HEADLINES

Detroit Lions News & Rumors

Lions Extend WR/PR Kalif Raymond

August 15th, 2023 at 8:45am CST by Sam Robinson

AUGUST 15: The veteran receiver/returner agreed to terms on a two-year, $10.5MM deal that comes with $8.15MM fully guaranteed. The Lions created $1.3MM in cap space via this extension, per OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald (on Twitter). Detroit used a 2026 void year to spread out Raymond’s cap hits. Raymond can earn up to $14MM on the deal, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets, noting incentives tied to receptions, receiving yards and Pro Bowl acclaim are in place. Raymond’s 2023 and ’24 salaries are guaranteed, with Wilson adding $1.4MM of his $4.35MM 2025 base is locked in at signing.

AUGUST 11: Kalif Raymond has made important contributions in his two seasons with the Lions, and the team will keep the veteran receiver/returner on another contract.

The Lions are extending Raymond on a two-year deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes, adding that the contract is expected to make the team’s top punt returner one of the highest-paid return men in the game (Twitter link). Raymond, 29, is going into his third season with the Lions; this extension will keep him tied to the team through 2025.

A former UDFA out of Holy Cross, Raymond has done well to carve out a role in Detroit. The former Broncos, Giants, Jets and Titans wideout/returner has worked as the Lions’ primary punt returner in his two Motor City seasons, doing so while making under-the-radar contributions at receiver as well. Raymond has combined for 1,192 receiving yards with Detroit.

This marks Raymond’s third Lions contract. He initially came over during GM Brad Holmes‘ first offseason, signing for one year and barely $1MM. The team then re-signed him in March 2022, authorizing a two-year, $5MM deal. After Raymond has proven a fit with the team, he will undoubtedly be rewarded with a raise.

Prior to his 2021 Detroit arrival, Raymond had never topped 200 receiving yards in a season. A Lions team that was starting over at receiver in 2021 put the 5-foot-8 cog to work. Raymond finished that season with 48 receptions for 576 yards and four touchdowns. With Jameson Williams debuting late in the season (and not playing a big role upon doing so) and DJ Chark missing more time due to injury, Raymond kept his spot as a regular on offense. He totaled a career-best 616 receiving yards in 2022. With Williams banned six games for betting on non-NFL games while on team grounds, Raymond should be in position to keep his gig as an auxiliary receiver to start the year.

Once Williams rejoins a receiving corps including Amon-Ra St. Brown and the reacquired Marvin Jones, it is possible Raymond’s receiving workload will be scaled back. But he still is set to be Detroit’s main punt returner. Raymond notched a punt-return touchdown last year, helping the Lions to a three-point win over the Jets, and finished with a career-high 13.1 yards per return. While Raymond did not have enough returns to qualify, that 13.1-yard average would have been among the NFL’s best marks. The Lions will reward him as such.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/14/23

August 14th, 2023 at 9:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

  • Signed: DB Teez Tabor
  • Waived: S Aaron Maddox
  • Released from IR: RB Zavier Scott

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

  • Signed: T Chim Okorafor
  • Waived: T Jacky Chen

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

Bartch started the Jaguars’ first five games last season but went down with a knee injury in October. The fourth-year veteran will give the Jags an option at left guard, where he started last season. A former fourth-round pick, Bartch also started 11 games in 2021. This marks a return for Tinker, whose NFL entrance came as a Jaguars UDFA in 2013. Tinker spent the first four seasons of his career with the Jags but did not see action in 2017, 2019 or 2020. He worked as the Seahawks’ full-time long snapper last season. Ross Matiscik has been Jacksonville’s deep snapper for the past three seasons.

Austin spent last season out of football but has 17 starts to his credit. Used as a regular Jets starter from 2019-20, Austin caught on with the Seahawks in 2021. Seattle used Austin as a backup. The young cornerback could not make the Broncos’ 53-man roster last summer. While a member of the 2022 Seahawks, Tabor converted from cornerback to safety. The former second-round pick played 10 games for the team last season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/13/23

August 13th, 2023 at 6:10pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor transactions as we close the first week of the preseason:

Baltimore Ravens

  • Claimed off waivers (from Lions): CB Tae Hayes

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

Reyes retires from the sport of football after only two years in the league. A former basketball player with dreams of playing in the NBA, Reyes applied for and was admitted into the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program out of Chile. Despite spending time with three teams, Reyes only suited up for regular season action in Washington, where he played 11 games, starting one. As a tight end, Reyes mostly made an impact on special teams during his career. He retires at the age of 27.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/12/23

August 12th, 2023 at 7:46pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s minor moves:

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Hayes was signed one week ago as the Lions were dealing with injuries in the secondary, but he will now be on the lookout for another new team. The 25-year has appeared in 13 career regular season games while bouncing around the league.

The Raiders added one ex-Chiefs running back in Damien Williams yesterday, and they have done so again today. Thompson was part of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl-winning squad in 2019, and remain with the Chiefs the following season. He made 31 combined regular and postseason appearances in Kansas City, but he has yet to see game action since 2020. Especially until Josh Jacobs returns to the Raiders, Thompson will aim to earn a depth role in the Vegas backfield.

Lions HC Dan Campbell Addresses Jared Goff’s Future

August 12th, 2023 at 5:24pm CST by Adam La Rose

Much is expected of the Lions’ offense in 2023, in no small part due to the play of quarterback Jared Goff to close out the 2022 campaign. The former No. 1 pick is on the extension radar as a result, something head coach Dan Campbell would approve of.

[RELATED: Lions Sign Teddy Bridgewater]

Goff is on the books through 2024, but he is only due guaranteed money for the coming season. It thus comes as no surprise that a new deal has come up, and the Lions have discussed an extension for much of the offseason. Goff’s presence has also been named as a reason why offensive coordinator Ben Johnson chose to withdraw from head coaching searches during the 2023 cycle.

When asked about his confidence in Goff’s ability to remain the team’s starter for years to come, Campbell said, “There’s nothing that tells me he can’t be. When you have a quarterback you believe in, why would you ever move on? I get there are other circumstances, but it’s hard to find quarterbacks in this league. We’ve got a guy we can win with right now. We’re fortunate to have him; that’s how I see it” (h/t ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler).

Detroit seemed to put a Goff succession plan in place by drafting Hendon Hooker in April. The Tennessee alum is currently on the NFI list while rehabbing the ACL tear which ended his college career, but a path exists for him to compete for the starting role in 2024. That would especially hold true if Goff were to move through the coming season without any clarity regarding his long-term future.

After the trade which ended his Rams tenure, the 28-year-old posted underwhelming numbers in 2021. Goff was at the heart of the Lions’ late-season playoff push last year, though, and he finished with 4,438 yards, 29 touchdowns and a third career Pro Bowl nod. Questions will remain about his ability to earn a multi-year extension in Detroit, especially with Hooker in place. If Campbell has his way, though, Goff could remain in the Motor City for the foreseeable future.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/11/23

August 11th, 2023 at 6:49pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are the minor moves made around the league today:

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Indianapolis Colts

New York Giants

  • Released from IR with injury settlement: WR Jeff Smith

San Francisco 49ers

Lions To Sign QB Teddy Bridgewater

August 11th, 2023 at 8:40am CST by Sam Robinson

AUGUST 11: Bridgewater agreed to terms with the Lions on a one-year deal that can max out at $5MM, per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, who adds the contract includes $2.5MM guaranteed (Twitter link). This marks a notable decrease from Bridgewater’s $6.5MM guaranteed with the Dolphins last year, but the 10th-year veteran is coming off an injury-plagued season.

AUGUST 7: After contract talks in the spring and the sides getting together for a recent meeting, the Lions and Teddy Bridgewater have a deal in place. The veteran quarterback is heading to Detroit, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo (on Twitter).

The Lions had kept in contact with the former Vikings first-round pick since making him an offer by early April, hosting him on a visit in July. Bridgewater, 30, is now in place to become Jared Goff‘s backup. This will be the Louisville alum’s seventh NFL team. Dan Campbell was on the Saints’ staff during Bridgewater’s two-year New Orleans tenure, and the former tight ends coach will bring him into the fold at a rather pivotal point on the Lions’ timeline.

Bridgewater is coming off a disappointing season with his hometown team. The Dolphins added him on a one-year deal, and with Tua Tagovailoa sustaining multiple concussions, a door opened for the backup to help an improved team. But Bridgewater could not stay on the field, either. The league’s enhanced concussion protocol led to Bridgewater leaving a game against the Jets in October, and he suffered a dislocated pinkie when replacing Tagovailoa in Week 17. Bridgewater was not available for the Dolphins’ Week 18 game or their wild-card contest in Buffalo.

While Bridgewater is attempting to bounce back, he will give the Lions more security behind Goff. Prior to this signing, Nate Sudfeld was positioned as Detroit’s top backup. Campbell had said in June the team was content at quarterback; midway through training camp, that no longer appeared the case.

Hendon Hooker should be expected to grow into the QB2 role, but there is a real possibility the Lions give the third-round pick a true redshirt year after a torn ACL ended his Tennessee career. With Bridgewater having lapped Sudfeld for experience, he will be in place as a stopgap while Hooker recovers and learns the NFL game. Hooker currently resides on the Lions’ active/NFI list.

Injuries have obviously played a big role in Bridgewater’s NFL career. A severe leg malady halted his run as the Vikings’ starter back in 2016; that setback sidelined him for nearly two seasons. But Bridgewater did enjoy the opportunity to return as a starter for multiple teams — the Panthers and Broncos — during the 2020s. Twenty-nine of Bridgewater’s 65 career starts came with Carolina and Denver. The conservative passer did not exactly provide remarkable work in those seasons, but he was plenty capable when available during the 2020 and ’21 campaigns.

The Broncos went 7-7 in Bridgewater’s starts, with the 14th start involving a Drew Lock cameo sinking Denver in a close matchup with eventual AFC champion Cincinnati. Bridgewater threw 18 touchdown passes compared to just seven interceptions during his Broncos season. His 15-TD pass showing in Carolina produced a 17th-place QBR finish. The Panthers still jettisoned Bridgewater’s three-year, $63MM deal after that season. His earning power has diminished significantly in the years since, but the former starter remains a sought-after backup.

As Drew Brees‘ backup in New Orleans, Bridgewater went 5-1 when replacing the future Hall of Famer. Granted, those Saints rosters were among the NFL’s best at the time. But Campbell having been there during the 2018 and ’19 seasons bodes well for Bridgewater’s Detroit fit. Goff did not miss any time due to injury last season, but the former No. 1 overall pick did miss three games in 2021. The Lions lost each contest.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/10/23

August 10th, 2023 at 6:11pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

  • Waived/injured: WR Makai Polk

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Following the addition of Shelby Harris, the Browns decided to let go of another defensive lineman. Michael Dwumfour got into nine games with the Texans and 49ers last season, compiling eight tackles. He joined the Browns earlier this offseason.

Logan Stenberg was a fourth-round pick by the Lions back in 2020. He saw a larger role in each of his three seasons with the organization, culminating in a 2022 season where he got into 16 games with four starts. The lineman also had a role on special teams in three seasons in Detroit, so there’s a chance he finds another gig elsewhere.

Players waived or released from IR often agree to an injury settlement with their team. Their previous placement on IR would have prevented them from seeing the field during the 2023 campaign; now that they’ve been released, they can sign elsewhere and play this season.

Lions Sign RB Benny Snell; Justin Jackson Retires

August 10th, 2023 at 12:08pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Lions have made a move affecting their backfield, spurred in part by a surprise retirement decision. The team announced on Thursday that Benny Snell has been signed, and that Justin Jackson has ended his career.

Snell worked out with the Broncos and Colts this offseason, but he will ultimately head to Detroit to fill the vacancy left by Jackson’s retirement. The 25-year-old spent his first four seasons with the Steelers, but he was primarily used on special teams. Especially with Najee Harris in the fold for the past two years, Snell has seen limited touches on offense.

A depth role will again await him in Detroit, with free agent addition David Montgomery and first-round rookie Jahmyr Gibbs set to carry the load out of the backfield. A division of rushing and pass-catching duties is in the team’s plans, and Snell should operate as a fill-in option on offense while maintaining a steady presence on special teams.

Jackson was unable to establish anything more than a complimentary role with the Chargers over the course of his four years with the team. He joined the Lions last offseason, but his playing situation remained the same. Buried behind D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams on the depth chart, he logged only 54 touches. The 27-year-old was a key special teamer, though, and he missed only one game in his debut Lions campaign.

That led to a new deal being worked out less than three weeks ago, making today’s news rather surprising. Jackson battled injuries in 2019 and ’20 in particular, but a healthy season last year made the decision to retain him an easy one from the Lions’ perspective. Now, the team will move forward with an significantly different RB contingent than last season.

Jackson signed for the veteran minimum on his second Lions pact, one which did not include any guaranteed money. The Northwestern alum will hang up his cleats with $3.7MM in career earnings after five seasons played.

Lions Eyeing Move To S For C.J. Gardner-Johnson; Brian Branch Receiving First-Team Reps

August 10th, 2023 at 8:56am CST by Adam La Rose

Expectations are high for the Lions’ defense in 2023 in large part due to the additions made in their secondary. Free agent signing C.J. Gardner-Johnson and rookie Brian Branch are among the new faces on the backend, and they could each find themselves in the starting lineup come Week 1.

Gardner-Johnson’s status as a first-teamer has not been in question, of course, after he posted six interceptions with the Eagles last year despite missing five games. The 25-year-old surprisingly only parlayed that into a one-year deal with $6.5MM guaranteed in free agency. His move to Detroit was expected to result in a return to his more familiar slot corner role (as opposed to the safety spot, where he spent most of his time in Philadelphia).

However, a knee injury Gardner-Johnson suffered early in training camp left him sidelined for a stretch. That opened the door to Branch filling in at the nickel spot, and his performances since then have him firmly in the mix for a starting role. The second-rounder has likely played his way into a first-team position, or at least notable rotational duties, as detailed by Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Branch was lauded as one of the most versatile players in the 2023 class, but playing him at corner would open up the possibility of moving Gardner-Johnson back to safety.

Doing so would represent a change in approach compared to earlier in the offseason, but it could allow the Lions to deploy their ideal combination of defensive backs. Gardner-Johnson shifting back to safety would relegate Tracy Walker to backup duties while he rehabs the Achilles tear which ended his 2022 season. The latter had paired with 2022 third-rounder Kerby Joseph last year.

Head coach Dan Campbell recently noted that Walker is still in consideration for a starting position, however, so plenty is yet to be determined (aside from Joseph’s first-team certainty) as the preseason approaches. Branch will be a key player to watch during exhibition season as he looks to win a starting gig right away, something which would put the versatility of Detroit’s new and highly regarded secondary to the test early in the campaign.

Load More Posts