DL Michael Brockers Announces Retirement
Although Michael Brockers landed an offseason workout, he did not end up playing in 2023. The veteran defensive lineman will pass on playing in 2024. Brockers took to Instagram on Thursday to announce he will retire from the NFL after 11 seasons.
Best known for his lengthy Rams tenure, Brockers finished his career with the Lions. Not part of the Jared Goff–Matthew Stafford trade, Brockers ended up joining Goff in relocating to Detroit as part of a separate 2021 swap. The Lions tenure pushed the former first-round pick’s start count to 157 games. Brockers’ NFL exit comes two months after longtime D-line mate Aaron Donald wrapped his storied career.
Brockers, 33, will be best remembered for a seven-year stretch working alongside Donald. The longest-running sidekick of the all-time great DT’s career, Brockers was also regarded as an upper-crust D-lineman for much of his time with the Rams. The LSU alum ended up signing three contracts with the Rams, who valued him alongside Donald. While Brockers was dealt as the team assembled its Super Bowl LVI-winning roster, he played in Super Bowl LIII and was part of three playoff teams after having been part of a lengthy Rams playoff drought.
Midway through that 12-season drought, the Rams hired Jeff Fisher and GM Les Snead. The duo began its St. Louis tenure with an eventful draft. It took multiple trades for the Rams to end up with Brockers in 2012. The team moved down from No. 2 to No. 6, collecting two future first-rounders from Washington in a deal that gave Mike Shanahan‘s team a path to Robert Griffin III, and then slid down (via the Cowboys) from 6 to 14. The Snead-Fisher tandem made a pick there, and Brockers moved into the starting lineup in Week 4 of his rookie year.
Playing in Fisher’s 4-3 scheme during the first half of his Rams career and a 3-4 alignment during the second chapter, Brockers produced 28 of his 29 career sacks during his Rams run. He put together two five-sack seasons (2013, 2020) and notched at least seven tackles for loss in four separate seasons. For his career, Brockers tallied 64 TFLs. He made seven tackles against the Patriots in Super Bowl LIII.
It took extensive time for the post-Greatest Show on Turf Rams to regroup, and it did not happen under Fisher. But the Donald-Brockers partnership certainly worked well to close out the team’s St. Louis stay, and Sean McVay made the pair more relevant in the grand scheme upon arrival in 2017. Brockers became one of the NFL’s top interior run defenders, and the Rams rewarded him with a three-year, $33.25MM deal in 2016. Staying in form long enough to land a third quality contract, Brockers fetched a three-year, $24MM deal from the Rams. This came after a memorable Ravens plot, which involved a Brockers three-year, $30MM agreement being nixed due to concerns about the veteran 3-4 D-end’s health. Brockers managed to play three more NFL seasons.
The Lions reached a reworked deal with Brockers in 2022 and stopped his run of starts midway through that season, making him a healthy scratch during the ’22 slate’s second half. Although Brockers worked out for the Titans last summer, no deal came to pass. He will nevertheless finish his career with $69.8MM in earnings in St. Louis, Los Angeles and Detroit.
Titans Work Out DL Michael Brockers
Thanks to a February Lions release, Michael Brockers has been a free agent for more than three months. The veteran defensive lineman, however, is receiving interest to join what would be a third NFL team.
The Titans brought in the former Rams and Lions defensive lineman for a recent workout, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. A former first-round pick, Brockers has 11 years’ experience. Though, he ended his Lions stay with a run of healthy scratches.
[RELATED: Titans To Meet With DeAndre Hopkins]
Last season marked a change of pace for Brockers, who had played in at least 14 games in each season from 2013-21. The durable defensive lineman started 16 games for the 2021 Lions, being traded just before the Rams began their Super Bowl LVI march. Brockers did log a start in Super Bowl LIII, however. For his career, the 32-year-old interior D-lineman has made 157 career starts.
Tennessee lost some of its D-line depth this offseason, seeing DeMarcus Walker and Mario Edwards depart in free agency. The Titans did not draft a D-lineman this year, and although they roster one of the game’s best — in the recently extended Jeffery Simmons — and still have veteran Denico Autry under contract, it would not surprise to see the team make a summer addition to its defensive front.
Dating back to the Rams’ St. Louis days, Brockers spent nine seasons as a starter for the Missouri- and California-based franchise. The former No. 14 overall pick arrived two years before Aaron Donald, moving into St. Louis’ starting lineup as a rookie. While Brockers spent the first several years of his career in Jeff Fisher‘s 4-3 scheme, he successfully transitioned to the role of a 3-4 end under Wade Phillips and then Brandon Staley. Once one of the better interior defensive lineman in the game, Brockers did not transition too well to Detroit’s defense. Pro Football Focus rated him as one of the league’s worst D-line regulars in 2021, and the Lions benched him after five starts last season.
Brockers has 29 career sacks and 64 tackles for loss. He posted five sacks and 10 TFLs during his final Rams season (2020). Tennessee has utilized a 3-4 scheme for many years, and while Brockers signed a big-ticket Rams extension back in 2016 and agreed to a three-year, $24MM Lions deal in 2021, the LSU alum is unlikely to be a costly addition for a Titans team that has Hopkins on its radar.
Lions To Release DT Michael Brockers
Veteran defensive tackle Michael Brockers emerged as a cut candidate during the 2022 season. In advance of the upcoming new league year, his time with the Lions has come to an expected end.
Detroit is mutually parting ways with Brockers, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. The move comes with one year remaining on the 32-year-old’s contract, where he had a scheduled cap hit of nearly $14MM. This release will give the Lions $10MM in cap savings, and allow Brockers to move on to a new NFL home. 
The former first-rounder had an interesting offseason in 2020, reaching agreement with the Ravens on a free agent deal before ultimately staying with the Rams. One year later, he was dealt to the Lions for a seventh-round pick, a small price to pay for Detroit to add a d-lineman of his caliber. That was immediately followed by a three-year, $24MM deal being agreed upon.
Brockers was a full-time starter in 2021. He registered 52 tackles and one sack that year, marking a disappointing return on investment from the team’s perspective. That was followed by a restructure during the subsequent offseason, but a steep decline in playing time. The LSU product played in only six games in 2022, finding himself as a healthy scratch for much of the year.
That represented one of several notable moves made in the middle of the season as the Lions looked to turn around a struggling defense, one which saw a number of veterans underperform. Brockers was certainly among that group, as he logged a snap share of only 29% and registered just two pressures. Given his reputation as a disruptive player in the passing game, that figure pointed to the sides going their separate ways this offseason.
Brockers, who was Detroit’s oldest player in 2022, said during the season that he was not considering retirement. He will now get a head start on free agency and look to find a rotational role which will allow him to regain regular playing time and rebuild his value. The Lions, meanwhile, will add to their cap space and thus give themselves more opportunity to continue their youth movement along their defensive front.
That will likely include Isaiah Buggs and John Cominsky, who are both pending free agents. They took on a larger role amidst Brockers’ absence, and Birkett notes that the Lions intend to re-sign both of them. Savings from the latter’s release will help make that more plausible, as the team looks to take a significant step forward defensively this offseason.
Lions Rumors: Oruwariye, Brockers, R. Okwara
Just a few months ago, Lions cornerback Amani Oruwariye was reportedly in line for a lucrative contract extension, or perhaps a notable free agent contract next offseason. To say that Oruwariye’s stock has dropped since those reports surfaced would be an understatement.
Oruwariye has struggled mightily in 2022, and he was benched for Detroit’s Week 5 loss to the Patriots. He returned to the field for the team’s Week 7 loss to the Cowboys on Sunday — the Lions had a Week 6 bye — but a player that entered the season looking like a potential defensive cornerstone is now a trade candidate, as Justin Rogers of the Detroit News opines.
For what it’s worth, head coach Dan Campbell does not believe that Oruwariye’s uncertain contract situation has impacted his performance (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press), though the return of Jerry Jacobs — who was activated from the PUP list this week and who made his 2022 debut against Dallas — could make Oruwariye more expendable. Rogers believes the Lions would look for a fourth- or fifth-round pick if they seek to trade the Penn State product.
Here are a few more Detroit-related items:
- Like Oruwariye in Week 5, Michael Brockers was a healthy scratch for the Lions’ Week 7 contest against the Cowboys, as Kyle Meinke of MLive.com notes. The 31-year-old D-lineman had started each of the club’s previous five games, but he appeared in just 11 snaps in the New England matchup several weeks ago, and he has a grand total of two quarterback hits in 21 starts for Detroit over the past two years. Brockers is under club control through 2023, though the team can save $10MM against the cap if it releases him at year’s end. At this point, a release appears inevitable.
- Edge rusher Romeo Okwara suffered a torn Achilles last October, which ended his 2021 season after just four games, and he has been parked on the PUP list since July. He has been eligible to return for several weeks now, but Rogers says the Lions have given no indication that Okwara is ready to practice. Even if Okwara gets back on the field this year and performs as he did during his 10-sack 2020 campaign, Rogers believes the team may not retain him after the season is over. A release would create $7.5MM in cap room, and the team’s draft position and the development of players like second-round rookie Josh Paschal will factor into GM Brad Holmes‘ decision-making process.
- The Lions continue to be without first-round rookie Jameson Williams, and fellow wideout DJ Chark was recently placed on IR. Detroit’s WR group was further depleted on Sunday, as second-year pro Amon-Ra St. Brown took a hit to the head in the Dallas game and was immediately ruled out for the remainder of the contest pursuant to the new concussion protocol provisions (Twitter link via Rogers). His status for the Lions’ Week 8 game against the Dolphins will obviously be up in the air.
- In addition to Oruwariye, Rogers names DL Austin Bryant, C Evan Brown, and LB Chris Board as potential trade candidates. The 1-5 Lions profile as sellers as we approach the November 1 trade deadline.
Restructure Details: Brockers, Butker, Clark
Here’s a roundup of a few recent contract restructures:
- Michael Brockers, DT (Lions): Detroit converted $4MM of Brockers’ 2022 base salary into a signing bonus, which opened up $2MM of cap room, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Brockers signed a three-year, $24MM deal with the Lions in March 2021, and he appeared in 16 games (all starts) in his first year in the Motor City. However, he recorded just one sack and earned an abysmal 40.6 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.
- Harrison Butker, K (Chiefs): Butker injured his ankle in Kansas City’s Week 1 win over the Cardinals and missed the club’s Week 2 victory over the Chargers as a result. According to Yates, Butker agreed to convert $2.19MM of his 2022 base salary into a signing bonus, thereby giving KC an additional $1.46MM of cap room (Twitter link). Butker is signed through 2024 and is the league’s 10th-highest-paid kicker by measure of AAV.
- Chuck Clark, S (Ravens): There are no specifics on this one, though Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic tweets that Baltimore gave Clark a bit of a raise this year and also added some incentives to his deal. The Ravens doled out a big-ticket free agent contract to safety Marcus Williams in March and selected Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton in the first round of the draft, and Clark subsequently requested a trade. However, it eventually became clear that Clark would continue to play a prominent role on the defense in 2022, and in the team’s Week 1 victory over the Jets, the Virginia Tech product played in all 84 defensive snaps and tallied eight tackles and a forced fumble while continuing to wear the green dot. He is under club control through 2023 and was slated to earn $1.25MM in base pay this year. Per Zrebiec, this transaction represents a show of appreciation for how Clark handled himself this offseason.
- Desmond King, DB (Texans): The Texans have converted $911K of King’s 2022 salary into a signing bonus, thereby creating $455K of cap space (Twitter link via Yates). King re-signed with Houston this offseason after appearing in 16 games (12 starts) for the club in 2021 and posting 93 tackles to go along with three interceptions. His two-year contract is worth $7MM.
Ravens Targeting Defensive Linemen
While the Ravens have already made a notable move in free agency with the addition of safety Marcus Williams, they have needs along the defensive front. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, d-line is the next area of focus for the team through the remainder of free agency. 
[RELATED: Ravens’ DL Wolfe Considering Retirement]
Fowler notes that Calais Campbell – who is an unrestricted free agent – could still return to the Ravens. On the other hand, though, he reports that there is “leaguewide interest” in the 35-year-old. In two seasons in Baltimore, Campbell has recorded 77 tackles and 5.5 sacks. After nine seasons with the Ravens, nose tackle Brandon Williams is also a UFA.
Fowler names Michael Brockers as a potential Baltimore target, given that he could be a cap casualty. Brockers looked to be signing with the Ravens in 2020, but issues related to his medicals led to the deal falling through. The team then pivoted to Derek Wolfe, who had a productive first season with the team but missed all of 2021 due to injury.
As Fowler notes, help in the edge rush department is also a need for the Ravens. They looked to have a deal in place to re-unite with Za’Darius Smith, but he ultimately ended up signing with the Vikings. With most of the pass-rusher market having dried up, many expect the position to be a priority during the draft.
The Ravens currently have just under $11MM in cap space, so at least one notable signing along the front seven is possible. Given the current situation the team faces, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they make a move in the near future.
NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 1/3/22
Here are Monday’s activations from and placements on the reserve/COVID-19 lists:
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: C Sam Tecklenburg, DE Darryl Johnson, C Matt Paradis
Chicago Bears
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Jesper Horsted, LB Joel Iyiegbuniwe
Cincinnati Bengals
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Darius Phillips (remains on IR), WR Auden Tate (remains on IR)
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Jordan Evans
Denver Broncos
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: K Brandon McManus, P Sam Martin
Detroit Lions
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Michael Brockers, WR Josh Reynolds, OT Halapoulivaati Vaitai, TE Brock Wright
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Austin Bryant, T Taylor Decker, T Penei Sewell
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: RB Rodney Smith
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Chauncey Rivers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Jaire Alexander, OT Dennis Kelly, DB Darnell Savage, WR David Moore
Houston Texans
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Justin Reid
Indianapolis Colts
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Malik Jefferson
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: QB James Morgan, TE Eli Wolf
Kansas City Chiefs
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: OT Mike Remmers (remains on IR)
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Will Compton, LB Patrick Onwuasor
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: OG Lester Cotton, OG Jeremiah Poutasi
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Andrew Brown, LB Kenneth Murray
Los Angeles Rams
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Raymond Calais (remains on IR)
Miami Dolphins
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: NT John Jenkins, WR Preston Williams
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: C Spencer Pulley, DT Durval Queiroz Neto
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Patrick Jones II
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Camryn Bynum, G Ezra Cleveland, T Christian Darrisaw, LB Eric Kendricks, T Brian O’Neill
New England Patriots
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Myles Bryant
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: T William Sherman
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: K Wil Lutz, OL Landon Young
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Jalen Dalton (from IR)
New York Jets
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Kyle Phillips
Philadelphia Eagles
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Andre Chachere
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Genard Avery, DT Fletcher Cox, DB Marcus Epps, G Nate Herbig, RB Jordan Howard, C Jason Kelce, DB Avonte Maddox, DB Rodney McLeod, RB Boston Scott, LB Alex Singleton, TE Jack Stoll
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Damion Willis
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Raheem Mostert (from IR), CB K’Waun Williams, DB Jimmie Ward
Seattle Seahawks
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Alton Robinson
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Julio Jones, LB Jayon Brown, OT Kendall Lamm
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Briean Boddy-Calhoun
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: OT Paul Adams
Washington Football Team
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Samuel Cosmi, CB Darryl Roberts
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: G Beau Benzschawel
NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 12/29/21
Several key players returned to practice Wednesday. Here are the latest COVID-19 updates from around the league:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: P Andy Lee
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: OLB Devon Kennard
Atlanta Falcons
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Jonathan Bullard, S Jaylinn Hawkins, TE Hayden Hurst
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: OL Willie Beavers
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Chris Board, LB Tyus Bowser, LB Justin Houston, S Geno Stone, LB Kristian Welch
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: OT David Sharpe, QB Christ Streveler
Buffalo Bills
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Cole Beasley, WR Gabriel Davis, DE A.J. Epenesa, OL Jon Feliciano
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: OL Dennis Daley, G Pat Elflein
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: DE Austin Larkin
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Haason Reddick, QB P.J. Walker
Cincinnati Bengals
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Mike Thomas
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Germaine Pratt
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: QB Nick Mullens
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Trysten Hill, S Malik Hooker
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: RB JaQuan Hardy, WR Brandon Smith
Denver Broncos
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: C Lloyd Cushenberry
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: T Calvin Anderson, WR Tim Patrick, S Caden Sterns
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Tyrie Cleveland
Detroit Lions
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Trinity Benson, T Matt Nelson, WR Quintez Cephus
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Michael Brockers, G Halapoulivaati Vaitai
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Geronimo Allison
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: OT Cole Van Lanen
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Henry Black, TE Tyler Davis, DL Kingsley Keke, P Cody Bojorquez
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Jayson Stanley
Houston Texans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Maliek Collins, WR Brandin Cooks, K Ka’imi Fairbairn, LB Jonathan Greenard, LB Kamu Grugier-Hill, LB Neville Hewitt, LB Jordan Jenkins, DL Jaleel Johnson, DL Roy Lopez, DB A.J. Moore, S Eric Murray, LB Derek Rivers, LB Eric Wilson, C Justin Britt, G Lane Taylor
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Cre’Von LeBlanc
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Ron’Dell Carter, WR Chris Moore
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: K Dominik Eberle
Indianapolis Colts
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: G Mark Glowinski, G Quenton Nelson, DE Kemoko Turay, DB Rock Ya-Sin, TE Farrod Green
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: QB James Morgan, TE Eli Wolf
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Jaydon Mickens, LB Dylan Moses, LT Cam Robinson, S Johnathan Ford
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Josh Hammond
Kansas City Chiefs
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Travis Kelce, K Harrison Butker, CB Rashad Fenton, P Tommy Townsend, S Armani Watts
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: LB Darius Harris
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: G Jermaine Eluemunor, CB Brandon Facyson, S Roderic Teamer
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Kendal Vickers, TE Darren Waller (story)
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: G Lester Cotton, G Jeremiah Poutasi
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: OLB Joey Bosa, WR Jalen Guyton, CB Kemon Hall, C Corey Linsley, DB Trey Marshall, LB Cole Christiansen
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Kenneth Murray, T Storm Norton
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Raymond Calais
Miami Dolphins
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Cethan Carter, CB Justin Coleman, G Robert Jones, OL Greg Mancz, LB Duke Riley, WR Lynn Bowden
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: C Spencer Pulley
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Dalvin Cook
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Tye Smith
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Patrick Jones II
New England Patriots
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Rhamondre Stevenson, OLB Harvey Langi
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Ja’Whaun Bentley, LB Matt Judon
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Demario Davis, QB Taysom Hill, QB Trevor Siemian, LB Kwon Alexander, LB Kaden Elliss, S J.T. Gray, OT Jordan Mills, OG James Carpenter, DT Christian Ringo, TE Adam Trautman, S Jeff Heath
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Marcus Williams
New York Giants
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Keion Crossen, DB Adoree’ Jackson, WR John Ross
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Dexter Lawrence
New York Jets
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Michael Carter II, DT Folorunso Fatukasi, QB Joe Flacco, DL Jonathan Marshall, LB Hamsah Nasirildeen, TE Kenny Yeboah
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: LB Noah Dawkins, CB Lamar Jackson, DL Tanzel Smart
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Ken Webster
Philadelphia Eagles
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Le’Raven Clark, T Andre Dillard, DE Tarron Jackson, DE Ryan Kerrigan
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Rico Bussey
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Bryan Mone, CB D.J. Reed
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Michael Jackson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Jamel Dean, WR Mike Evans, CB Sean Murphy-Bunting, WR Breshad Perriman
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Taylor Lewan, DB Elijah Molden, G Rodger Saffold
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: ILB Jayon Brown, OLB Bud Dupree, WR Julio Jones, DB Buster Skrine, WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Briean Boddy-Calhoun
Washington Football Team
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Darryl Roberts
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: OL Beau Benzschawel, T David Steinmetz
Lions, Michael Brockers Agree To New Deal
Michael Brockers agreed to two contracts in free agency last year, coming to terms with both the Ravens and Rams. The veteran defensive lineman now has another new deal, this time with the Lions.
After acquiring Brockers for just a seventh-round pick, the Lions agreed to a new contract with the nine-year vet. Brockers is now attached to a three-year, $24MM contract with the Lions, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.
This deal will benefit Brockers in guarantees. After no guarantees remained on his latest Rams extension — also a three-year, $24MM pact — the Lions have included $11MM in guarantees for their newly acquired interior defender. This should move Brockers from being signed through 2022 to being under Lions control through 2023.
After Brockers’ Ravens three-year, $30MM Ravens agreement fell through, the Rams swooped in and re-signed him last March. Aaron Donald‘s longtime D-line sidekick registered five sacks and matched his career high with 10 QB hits in 2020.
Brockers joins Jared Goff in heading from Los Angeles to Detroit, with new GM Brad Holmes bringing in some familiar players to start a rebuild in Detroit. Brockers, 30, has been an ultra-reliable player over the course of his career. He has missed just six games in nine seasons, and one of those came because he landed on the Rams’ reserve/COVID-19 list late last season.
Rams Trade Michael Brockers To Lions For Seventh-Round Pick
Early Wednesday, the Lions acquired defensive lineman Michael Brockers from the Rams. The cost? A 2023 seventh-round pick, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).
Lions GM Brad Holmes kicked off his new responsibilities by shipping Matthew Stafford to Los Angeles in a blockbuster trade. This week, he went back to the Rams’ well for Brockers, a 2012 first-round pick who was a bit too pricey for L.A., even though he’s been productive. Last year, Brockers notched five sacks and 51 total stops in 15 games (all stars).
The Rams re-upped Brockers last year on a three-year, $24MM deal after his would-be Ravens agreement fell through. Brockers was a good bet to get cut, saving $6.17MM against the cap with $3.67MM in dead money. Instead, they got something in exchange for him — even if it’s not all that much.
Brockers will join Trey Flowers and newly re-signed edge rusher Romeo Okwara in the Lions’ front seven. Meanwhile, last year’s top nose tackle Danny Shelton is out of the picture following his release.