he could become an appealing veteran pickup for another club this summer or fall. The former second-round pick won’t be subjected to waivers, so he’ll immediately become an unrestricted free agent, able to sign with any team.

NFC North Notes: Suh, Vikings, Packers

June 13th, 2014 at 1:42pm CST by Luke Adams

So far today, the Lions have officially signed first-round pick Eric Ebron to his rookie contract, and the Vikings have brought aboard former Browns wideout Josh Cooper. A few more Friday updates out of the NFC North have trickled in over the course of the day, so let’s round up the latest on the Lions, Vikings, and one of their division rivals….

  • A restructure of Ndamukong Suh‘s contract is a good bet to happen at some point this summer, but a trade remains unlikely. A source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that no discussions or negotiations about a potential deal involving the Lions star have occurred.
  • While Harrison Smith will be one of the Vikings‘ starting safeties this fall, the team continues to audition players for the other starting job, writes Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. According to Goessling, Kurt Coleman, Robert Blanton, Brandan Bishop, and rookie Antone Exum have all received plenty of looks during OTAs.
  • Packers head coach Mike McCarthy continues to insist that the club hasn’t closed the door on the possibility of bringing back free agents Jermichael Finley, Ryan Pickett, and Johnny Jolly. “I would love to work with all three of those guys again,” McCarthy said during an appearance on the Bill Michaels Show on SportsRadio 1250 (hat tip to Pro Football Talk). We’ve heard for months that the Packers have been monitoring those free agents, with health an ongoing concern for Finley and Jolly.
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