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Detroit Lions News & Rumors

Lions Notes: CBs, Trades, Draft, WRs

May 6th, 2014 at 8:11am CST by Luke Adams

Back at the NFL’s scouting combine in February, Lions general manager Martin Mayhew told the media he was confident cornerback Chris Houston would bounce back from a subpar, injury-plagued 2013 season, but the GM doesn’t appear quite as certain now. As Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com writes, Mayhew confirmed that Houston is still dealing with a medical issue, and may need surgery to correct the problem. Depending on the veteran’s health status, cornerback could be an area of focus for the Lions when the draft gets underway this Thursday.

Here’s more on the Lions….

  • The Lions and Bills have had conversations about moving into the top five, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), who hears that those clubs are looking for a bargain. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link) adds that there’s “no doubt” the Lions would move up to land Sammy Watkins, Khalil Mack, or even Mike Evans, if the price is right, but it’s not clear what the right price would be.
  • Jeff Seidel of the Detroit Free Press believes the Lions should target a cornerback in the first round, and identifies Michigan State’s Darqueze Dennard as the ideal choice for the club.
  • While cornerback – and a few other positions – may be areas of need for the Lions, the team isn’t likely to deviate from its usual best-player-available strategy, writes Kyle Meinke of MLive.com.
  • The Lions still like Ryan Broyles, who is recovering from Achilles surgery, but the club figures to draft at least one receiver this week, says Chris McCosky of the Detroit News.

NFC North Rumors: Bradford, Suh, Packers

May 5th, 2014 at 2:01pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Vikings and Rams may have discussed a Sam Bradford trade, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports told CBS Sports Radio 920 (per TurfShowTimes.com).

“There are people in the league who believe there have been discussions with the Vikings. Rams people have denied any conversations whatsoever. The bottom line is if they don’t take a quarterback, they’re not trading Sam Bradford. There’s so much uncertainty in this draft that it’d be difficult to put the horse before the cart…all these things are tied together….The Rams are going to talk to a lot of teams between now and whenever their first pick is…[and] continue to gauge the market.”

Such a trade would presumably allow the Rams, who have been linked to Johnny Manziel, to consider selecting a quarterback with either the second or 13th pick (or the eighth pick if the Vikings send a first-rounder for Bradford, which is unlikely).

Continuing with more news from the NFC North:

  • Lions general manager Martin Mayhew says the team is not aiming to trade Ndamukong Suh, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter).
  • Mayhew said one interested team did call in January to inquire on Suh, but the Lions declined the offer, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. Twentyman also tweets Mayhew’s more colorful description of the discussion: “(They) offered me a box of old tube socks and I said no thank you.”
  • Speaking of the Lions’ defensive line, Birkett analyzes the team’s needs at the position, noting that Detroit could add another pass rusher.
  • The Packers will add a rookie quarterback to the mix behind Aaron Rodgers, Matt Flynn, and Scott Tolzien, reports Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Green Bay could look to either the late rounds of the draft or to rookie free agency to add a young signal-caller.
  • The Packers, at pick No. 21, might need to be wary of the Chiefs, at pick No. 23, attempting to jump ahead of them, tweets NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Both teams employ similar “best player available strategies,” and Chiefs general manager John Dorsey used to work in Green Bay.
  • In his latest Q&A, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reasons it would take a third-round pick for the Bears to swap first-round positions with the Titans, moving ahead of the Giants in order to draft Aaron Donald.

NFC North Notes: Bears, Vikings, Lions

May 4th, 2014 at 4:35pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Earlier this afternoon, we took a look at a possible extension between Mike McCarthy and the Packers. Now, let’s move on to some more notes from the rest of the NFC North:

Mailbags & More: Cowboys, Lions, Rams, Jets

May 4th, 2014 at 8:47am CST by Rory Parks

Let’s have a look at some mailbags and related links to kick off this Sunday morning:

  • The Cowboys will have some contractual decisions to make regarding a few of their top offensive weapons, writes ESPNDallas.com’s Todd Archer in his latest mailbag. Although they have picked up the fifth-year option on Tyron Smith, thereby locking him up through 2015, they still would like to get a long-term deal done. Extension talks could take place this summer.
  • As for Dez Bryant, who is entering the final year of his contract, the Cowboys want him to stay and Bryant does not want to leave, so Archer predicts that something will get done. However, he does think that a lot of the money in any potential deal will be in the base salaries, which would give Dallas some protection. And although DeMarco Murray has been terrific, the market for running backs has stagnated and the Cowboys would be wise to approach him with a modest deal now to see if he would bite.
  • Finally, Archer believes that if the Cowboys are unable to land Zack Martin or another top tackle in the draft, they will try to extend Doug Free. If they do manage to snag a highly-rated tackle, they will be willing to set Free free.
  • ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein investigates the possibilities of the Lions‘ trading back from their No. 10 overall pick and the possibility of an Ndamukong Suh trade.
  • Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press is going all out in his pre-draft coverage of the Lions this week, taking a look at Detroit’s options at defensive back, the most likely candidates for the team’s first round pick, and he puts up another mock draft.
  • Chris McCosky of The Detroit News makes a case for the Lions to draft Zack Martin with their first-round choice.
  • Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com had a two-hour chat with fans on Friday regarding the most important draft-related topics facing the Rams.
  • Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch explains why Clemson WR Sammy Watkins would be an intriguing fit for the Rams.
  • Seth Walder of the New York Daily News looks at three players the Jets could target in the first-round: Odell Beckham, Jr., Brandin Cooks, and Darqueze Dennard.
  • Kimberly A. Smith of Newsday examines the importance of this draft for Jets GM John Idzik, who has 12 picks to work with and a healthy salary cap situation.
  • Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com looks at Rex Ryan’s influence in the Jets‘ draft room, the possibility they may trade up in the draft, and several other draft-related issues.

Draft Notes: Ravens, Giants, Lions, Bengals

May 3rd, 2014 at 8:47am CST by Ben Levine

The Ravens have committed plenty of time and resources to scouting prospects from smaller schools, writes Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. That extensive research paid off in 2008 when the team selected Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco. Since, the team has picked a number of players from small schools, including four of their ten selections last season.

“I think, in general, scouting has gotten better across the league,” assistant general manager Eric DeCosta said. “Teams are doing better jobs, so we’ve tried to find value by more closely looking at small-school players. Our scouts do a great job of going out there and evaluating those guys.

“We get the chance to see a small-school guy at the Senior Bowl, you get a chance to see him at the Combine to compare against the big-school guys. That’s always a big challenge. The other thing is, ‘How are players going to get better?’ At small schools, sometimes they don’t have the luxury of having a nice weight room, nutritional programs or support staff. We feel like sometimes these guys come into our facility… and get better quickly because they have the advantage of all these new things.”

Among the Ravens’ previous small-school selections are Flacco, Lardarius Webb and Gino Gradkowski.

Now, for some more Draft notes from around the NFL…

  • New Mexico State wide receiver Austin Franklin visited with the Giants, reports Wilson. The wideout had 52 catches for 670 yards last season.
  • Teddy Bridgewater could be a fallback option for the Bengals, tweets ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. The team is seeking a cornerback and defensive lineman, but could select the Louisville quarterback if they decide he’s the best player on the board.
  • The Lions are looking for a center and Florida State’s Bryan Stork would be a very good option, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. The Rimington Trophy winner (awarded to the nation’s best center) would compete with veteran Dominic Raiola, who signed a one-year deal to return to Detroit earlier this offseason.

Extra Points: Lions, 49ers, Dalton, Draft

May 2nd, 2014 at 10:39pm CST by Zachary Links

Longtime Lions scout Silas McKinnie is retiring after next week’s draft, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. The retirement of McKinnie, who has been with the team as a regional and personnel scout since 2003, leaves the Lions with two vacancies in their front office. In January, Lions assistant director of pro personnel Miller McCalmon stepped down after five seasons with the team and 35 years in the NFL. Here’s more from around the league:

  • While there has been a lot of attention placed on troubled defensive talent Aldon Smith, 49ers teammate NaVorro Bowman is an example of a player who turned things around despite off-the-field incidents in the past, writes Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.
  • One NFL team exec spoke with CBSSports.com’s Joel Corry (on Twitter) about an interesting trade idea that won’t happen: a swap between the Bengals and Vikings centered on quarterback Andy Dalton and the Vikings pick at No. 8. Minnesota is said to be looking hard at quarterback options with their top pick, including UCF’s Blake Bortles.
  • After talking to four GMs, Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports says (via Twitter) the consensus top five draft picks seem to be Jadeveon Clowney, Khalil Mack, Sammy Watkins, Greg Robinson, and Jake Matthews, in some order.
  • Eastern Washington edge rusher Anthony Larry had private workouts with the Patriots and Eagles, and has also drawn interest from the Packers, Seahawks, Chargers, Ravens, and Browns, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Larry won’t come off the board early, but he’ll either be a Day 3 pick or a priority free agent, according to Wilson.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

NFC Notes: Giants, Ealy, Hatcher, Panthers

May 2nd, 2014 at 11:56am CST by Luke Adams

Jordan Raanan of NJ.com lists a few of the primary takeaways from Giants GM Jerry Reese’s Thursday press conference, noting that Reese hopes to land two starters in the draft, and that the club will target “clean” players early. In other words, the Giants don’t want a guy with injury concerns or off-field question marks, which helps explain why the team reportedly prefers Zack Martin to Taylor Lewan. Raanan also points out that the New York GM didn’t shoot down the idea that the team could trade backup quarterback Ryan Nassib.

  • Some NFL teams may want Missouri defensive lineman Kony Ealy to put on a few pounds and convert to defensive tackle, which could result in him being drafted earlier than expected, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Rapoport identifies the Giants, Rams, Cowboys, and Bears as a few clubs that could have interest in Ealy (Twitter link).
  • He has only been a Redskin for a few weeks, but former Cowboy Jason Hatcher is already enjoying some aspects of the experience more than he did in Dallas, as he told 105.3 The Fan in Dallas (link via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News). “They really take care of the veteran guys,” Hatcher said of the Redskins. “They give us more say-so over the team. This is our team. The head coach don’t want to be policing the team.”
  • ESPN.com’s David Newton reads between the lines of some recent comments by Panthers GM Dave Gettleman to make a case for why Carolina is very unlikely to trade up from No. 28 in next week’s draft.
  • Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group tweets that Jonathan Baldwin‘s fifth-year option was removed from his contract when the 49ers restructured his deal earlier in the offseason. Baldwin’s option wouldn’t have been exercised anyway, but Inman’s tweet confirms that it can’t be.
  • This year’s draft could be a pivotal one for Lions GM Martin Mayhew, as Josh Katzenstein of the Detroit News explains.

NFC North Notes: Ponder, Packers, Robinson

May 1st, 2014 at 6:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Former MVP Adrian Peterson says he’s on board with new coordinator Norv Turner‘s plan to change his role and the offense — if it means the Vikings are playing in January, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today. “My rushing yards might not be up to par, but it’s not about that,” Peterson said. “It’s all about winning. I’m trying to win a championship, so if that (means) taking less of a pounding and being more productive in the pass game, I’m all-in for it.” Tonight’s look at the NFC North:

  • While the Vikings aren’t expected to exercise their fifth-year option on Christian Ponder, the team has yet to make its decision one way or the other, writes Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The deadline to pick up that option is tomorrow night at 11:00 central time, and considering Ponder is currently second on Minnesota’s QB depth chart, I’d be pretty surprised to see the club lock in the 26-year-old at a $9.686MM salary for 2015 — even though it wouldn’t be fully guaranteed.
  • Packers GM Ted Thompson didn’t exactly drop a ton of newsworthy nuggets during his conversation with local media today, but he addressed a few notable topics, including the signing of Julius Peppers, the team’s draft focus, and what he looks for in safety prospects. Mike Vandermause of PackersNews.com has the details and quotes from Thompson.
  • Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press takes an in-depth look at Penn State wide receiver Allen Robinson, who participated in the Lions‘ local prospect day and recently had a private workout with the Bears. According to Birkett, Robinson also visited the Colts and Broncos.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Extra Points: Tate, Foles, Bills, Falcons

April 30th, 2014 at 9:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Andrew Brandt and Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com published a pair of interesting articles today on the devaluation of the running back position. Brandt’s piece attempts to explain why the value of running backs is in decline, while Klemko spoke to recent Browns signee Ben Tate about the trend. Asked if he’d have chosen a different path if he’d been able to foresee the drop-off in contract value for rushers, Tate admitted he likely would have.

“I would’ve been something else, for sure. I’d have been a safety,” Tate said. “I had the opportunity to play it in college, but I wanted to be the guy to get the ball. I had no idea the position would be devalued, but hopefully I can break that trend.”

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NFL:

  • Eagles quarterback Nick Foles, who still has two years remaining on his rookie contract, isn’t thinking about a new deal after his breakout 2013 season, as Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News details (via Sulia). “I enjoy playing this game, whatever my contract is, or not,” Foles said. “I don’t even know how much I make this next year — I just love playing this game with my teammates.”
  • New York governor Andrew Cuomo has hired a law firm to help keep the Bills in the state, writes Tom Precious of the Albany Bureau. That firm will help Cuomo & Co. help convince the team’s new owners to keep the Bills in Western New York rather than move them to Toronto or another destination. 
  • Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff told reporters today, including D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, that he still doesn’t regret trading away five picks for wide receiver Julio Jones in the 2011 draft. Earlier today we asked Pro Football Rumors readers what they think Atlanta will do in the 2014 draft and most of you said the team would trade up.
  • Linebacker D’Qwell Jackson couldn’t be happier to be a member of the Colts, writes Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star. Jackson inked a four-year, $22MM deal with the Colts in March and says that he’s happy to get as far away from “the Cleveland situation” as possible. 
  • Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press looks at possible quarterback targets for the Lions. Of course, with Matthew Stafford under center and Dan Orlovsky on a one-year deal to back him up, Detroit doesn’t have a huge QB need, but they could draft someone in the later rounds to give Kellen Moore a run for his money.
  • Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com surveys the Raiders‘ defensive line possibilities in next month’s draft, including Pittsburgh tackle Aaron Donald. Even though he’s undersized at 6’1″, he has a high motor, great speed, and agility for the defensive tackle position.
  • This year’s deep draft can yield some serious gems for the Ravens, writes Bo Smolka of CSNBaltimore.com. At the Ravens’ pre-draft news conference earlier today, assistant GM Eric DeCosta said the Ravens have identified about 180 players they view as draftable, up from 140 or 150 in past years.

Rob DiRe contributed to this post.

NFC North Notes: Pryor, Rodgers, Lions

April 30th, 2014 at 9:35pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Bears have a tremendous need at safety, and Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune looks at some of the top prospects at the position. According to Campbell, the Bears’ top choice would be Calvin Pryor of Louisville, but he also lists a number of “intriguing options”, some that could be available after the first round of the draft. Here are some other notes from around the NFC North..

  • Surrounding Aaron Rodgers with as many playmakers as possible will always be a goal for the Packers‘ front office, and Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel looks at a few lesser-known prospects that could be added to the mix in later rounds. As part of his draft series, McGinn offers a historical comparison and the words of an unnamed NFL personnel man to round out his preview.
  • Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press looks at possible quarterback targets for the Lions. Of course, with Matthew Stafford under center and Dan Orlovsky on a one-year deal to back him up, Detroit doesn’t have a huge QB need, but the club could draft someone in the later rounds to give Kellen Moore a run for his money.
  • ESPN’s Todd McShay says the Vikings should take UCF star Blake Bortles, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. McShay views Bortles as the best quarterback in the draft and feels that Minnesota should pull the trigger if he falls to No. 8.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

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