HEADLINES

Taylor Decker

Lions Activate OTs Taylor Decker, Corey Robinson

November 11th, 2017 at 12:09pm CST by Ben Levine

The Lions have activated a pair of lineman today, adding some much-needed reinforcement to the unit. The team announced on Twitter that they’ve activated left tackle Taylor Decker off the PUP and tackle Corey Robinson off the injured reserve. To make room on the roster, the team has waived wideout Jace Billingsley (via Tim Twentyman on Twitter).

Taylor DeckerDecker suffered a shoulder injury way back during OTAs and subsequently underwent surgery on a torn labrum. A 2016 first-round pick, the Ohio State product started all 16 games last season, with Pro Football Focus rating him as one of the top offensive tackles in the game. Decker will surely be a welcome addition to a Lions’ offensive line that has allowed 26 sacks this season. Offseason addition Greg Robinson was brought in to replace the previously-injured Decker, but the lineman struggled during his tenure in Detroit and was waived-injured earlier this week.

“When Deck’s ready, Deck’s going to play,” head coach Jim Caldwell said earlier this week (via ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein). “There’s a reason why he’s here, a reason why we picked him where we picked him. He’ll play when he’s ready.”

Robinson, a 2015 seventh-round pick, appeared in 14 games (three starts) for the Lions last season. The 25-year-old has battled through a foot injury since the end of last year, forcing him to miss the majority of the 2017 campaign. Thanks to his ability to play both tackle spots, Robinson should slide in as a top reserve behind Decker and Ricky Wagner.

Billingsley, a 2016 undrafted free agent out of Eastern Oregon State, has appeared in two career games, compiling a pair of special teams tackles.

Tackle Notes: Remmers, Hill, Decker, Staley

November 10th, 2017 at 5:06pm CST by GregGoldstein

The Vikings will be without their starting right tackle when they go to Washington on Sunday. Mike Remmers has started all year long at the position, but will be unable to play because of a concussion he suffered during the team’s game two weeks ago, according to Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune. Backup tackle Rashod Hill will make his first start of his NFL career in the veteran’s place. Hill, 25, has played in 147 snaps, but seems comfortable with his new role given that he’s had a full week of practice to prepare.

“Oh yeah, it helps me a lot, man,” Hill said of practicing at right tackle all week. “Because unfortunately, when we were in London and Mike went down, I had been playing left [tackle] all week. So getting a full week down means getting a better feel for the plays.”

Hill is still in a difficult spot given that Remmers ranks as the 12th best tackle in all of football, according to Pro Football Focus.

  • Lions head coach Jim Caldwell told the media today that left tackle Taylor Decker is “close to returning”, as relayed by the team’s website. The second-year left tackle has been sidelined with a shoulder injury for the entire first half of the season with backup tackle Greg Robinson mainly taking over to protect Matt Stafford’s blindside. However, Detroit just released their backup offensive lineman earlier today, which clears the road for Decker to get back into the starting lineup in short order. Decker’s return will be a huge boost to a Lions team that is currently on the outside of the playoff picture. Decker started all 16 games for the Lions during his rookie campaign.
  • Another prominent offensive tackle looks likely to return from injury. 49ers veteran offensive lineman Joe Staley appears on track to play this Sunday after suffering an orbital fracture two weeks ago vs. the Eagles, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Gate. Branch notes that Staley was expected to miss at least two weeks with the injury, but is now ahead of schedule with his recovery. The veteran will have to wear a visor in order to protect his injured eye, but seeing the 33 year-old tough out the pain is the reason why he’s been one of the best lineman in football over the past decade. The 49ers will attempt to win their first game of the season when take on the Giants at home this weekend.

Lions’ Taylor Decker Returns To Practice

November 1st, 2017 at 12:08pm CST by Zachary Links

Lions left tackle Taylor Decker will begin practicing on Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) hears. It’s a big step forward for Decker, who began the season the PUP list. Taylor Decker (vertical)

When Decker takes the practice field, it will trigger a three-week window for the Lions to activate him. If, for some reason, he is not activated within those 21 days, the Lions will be unable to use him for the remainder of the year.

Decker was said to have a four-to-six month timeline when he suffered his shoulder injury in June and he has progressed well in his recovery. The Lions are eager to get the 23-year-old back on the field, particularly given the way fill-in Greg Robinson has performed. Robinson currently ranks as the fourth-worst qualified tackle in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus. To make matters worse, both Robinson and reserve Emmett Cleary missed Sunday’s game with ankle injuries and their status is uncertain for Monday night against Green Bay.

As a rookie, Decker was rated as the 23rd-highest tackle out of 78 qualified players, per PFF.

NFC Notes: Vikings, Floyd, Lions, Eagles

September 30th, 2017 at 7:43pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Given that wide receiver Michael Floyd‘s four-game suspension will conclude this Sunday, the Vikings will need to make a roster move in order to clear space for the veteran pass-catcher, as Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press writes. Clubs are typically given roster exemptions when a player returns from a ban, so Minnesota will likely have until Wednesday or Thursday to make a transaction. The most likely candidates to be removed from the Vikings’ active 53 appear to be rookie wideouts Rodney Adams and Stacy Coley, per Tomasson, as neither has played much during the 2017 campaign. Floyd, 27, inked a one-year, $1.41MM deal with Minnesota that didn’t include any guaranteed money.

Here’s more from the NFC:

  • The Lions expect left tackle Taylor Decker to return from a shoulder injury in late October or early November, according to Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. Originally given a four-to-six month timeline when injured in June, Decker has been progressing well in his recovery, and nearly every report on his timetable has been positive. Because he’s on the physically unable to perform list, Decker is required to miss at least six games before returning to action. Detroit has a bye in Week 7, however, so the earliest he can realistically come back is Week 9 against the Steelers, as Meinke details. Trade acquisition Greg Robinson has started in Decker’s stead, but he’s graded as the league’s second-worst tackle, per Pro Football Focus.
  • Linebacker Mychal Kendricks was finally able to play in more than half the Eagles‘ defensive snaps in Week 3 following an injury to fellow defender Jordan Hicks, and Kendricks wasn’t able to stifle his frustration at typically being only a base-package player. “I haven’t been able to play,” Kendricks said, per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I could have been doing this. … You only have so much time to do this [stuff], man.” Kendricks, who posted seven tackles and two passes defensed last Sunday, has frequently been mentioned in trade rumors but hasn’t been moved.
  • In case you missed it, the NFL suspended Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan two games for his brutal hit on Packers wide receiver Davante Adams on Thursday Night Football.

North Notes: Burfict, Bears, Packers, Decker

September 28th, 2017 at 6:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Vontaze Burfict‘s Bengals contract calls for a $2MM roster bonus if he’s on the team by March 31 of next year, Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. The Bengals protected themselves heavily with the Burfict extension, one that could pay out $33.234MM through 2020, since the deal comes with just $3.3MM guaranteed. Speaking publicly about the extension for the first time, Burfict didn’t elaborate much about his decision to bypass free agency for a largely non-guaranteed deal. Although, he did say he appreciates the Bengals’ support in agreeing to take him on long-term given his suspension history. “I hope so,” Burfict said (via Owczarski) of the feeling of support. “I give my blood, sweat and tears out on the field. It’s vice versa. I appreciate everything they do for me and my family and like I said, let’s go get a win on Sunday. Now we’re in for four more years, so we’re past it now. So now obviously just win some games.”

The Bengals reinstated Burfict on Thursday.

Here’s the latest from the North divisions on a night when their most storied rivalry takes center stage.

  • The Bears‘ Tarik Cohen pursuit began when Ryan Pace‘s top southeastern scout declared the then-North Carolina A&T running back was his favorite player to watch, over all of the SEC prospects he observed, and the Chicago GM soon became enamored as well, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (video link). The Bears selected several small-school talents this year, with second-round tight end Adam Shaheen being the first, but Cohen — a fourth-rounder — has played an impact role from the start.
  • While Cohen will receive his first chance to display the elusiveness that enticed the Bears to a national audience, the Packers will be down several key players. Both starting tackles — David Bakhtiari and Bryan Bulaga — are out, and Mike Daniels will miss the Week 4 tilt as well. The Packers are already down would-be backup options in Don Barclay, Jason Spriggs and Kyle Murphy — each on IR — so Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com tweets a four-guard lineup could be on tap. Justin McCray, who started at tackle for Bakhtiari in Week 2, and fellow rookie Adam Pankey join second-year player Lucas Patrick in the mix to protect Aaron Rodgers on Thursday. Each of those players entered the league as a UDFA. The Packers played without both starting tackles against the Falcons, with Murphy and McCray receiving the replacement starts.
  • The Bears aren’t judging Mike Glennon in their impending quarterback swap but rather are monitoring Mitch Trubisky to determine when the rookie will be ready to take over, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes. Glennon has struggled during his first three starts, and Biggs categorizes the season’s plan — once based around Trubisky redshirting as a rookie — as a week-to-week arrangement.
  • Ka’Deem Carey‘s Bears injury settlement was worth $273,529, Biggs reports. The Bears placed the backup running back on IR just before the season, and the settlement came shortly after.
  • Not known for particularly expansive pressers, Jim Caldwell succinctly assessed Taylor Decker‘s status. The fourth-year Lions coach said Decker is “progressing towards” a midseason return, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press notes. The left tackle was given a four- to six-month timetable upon a labrum tear in June. Midseason would fall in that range. Greg Robinson currently mans the left edge for the Lions.
  • Tests done on Danny Shelton‘s injured calf don’t look to reveal a serious malady, Rapoport tweets. The Browns defensive tackle injured the calf in practice Wednesday. He has not missed a game in his three-year career.

Lions Set 53-Man Roster

September 2nd, 2017 at 4:07pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Lions have met the NFL’s 53-man maximum requirement by making the following transactions:

Traded:

Released:

Waived:

Suspended:

Placed on non-football injury list:

Placed physically unable to perform list:

Lions Notes: Stafford, Quin, Caldwell, Decker

July 29th, 2017 at 8:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although “internal optimism” exists regarding the Lions’ extension talks with quarterback Matthew Stafford, the veteran signal-caller says there’s “no timetable” guiding the negotiations, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (Twitter link). Although Stafford admitted that his agent Tom Condon is currently discussing a deal with Detroit, he told reporters he wasn’t sure if he’d allow negotiations to continue once the regular season gets underway, as Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports. Last month, Lions president Rod Wood implied he’d be “comfortable” making Stafford the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback, which would mean agreeing to an annual salary north of $25MM.

Here’s more from the Motor City:

  • Extension discussions are also underway between the Lions and safety Glover Quin, and Quin is confident an agreement will ultimately be hammered out, tweets Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. Quin, 31, is entering the final season of a five-year, $23.5MM pact he signed prior to the 2013 campaign. Next season, he’s scheduled to a $4MM base salary and a $1MM roster bonus while carrying a cap charge of ~$7.828MM. Quin’s annual salary of $4.7MM ranks just 27th among NFL safeties.
  • Lions head coach Jim Caldwell is also entering the final year of his contract, but he’s not worried about serving out the season as a lame-duck head coach, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. “I don’t even worry about it and I think I’ve tried to explain pretty well to you guys that there hasn’t been a time in my life where you operate under certain things,” Caldwell said. “You never know if you have a 15-year contract, it doesn’t mean you’re not going to be fired tomorrow. So you always got to perform.” Through four seasons as Detroit’s head coach, Caldwell has posted a 27-21 regular season record and lead the club to two NFC Wild Card appearances.
  • Injured left tackle Taylor Decker is no longer wearing a sling and is “on track” in his rehab from a torn labrum, as Twentyman reports in a full article. Decker was projected to miss four-to-six months when he was originally injured in early June, meaning he could certainly be sidelined for the early portion of the 2017 season. In response, the Lions acquired former No. 2 overall pick Greg Robinson from the Lions and signed ex-Bills offensive lineman Cyrus Kouandjio.

Taylor Decker Out 4-6 Months

June 9th, 2017 at 4:21pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The shoulder injury that Lions left tackle Taylor Decker incurred during organized team activities seems worse than initially feared. The 22-year-old suffered a torn labrum and will sit out four to six months, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Conor Orr of NFL.com). Decker now looks like a candidate to begin 2017 on the physically unable to perform list, which would cost the second-year man at least the first six weeks of the regular season.

Taylor Decker

Decker was the sturdiest member of Detroit’s O-line during his rookie season, starting each of the Lions’ games and joining quarterback Matthew Stafford as their only offensive players to line up for all 1,037 of the unit’s snaps. The first-round pick out of Ohio State was quite effective during that action, as Pro Football Focus assigned his performance the 23rd-highest grade out of 78 qualified tackles.

Not having Decker for the foreseeable future could force the Lions to shift right tackle Ricky Wagner to the left side and/or scour free agency for another viable option. The club did sign Tony Hills on Thursday, but the 32-year-old has just one start on his resume. Before adding Hills, Detroit visited with Cyrus Kouandjio, one of the top bookends on the market, though there’s no word on whether it’s interested in signing him. Other experienced free agents include Ryan Clady, King Dunlap, Austin Pasztor and Will Beatty. On the other hand, if the Lions stay in house to find their starter opposite Wagner, their choices are Hills, Cornelius Lucas and Joe Dahl. Those three have just seven starts among them.

Taylor Decker Could Miss Start Of Season

June 6th, 2017 at 4:27pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Lions might have to begin the 2017 campaign without left tackle Taylor Decker, head coach Jim Caldwell told Kyle Meinke of MLive.com and other media on Tuesday. Decker underwent shoulder surgery Monday as a result of an injury he suffered during organized team activities, and he’ll be out until at least training camp and potentially into the regular season.

Taylor Decker

“Anytime that you’ve had surgery, you just don’t know details (about) how long it actually takes,” Caldwell stated. “Like I said, we’ll update you in the fall.”

Decker, whom the Lions chose 16th overall in last year’s draft, emerged as a 16-game starter during his rookie season. The former Ohio State stalwart carried his strong play with the Buckeyes to Detroit, ranking 23rd in performance among Pro Football Focus’ 78 qualified tackles. More impressively, perhaps, Decker joined quarterback Matthew Stafford as the Lions’ only players to participate in all 1,037 of their offensive snaps.

When he’s ready to return, the 23-year-old Decker will rejoin a remade offensive line that, earlier this offseason, lost guard Larry Warford and tackle Riley Reiff and replaced them with big-money signings T.J. Lang and Ricky Wagner. Those two will make up the right side of the Lions’ O-line when Decker’s healthy. But Wagner could shift to the left with Decker out, per Caldwell, or the team could use another in-house option in Cornelius Lucas or Joe Dahl. Caldwell also didn’t rule out the possibility of adding a tackle from outside the organization. That could put free agents such as Ryan Clady, Austin Pasztor and King Dunlap, among others, in play for the Decker-less Lions.

NFC Notes: Cam, Lions, Decker, Redskins

June 29th, 2016 at 7:43pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Andrew Luck‘s six-year, $140MM extension featuring $87MM in guarantees makes the deal the Panthers gave Cam Newton last June look even more like a bargain, opines Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Carolina awarded five years, $103MM and $60MM in guarantees to Newton, who proceeded to lead the Panthers to a 15-1 regular-season record and a Super Bowl berth in 2015-16. Newton also parlayed 45 touchdowns and nearly 4,500 total yards into NFL MVP honors.

Elsewhere around the NFC…

  • Lions first-rounder Taylor Decker is on track to start at left tackle, thus sending veteran Riley Reiff to the right side, according to Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. Decker – an ex-Ohio State stalwart whom the Lions took 16th overall – manned left tackle for every OTA and minicamp rep that was open to the media, per Meinke, who contends that the 6-foot-7, 310-pounder has the physicality and blocking skills necessary to help turn around the Lions’ last-ranked rushing attack.
  • A lack of established rushing options puts the Redskins in danger of having a one-dimensional offense this year, writes Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post. Including starter Matt Jones – who averaged only 3.4 yards per carry as a rookie and had as many fumbles as touchdowns (four) – the Redskins have a slew of unproven ball carriers, as Roster Resource shows. The most seasoned of the group is Chris Thompson, who has 15 games (38 rushes) under his belt and has dealt with recent back trouble, notes Tesfatsion. Of course, it’s worth mentioning that the Redskins’ Alfred Morris-led ground game had the third-worst yards-per-carry mark in the league in 2015, but that didn’t stop the team from winning the NFC East.
  • Earlier Wednesday, the Seahawks made receiver Doug Baldwin‘s four-year contract extension official. We also learned that Cowboys second-round rookie Jaylon Smith is unlikely to play this year.
Load More Posts