HEADLINES

Ameer Abdullah

Lions’ Ameer Abdullah Has Shoulder Surgery

May 26th, 2016 at 11:02am CST by Zachary Links

11:02am: Abdullah should be cleared by the end of the month, a source tells Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com.

10:58am: Lions running back Ameer Abdullah underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in January, according to a source who spoke with Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. As of this writing, Abdullah “could miss the rest of the offseason” and it is not clear whether this injury could sideline him for the start of the regular season. Ameer Abdullah (vertical)

The running back hurt his shoulder in the Lions’ December win over the Saints but toughed it out and played in the team’s final two games against the 49ers and Bears. After the season was over, he went to famed surgeon Dr. James Andrews for his operation. Abdullah is said to be ahead of schedule in his rehab, but the Lions intend to proceed cautiously until training camp, Birkett writes.

Last year, the Lions selected Abdullah in the second round and it didn’t take long for his hype train to pick up steam. Ultimately, however, Abdullah found himself in a time share and did not put up the kind of gaudy numbers that some fans expected. In total, the 22-year-old (23 in June) ran for 597 yards off of 143 carries (4.2 yards per carry) with two rushing touchdowns. He also got involves in the passing game, recording 25 catches for 183 yards and one score. Abdullah’s highest rushing total (77 yards) came during his ill-fated performance against the Saints in December.

Abdullah is slotted in as the Lions No. 1 running back with Theo Riddick, Stevan Ridley, and Zach Zenner in support. The team also has seventh-round pick Dwayne Washington fighting for playing time.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Attaochu, Bowman, Bridgewater

July 5th, 2015 at 8:20pm CST by Rob DiRe

Earlier today, Rory Parks gave us a roundup of some notes from some early Sunday NFL news, including an update on Chris Borland‘s post-NFL life, Marcus Mariota’s potential holdout, and a couple of notes on the Saints, Browns, and Broncos.

Now, for anyone who was too busy watching the USA defeat Japan 5-2 in the World Cup, here are a couple more pieces of NFL news that trickled across the landscape this evening:

  • Second-year pass rusher Jeremiah Attaochu only had two sacks in limited snaps as a rookie, but is focused on improving that number in 2015, writes Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. He writes that Attaochu trained in combine-related drills for much of last offseason, but is focused on football-specific drills and getting reps in practice to prepare him for an increased role with the Chargers this year.
  • The Dolphins signed Zackary Bowman this offseason to compete for the starting cornerback job across from Brent Grimes, but right now the leader for that spot is Jamar Taylor, writes James Walker of ESPN. Bowman hasn’t stood out in minicamps, and Walker writes he has about a 50 percent chance of making the final roster, depending on how many cornerbacks the team keeps on the depth chart.
  • The Vikings are excited about Teddy Bridgewater and how he got stronger as the season went on in 2014, especially offensive coordinator Norv Turner, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today in his offseason report. With Adrian Peterson, Kyle Rudolph, Matt Kalil, and Brandon Fusco all back healthy on available, and Mike Wallace added to the fold, Bridgewater is ready to break out as leader of the offense.
  • Detroit Lions’ beat writer Dave Birkett addressed a number of issues on a Q&A with Ste Hoare of TheRouteTree.com. Birkett believes that Ameer Abdullah will begin the season as a complement to Joique Bell in the role Reggie Bush filled, but expects him to eventually emerge as the feature back. He also addresses the concern that first-round pick Laken Tomlinson’s interest in the medical field could leave him to an early retirement in the vain of Borland, but Birkett does not believe the team is worried and writes that the Lions encourage his interests off-the-field.

Minicamp Notes: Texans, Bengals, Browns, Lions

June 20th, 2015 at 8:01pm CST by Rob DiRe

As minicamps break, beat writers love to write (and we all love to read) quick notes about players and position groups who are either surprising or disappointing us.

Here are a few links to some of the best stories and observations coming out of minicamps from around the league:

  • The Texans minicamp has completed, and John McClain of the Houton Chronicle notes that Brian Cushing, Jadaveon Clowney, and Louis Nix all should contribute in 2015. McClain also picks Brian Hoyer as the best chance to start, although he writes that Ryan Mallett has terrific upside.
  • The Bengals didn’t get immediate returns from A.J. McCarron after drifting him on Day 3 in 2014, but he is impressing the coaching staff this offseason. The team says he is developing into a starting-quality quarterback, according to Chris Wesseling of NFL.com. However, while he isn’t an immediate threat to take the starting job, the perennially underwhelming Andy Dalton could be on a shorter leash if the coaching staff has faith in McCarron.
  • Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com gives her five takeaways from Browns’ minicamp, including the how good the offensive line and secondary should be, Josh McCown emerging as the clear starter at quarterback, Johnny Manziel still being a work in progress, and the lack of a go-to receiver on the roster.
  • Two players on the Lions who might contribute more than expected are rookie runing back Ameer Abdullah and second-year defensive tackle Caraun Reid, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. The team comes out of minicamp high on both players, as well as their secondary, but may add a veteran tackle at some point, according to Birkett.

NFC Notes: Rams, Garcia, Lions, Walsh

May 20th, 2015 at 8:57am CST by Luke Adams

Former NFL signal-caller Jeff Garcia interviewed for the Rams‘ quarterbacks coach job earlier in the offseason, but the position ultimately went to Chris Weinke. Still, the club apparently liked what it saw from Garcia. According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter), the Rams have added Garcia to their coaching staff as an offensive assistant for the coming season.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • Lance Moore received a $40K signing bonus from the Lions and will get another $40K bonus if he’s on the team’s roster in Week 1, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. As Birkett observes, the modest guaranteed money on the minimum salary deal hardly assures the veteran wideout of a regular season roster spot. Birkett also provides contract details for defensive lineman Corey Wootton ($150K guaranteed) and second-round running back Ameer Abdullah ($2.29MM guaranteed).
  • Asked about a possible contract extension to keep him in Minnesota beyond the 2015 season, kicker Blair Walsh expressed optimism, but cautioned that he and the Vikings haven’t had serious talks yet. “We have to make sure we’re on the same page and the numbers match up,” Walsh told Alex Marvez and Bill Polian on SiriusXM NFL Radio (TwitLonger link). “That’s for management and my agent to discuss. I’ll be ready to talk about it when they are.”
  • The Cowboys are happy to have cornerback Orlando Scandrick back at their offseason workouts, as Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram details. Scandrick and the team continue to discuss the possibility of a new contract that would increase his salary for 2015.
  • Seahawks defensive tackle Jesse Williams was diagnosed with papillary type 2 cancer and will undergo kidney surgery, the team announced this week.

Lions Sign Ameer Abdullah

May 13th, 2015 at 1:28pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lions have moved one step closer to completely locking up their 2015 draft class, announcing today that they’ve signed second-round running back Ameer Abdullah to his rookie deal. With Abdullah now under contract with the club, only first-round pick Laken Tomlinson remains unsigned.

Abdullah, the 54th overall pick in this year’s draft, was the fourth running back to come off the board, behind Todd Gurley, Melvin Gordon, and T.J. Yeldon. While Joique Bell may currently sit first on the Lions’ depth chart at the position, Abdullah is expected to play a major role in the backfield this year, and may also return kicks and/or punts for the team.

While Abdullah will count for a modest $756K hit against the Lions’ cap this season, he’ll earn a signing bonus of about $1.283MM now that he has inked his rookie contract. The four-year value of the rookie’s deal will be approximately $4.156MM, per Over The Cap.

Draft Notes: Winston, Gurley, Gordon

April 14th, 2015 at 3:53pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Jets, who hold the sixth overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft, are in need of a franchise quarterback and have already worked out Oregon’s Marcus Mariota, one of the top two signal callers available. They’d also like to visit with Florida State’s Jameis Winston, who joins Mariota as a likely top five pick, but that meeting may not happen. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Winston was unable to meet with the Jets when they wanted him to and the sides are now having difficulty finding a time.

Here’s the rest of the latest draft news:

  • The Browns, who are in search of a running back, have already visited with Georgia’s Todd Gurley, tweets ESPN’s Adam Caplan, and will next meet with Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon. ESPN’s Josina Anderson tweets that Gordon will be in Cleveland for a visit Thursday that could last through Friday. Both Gordon and Gurley are potential first-round picks. The Browns hold the 12th and 19th overall selections.
  • Having worked out Mariota, the Chargers will next head to Los Angeles to do the same with UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link).
  • The receiver-needy Panthers will meet with Central Florida’s Breshad Perriman tonight and tomorrow, per Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). They’ll also work out USC’s Nelson Agholor, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
  • The Broncos will visit with Texas A&M offensive tackle Cedric Ogbuehi next Tuesday, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post. Klis believes Ogbuehi could be a second-round target for the Broncos.
  • Mississippi State running back Josh Robinson recently visited with the Colts, per Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
  • San Jose State’s Akeem King, a former wide receiver who converted to safety, is drawing interest as a cornerback, tweets Matt Barrow of the Sacramento Bee. The Raiders, Falcons, Saints and Seahawks are all eyeing King.
  • The Falcons worked out Nebraska running back Ameer Abdullah, according to Ross Jones of FoxSports.com (Twitter link).
  • Cincinnati linebacker Jeff Luc will meet with both the Jets and Patriots prior to the draft, tweets Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller.

NFC Notes: Staley, Draft, Cowboys, Lions

April 6th, 2015 at 9:13pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers converted Joe Staley‘s option bonus to a signing bonus, affecting his cap number for 2015, as CBSSports.com’s Joel Corry (Twitter links) explains. Staley’s cap number has gone from $6.4MM to $7.6MM after his $6MM option bonus was converted. San Francisco, meanwhile, will get a salary cap credit of $1.2MM in 2016. The accounting move won’t result in a salary increase for the offensive tackle. Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap explicates the transaction.

Here’s more the NFC…

  • The Buccaneers‘ private workout with Oregon QB Marcus Mariota is set for tomorrow in Eugene, Albert Breer of NFL.com tweets.
  • The Cowboys have filled most their 30 allowed spots for draft visits, writes Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, who reports the following players have headed or will head to Valley Ranch in the coming days: running backs T.J. Yeldon, Todd Gurley, Melvin Gordon, Tevin Coleman, Jay Ajayi, and Ameer Adbullah; defensive lineman Bud Dupree and Danielle Hunter; linebacker Benardrick McKinney; and defensive backs Josh Shaw and Damarious Randall.
  • The Cowboys will also take a look at a defensive lineman tomorrow, as they’ll meet with UCLA DE Owa Odighizuma, per Rapoport (Twitter link), who adds that the former Bruin will also visit with the Saints. Odighizuma has already visited the Eagles.
  • Dallas will be flush with prospects on Tuesday, as the Cowboys will also visit with both versatile Washington product Shaq Thompson and UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks, according to Rapoport (Twitter link).
  • Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com takes an overview of the Lions’ roster, noting that while linebacker is a deep position group, Detroit could afford to spend draft resources on the interior of both the offensive and defensive lines.

Zach Links contributed to this post.