Detroit Lions News & Rumors

Bears, Vikings Pursued David Montgomery; Lions Pivoted After Jamaal Williams Rejected Offer

March 31st, 2023 at 11:59am CST by Sam Robinson

While this year’s running back market did not produce a top-10 contract at the position, some interesting dominoes fell. Perhaps none more so than David Montgomery, who left the Bears to be the Lions’ Jamaal Williams replacement.

The Lions gave Montgomery a three-year, $18MM deal that includes $8.75MM fully guaranteed. The Bears wanted to retain their veteran starter, however, with the Chicago Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley indicating the team believed it made a competitive offer. It just was not enough to keep Montgomery in the Windy City, something GM Ryan Poles said he was interested in doing earlier this offseason.

Chicago’s offer did not include any guaranteed money beyond Year 1 of the deal, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune notes. Montgomery can collect $2.25MM in additional funds if he is on the Lions’ roster on Day 3 of the 2024 league year. Seeing as it would cost the Lions more than $6MM in dead money to cut Montgomery before that bonus date, it represents a good bet this will be at least a two-year partnership. Only Miles Sanders received more fully guaranteed money among running backs in free agency this year.

“I would just kind of sum it up by saying players do have a choice,’’ Poles said of Montgomery’s decision, via Finley. ‘‘I thought we communicated well. I thought we negotiated well. At the same time, you don’t always know what’s going on in the background. But I thought we did a good job. We were transparent, we were organized and it just — it didn’t happen.”

Montgomery’s $6MM AAV matches the deal Williams played on from 2021-22. Williams said (via NewOrleans.football’s Mike Triplett) the Lions’ offer was disrespectful, leading him to the Saints on a three-year accord worth $12MM ($8.15MM fully guaranteed). The Lions did not pivot to Montgomery, 25, until Williams, 27, rejected their offer. Lions GM Brad Holmes said conversations with Williams’ agent at the Combine led him to believe the parties were closing in on another agreement.

“From a budgeting and planning standpoint pre-free agency, we had an allotment of resources set aside, really for Jamaal,” Holmes said, via the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett. “Didn’t really even really consider another running back higher than that amount of resources that we set aside for Jamaal. And business happens and that’s part of this business and it just didn’t work.

“We tried, but when the market crystallized and it got to a point where David was in play, kind of within the range of resources that we had set aside, then that’s when we went ahead and went forward with David, which we’re extremely excited about.”

The Lions likely offered Williams a deal with similar terms as Montgomery’s, Biggs adds, pointing to the league’s 2022 rushing touchdown leader slightly miscalculating his market. The ex-Packers draftee still landed on his feet with the Saints, though his AAV is down compared to his Lions contract. Williams will move into position as Alvin Kamara insurance. Kamara could face a six-game suspension due to his February 2022 battery arrest.

As both NFC North teams believed they were on track to retain their starting backs, Biggs adds the Vikings also pursued Montgomery. It is unclear if Minnesota made Montgomery an offer, but this interest adds another layer to what has become an intriguing divisional backfield outlook. Dalvin Cook‘s seat remains uncertain, and multiple teams viewed the perennial Pro Bowler as available ahead of free agency. A day Montgomery committed to the Lions, the Vikings gave longtime Cook backup Alexander Mattison a two-year, $7MM deal that comes nearly fully guaranteed.

A day after Mattison’s agreement, the Bears gave D’Onta Foreman a one-year deal worth just $2MM ($1MM guaranteed). Foreman will team with Khalil Herbert in Chicago, though Biggs suggests the Bears adding to their backfield in the draft should not be ruled out. This intra-divisional shakeup involved the upper echelon of free agent backs, as the second wave at the position — from the Dolphins’ duo to Samaje Perine to Devin Singletary to Damien Harris — did not eclipse $3MM guaranteed. It will be interesting to see how the Bears and Lions fare with reshaped backfields.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/30/23

March 30th, 2023 at 5:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

Here are Thursday’s minor moves:

Detroit Lions

Signed (ERFA tender): LS Scott Daly

Pittsburgh Steelers

Signed: DT Breiden Fehoko

Daly, 29, has been with the Lions for the past two years after failing to win the snapping job with the Cowboys in 2018. He appeared in every game in each of his seasons in Detroit, and was tendered earlier this month. The Notre Dame alum will now extend his time in the Motor City by at least one campaign.

NFC North Coaching Updates: Lions, Packers, Vikings

March 29th, 2023 at 9:28pm CST by Ely Allen

The Lions announced earlier this month that they have finalized their coaching staff for the 2023 season. Much of the staff remains identical to last year’s coaches who helped the Lions to some surprising success. Many of the minor changes that did occur, such as promotions and the additions of assistants, have already been covered on this site. There were a couple that still need to be announced.

On the offensive side, the Lions hired Jim Hostler as a senior offensive assistant. Hostler has served in Washington for the last three years and has an extensive history as a position coach in the NFL for several franchises, including a stint as offensive coordinator for the 49ers back in 2007. Hostler’s most recent experience was assisting with wide receivers for the Commanders, but there didn’t appear to be a place for him on Eric Bieniemy‘s new staff in Washington.

On the defensive side of the ball, Detroit has hired John Scott Jr. to take over as defensive line coach. With Todd Wash departing to rejoin Frank Reich in Carolina, the Lions went to the college ranks for their next defensive line coach. Scott will return to the NFL for the first time since serving as the assistant defensive line coach for the Jets in 2016. Since then, Scott has coached the defensive lines at Arkansas, South Carolina, and Penn State, adding the title of run game coordinator for the Nittany Lions in 2022.

Here are a few more coaching updates from around the NFC North:

The Packers made a couple additions to their coaching staff near the start of the month. Similar to Detroit, Green Bay also pulled from the college ranks, hiring recently dismissed Western Michigan head coach Tim Lester to a senior analyst position, according to Matthew Ehler of MLive.com. Lester has worked plenty with college quarterbacks but will be making his NFL debut in 2023. The team also hired two new quality control coaches, according to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. Rob Grosso joins as offensive quality control and Kyle Wilber will be special teams quality control. Grosso, a former defensive assistant who followed Vance Joseph from Denver to Arizona, was expected to once again follow Joesph back to Denver but will part ways with Joseph while switching from defense to offense. Wilber, a former NFL linebacker, recently finished a 10-year career in which he played for Packers assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia at both Dallas and Las Vegas.
The Vikings joined the Lions and Packers in dipping into the college ranks of coaching, hiring Michael Hutchings as assistant linebackers coach, according to Matt Zenitz of On3 Sports. Hutchings most recently served as outside linebackers coach at Western Kentucky and previously worked at USC and Oregon.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/29/23

March 29th, 2023 at 6:44pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s only minor move:

Detroit Lions

Waived from reserve/retired list: DL John Penisini

Penisini was a surprising contributor for the Lions two years ago when he started 12 games as a rookie sixth-round pick. The Utah-product didn’t give a reason for his retirement at the time, but many thought it was related to a fairly serious injury he experienced before the 2021 season that resulted in calcium deposits building up in his shoulders the size of softballs.

Lions, WR Marvin Jones Agree To Deal

March 29th, 2023 at 3:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

A reunion is in store for the Lions and a familiar face on offense. Veteran wideout Marvin Jones Jr. is signing in Detroit on a one-year deal, reports Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link).

The contract has a base value of $3MM, while incentives could push it to $5MM. This deal will allow the 33-year-old to return to the Motor City, where he played between 2016 and 2020. It was during that span that he enjoyed the most productive campaigns of his career.

After starting his career with the Bengals, Jones established himself as one of the NFL’s top deep deep threats with the Lions. In 2017, he posted 1,101 yards and nine touchdowns on a league-leading average of 18 yards per reception. While his production dipped in the following seasons with injuries, the former fifth-rounder rebounded with 978 yards and another nine touchdowns in his final Lions term.

That helped earn Jones a two-year, $14.5MM contract with the Jaguars on the open market. The Cal product was brought in to serve as a veteran presence on an otherwise young team, and he was relied on heavily in 2021. Drawing a career-high 120 targets that year, Jones put up a 73-832-4 statline. His workload took a signficant step back this past season, after Jacksonville had made a number of investments in their pass-catching corps. As a result, Jones’ yardage total dropped to its lowest figure since 2018.

Still, he should be able to operate as a consistent secondary option amidst the Lions’ WR options. Detroit had a surprisingly efficient passing attack in 2022, but Amon-Ra St. Brown easily distanced himself from the rest of the team’s wideouts in terms of production. Especially since one-year signing DJ Chark has departed for the Panthers, Jones will be able to fill a veteran void at the position upon his return.

In addition to St. Brown, and now Jones, the Lions will of course also have 2022 first-rounder Jameson Williams in place for 2023. The latter was, as expected, limited in his game action and workload during his rookie campaign due to his recovery from a torn ACL. Now healthy, the Alabama product should give Detroit significant upside in their downfield passing game. Jones will give the team an additional boost in that regard, as he looks to regain his previous form with the team in the coming season.

Latest On Georgia DL Jalen Carter

March 28th, 2023 at 9:38pm CST by Ben Levine

Jalen Carter entered the offseason as a probable top-three pick and potential number-one pick. He has since been hit with two misdemeanor chargers stemming from a fatal car accident that killed Georgia offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy. Carter was charged with misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing but avoided jail time via a plea agreement.

Since then, we’ve learned that Carter’s pro day left scouts less than impressed. The defensive lineman reportedly put on weight leading up to Georgia’s pro day and put on a “less than stellar” performance. Carolina’s trade for the first-overall pick ended Carter’s hopes of going No. 1, but it remains to be seen how these recent developments will ultimately impact his draft stock.

The Lions could end up being a fit for the defensive tackle, and Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes that Detroit will host Carter on a top-30 visit. The Lions are currently armed with the No. 6 pick in the draft, but they could see some competition for Carter from non-QB-needy squads like the Cardinals (No. 3) and Seahawks (No. 5). As Birkett notes, the Lions could certainly use a player of Carter’s caliber on their defensive line, and GM Brad Holmes said the organization would leave “no stone unturned” as they evaluated their first-round options.

“Honestly, you’ve heard me preach intangibles since Day 1, and I’m a firm believer still that intangibles are the separators of success,” Holmes said (via Birkett). “You look at an Amon-Ra St. Brown, he’s a talented player, but his intangibles are as good as it gets and that’s why he has the success that he has. And there’s countless other players I could name to rattle off, but talent is one thing while the intangible piece, the character piece, are components. But it doesn’t make up the whole picture and the totality of the evaluation.”

If Carter sees a significant slide down the draft board, the Bears could be a landing spot at No. 9. The defensive tackle was a potential target for the organization before they traded the first-overall pick. Kevin Fishbain and Adam Jahns of The Athletic wrote earlier this month that the Bears were hesitant about the prospect even before the charges, with some scouts questioning the player’s intangibles. It would be difficult for an organization to put their faith in that kind of player with the No. 1 pick, but the Bears may be more willing to take a risk with the ninth-overall selection.

Lions, Texans Not Expected To Pursue Lamar Jackson

March 28th, 2023 at 6:45pm CST by Ben Levine

Looks like we can cross two more teams off the list of potential Lamar Jackson suitors. Lions coach Dan Campbell told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press that his team won’t be pursuing Jackson. Meanwhile, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets that the Texans won’t be involved in the Jackson sweepstakes.

Jackson requested a trade from the Ravens earlier this month, and the QB took his request public yesterday. Since then, Colts owner Jim Irsay seemed to imply that his team won’t be pursuing Jackson, citing the quarterback’s desire for a fully guaranteed contract. Jets GM Joe Douglas also said his team won’t go after Jackson out of respect for Aaron Rodgers and the Packers organization.

Now, it sounds like two more squads are out. While most teams will be wary of committing record-breaking guaranteed money to the QB, Campbell seemed to indicate that the Lions were also perfectly content with their current quarterback situation.

“Yeah, look, Lamar’s a heck of a talent,” Campbell said. “Trying to defend that guy has been something else. We played them two years ago but, man, we got a quarterback. So I’m like, we got a quarterback and thank God we got one, and so we’re good. But man, he’s a heck of a talent.”

Jared Goff made a Pro Bowl during his second season in Detroit after tossing 29 touchdowns vs. seven interceptions while helping lead the Lions to a 9-8 record. Goff will only be entering his age-29 season in 2023, and he still has two more years remaining on his contract (worth affordable base salaries of ~$20MM). Goff doesn’t provide as much upside as Jackson, but it’s hard to be too critical of the Lions when you also consider the monetary commitment they’d have to make to Jackson (plus the draft compensation they’d have to give up to Baltimore).

The Texans don’t have their future quarterback on the roster, but the organization also isn’t feeling much urgency to compete right away. Jackson would surely accelerate their timeline, but with the Texans armed with the second-overall pick, it’s much more likely they opt for a rookie QB who can grow alongside their young core.

While Jackson’s desire for guaranteed money has certainly cooled his market, Chris Mortensen tweets that teams are also wary of the QB’s injury history. One anonymous team was juggling the monetary investment vs. all of the games and practices that Jackson has missed in recent years, with one source wondering if the player’s “sleep habits and nutrition” have contributed to the absences.

One potential outcome is that Jackson remains with the Ravens, and despite the trade request. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the organization was discussing a new contract with the quarterback as recently as last week.

NFL Restructures: Okwara, Allen, Fatukasi

March 26th, 2023 at 6:58pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are a few details on recent contract restructures around the league:

Lions edge rusher Romeo Okwara came to an agreement to restructure his contract at the beginning of the week. According to Field Yates of ESPN, the renegotiated contract reduces his cap hit in 2023 from $14.5MM to $5.65MM.
After center Brian Allen reportedly agreed to a renegotiated deal, the Rams benefitted from a bit of cap relief. According to Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com, Allen’s restructured contract saved approximately $3.2MM in cap space for Los Angeles.
The Jaguars were able to reach an agreement on a restructured contract with defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi recently. The team converted $7.38MM of Fatukasi’s base salary into a signing bonus and added three void years. The moves resulted in about $5.9MM of additional cap space in 2023.

Lions Re-Sign QB Nate Sudfeld

March 24th, 2023 at 9:58am CST by Sam Robinson

The Lions picked up Nate Sudfeld after he failed to beat out Brock Purdy for the 49ers’ third-string job last summer, and the NFC North team will stay the course behind Jared Goff.

Detroit agreed to terms to bring back Sudfeld for a second season, the team announced Friday. Sudfeld is back in position to be Goff’s primary backup.

Sudfeld losing a job to Purdy no longer looks strange, given the rise of last year’s Mr. Irrelevant, and the ex-Eagles third-stringer backed into some job security after missing out on a 49ers third-string gig. The Lions cut David Blough to make room for Sudfeld last summer, and both Tim Boyle finished last season with the Bears. The Lions also brought in Josh Dobbs for a bit but let the Titans poach him off their practice squad. Dobbs is now back in Cleveland, while Boyle is unsigned.

Goff has missed just four games due to injury over his seven-year career. Three of those came during the 2021 season. Boyle replaced Goff for those games — all losses — but the resurgent starter played all 17 Lions contests last season. Sudfeld, however, remained on the roster throughout the year.

Perhaps best known for being the player at the heart of the Eagles’ much-discussed decision that may well have decided the 2020 NFC East title, Sudfeld is now heading into his eighth NFL season. Since Doug Pederson benched Jalen Hurts for Sudfeld in that Week 17 game two seasons ago, Sudfeld spent a year in San Francisco and a year in Detroit. Sudfeld played behind Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance in 2021.

Sudfeld, 29, operated as Nick Foles‘ backup during the Eagles’ 2017 Super Bowl LII run and in the following playoffs, after the team lost Carson Wentz to injury in both years. The Indiana alum spent four years in Philadelphia. The former Washington sixth-round pick has thrown just 37 regular-season passes, completing 25, in his pro career. He has one career touchdown pass.

Long thought to be preparing to draft a quarterback in 2022 or this year, the Lions are no longer believed to be strongly considering using one of their two first-round picks on a passer. This does not mean Detroit will punt on the position throughout the draft, but even if the team does select a later-round QB, Sudfeld would seemingly be in position as a mentor-type player in that scenario.

Lions OL Halapoulivaati Vaitai Agrees To Pay Cut, Removes 2024 Season From Deal

March 23rd, 2023 at 10:06am CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Lions featured one of the NFL’s better offensive lines last season, they were missing one of their starters throughout. Rather than make Halapoulivaati Vaitai a cap casualty, the team will see if the former starter can contribute in 2023.

The Lions reached a pay-cut agreement with Vaitai, Justin Rogers of the Detroit News tweets. Vaitai has also agreed to trim the 2024 season off his contract, making him a free agent after this coming year. Vaitai was attached to a five-year, $45MM deal — one signed in 2020 — but after he missed all of last season, he agreed to a reduction that will create cap space for the Lions.

Vaitai’s base salary will drop from $9.4MM to $3MM in 2023, per OverTheCap, with 2024 now being a void year. Vaitai’s 2023 cap hit will be reduced from $12.45MM to $5.1MM. As of Thursday morning, the Lions hold $26.1MM in cap space — third-most in the NFL. The void component here would add $3.8MM in dead money onto Detroit’s 2024 cap if Vaitai is not re-signed before the 2024 league year.

A September back surgery sidelined Vaitai last year, leading Evan Brown to replace him as the Lions’ primary right guard. Vaitai, 29, had worked as Detroit’s starter there from 2020-21, having come over from Philadelphia. Brown, who was Frank Ragnow‘s injury replacement in 2021, has since signed with the Seahawks. The Lions, however, have brought back Graham Glasgow as a potential guard option.

Formerly an Eagles tackle fill-in, Vaitai collected $20MM guaranteed as part of his 2020 agreement. He already reworked that deal in 2021 to create cap space. The Lions will see if they can get more out of that deal, and rather than refuse a pay cut and head into free agency coming off an injury-erased season, Vaitai will aim to return to form in Detroit. The Lions still have all five of their O-line starters in place from 2021, with Ragnow, Taylor Decker, Jonah Jackson and Penei Sewell under contract.

Glasgow’s cap figure will check in at $2.68MM, Rogers adds (on Twitter). The Lions also used a void year to finalize this reunion, though only $1.47MM would accelerate onto Detroit’s 2024 cap were Glasgow not re-signed before the start of the next league year. Glasgow, 30, wanted to return to Detroit but said (via Rogers) the 49ers and Panthers showed interest as well. The 49ers have since added Jon Feliciano as an interior swingman. Glasgow could wind up with a bigger role in Detroit, looking like the top replacement for Vaitai. Should Vaitai be unable to return to full strength, Glasgow has a clear path to becoming a Lions starter again.

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