HEADLINES

Detroit Lions News & Rumors

Lions Notes: Iloka, Ngata, Reiff, Ansah, Taylor

February 28th, 2016 at 4:05pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Lions plan to target Bengals safety George Iloka when the free agent period begins Match 9, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Cincinnati director of pro personnel Duke Tobin recently said his club would be “proactive” when it comes to re-signing Iloka and the team’s other free agents, but there’s no question the 25-year-old Iloka is set up for a big payday. PFR’s Connor Byrne pointed to Iloka as a possible solution for the Lions at safety in his recent preview of Detroit’s offseason.

Here’s the latest out of the Motor City, all courtesy of Birkett:

  • Free agent defensive lineman Haloti Ngata is “increasingly likely” to return to Detroit, per Birkett. The two sides reportedly aren’t far off in negotiations, and the Lions and Ngata’s representatives have until March 9 to work out what Birkett terms a “bridgeable gap.”
  • While general manager Bob Quinn last week said that Riley Reiff will remain with the Lions at $8MM+ salary, Birkett says that is not an indication the the club is sold on Reiff as its left tackle of the future. Quinn, in fact, would like to upgrade the position, but it’s unlikely that Detroit will be able to find a better option on the free agent market.
  • There’s no indication that the Lions will work out extensions with defensive lineman Ziggy Ansah or Devin Taylor this offseason, according to Birkett. Of course, the club doesn’t need to be in any rush, as it controls both players through the 2016 season (and realistically, through 2017 for Ansah, as Detroit hold a fifth-year option on the defensive end).
  • Punter Sam Martin, like Ansah and Taylor a member of the Lions’ 2013 draft class, has changed agents, which could be a sign that he wants a new deal, writes Birkett.
  • The Lions will be in the market for a receiver if Calvin Johnson follows through on retirement, and Birkett hears that the top free agent pass-catchers — outside of the franchise-tagged Alshon Jeffery, the class is headed by Travis Benjamin and Marvin Jones — are expected to target $6MM per year. For what it’s worth, a report earlier this month indicated that Jones would actually look for $7MM annually.

NFC Notes: Saints, JPP, 49ers, Lions

February 27th, 2016 at 12:25pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the NFC…

  • The Saints have interest in linebacker James Laurinaitis, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). The team is hoping to have the 29-year-old in for a visit next week.
  • The Giants have been working to get a deal done with Jason Pierre-Paul before free agency opens, tweets ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano.
  • 49ers coach Chip Kelly is Colin Kaepernick‘s best chance to “re-establish himself as a reliable NFL starter,” writes Mark Maske of The Washington Post. Therefore, the writer says the quarterback is wrong for asking for a trade, and he believes the 49ers would be wrong to consider the request.
  • Lions general manager Bob Quinn is optimistic that linebacker DeAndre Levy will be ready to go for the start of the 2016 season. “I’m fairly confident,” Quinn said (via Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com). “I have not seen DeAndre in the building as of yet. I’m really interested to see when he comes back for the offseason program what kind of shape he’s in and how he’s looking. But we’re confident he’s going to be ready for the season.”

Draft Notes: Ravens, Jaguars, Lions

February 27th, 2016 at 11:18am CST by Ben Levine

With the NFL Draft Combine continuing today, let’s check out some assorted draft notes from around the league…

  • The Ravens have prioritized taking a rookie pass rusher, leading ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley to question whether the team would opt for Ohio State’s Joey Bosa with the sixth pick. Bosa played defensive end in a 4-3 scheme in college, but he’d likely have to play linebacker in the Ravens 3-4 system.
  • Meanwhile, Ryan O’Halloran of Jacksonville.com writes that Bosa is among the players being targeted by the Jaguars with the fifth pick. General manager Dave Caldwell previously said the team would use a good portion of their picks on defense, making the Ohio State standout a logical selection.
  • For what it’s worth, Bosa told reporters that he’s the best player in this year’s draft (via O’Halloran): “I do believe I’m the best player in the draft. There are a lot of amazing players in this draft, and it will be up to Tennessee to make that decision. As a top player, you have to believe [you’re the best] or there’s something wrong…I think I’m the best pass rusher [and] the best defensive lineman in the country.”
  • ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein wonders if the Lions could target wideout Laquon Treadwell with their first-round pick. While there are questions about whether the Ole Miss star is actually the best receiver in the draft, Rothstein believes the team should go for him if he’s there for the taking.

North Notes: Lions, Greenway, Bengals

February 25th, 2016 at 11:20am CST by Luke Adams

Lions general manager Bob Quinn said at the combine this week that one of his main objectives this offseason will be to improve the team’s roster depth, though he’s somewhat wary of relying on the free agent market to fill those holes, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details.

“The thing about free agency is you don’t really know who’s going to be available,” Quinn said. “I have a list of players like everyone else does, but these guys are getting signed every hour right now. There’s a couple guys I saw on NFL Network half an hour ago that just redid their contracts. So we’re prepared for all scenarios. We have the guys that we want to target at each level, different positions, across the board.”

Here’s more from out of the NFL’s North divisions:

  • Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer expects Chad Greenway to return to the club in 2016, telling Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune (Twitter link) that the club thinks the veteran linebacker can still play. Greenway, a free agent, has said he’d like to re-sign with Minnesota for one more season before retiring.
  • Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin told reporters – including Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com (Twitter link) – that he’s hoping to retain free agent safeties Reggie Nelson and George Iloka this spring. The team is being “proactive” when it comes to trying to keep those safeties – and free agent wide receivers Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu – off the open market, according to Tobin, who added that the Bengals will “spend resources” to keep their guys (Twitter link).
  • Tobin also said on Thursday that the Bengals love Adam Jones‘ passion and will try to re-sign the cornerback before he becomes an unrestricted free agent (Twitter link via Hobson).
  • Earlier today, we rounded up a few Browns rumors, passed along the latest on the Packers, and learned that running back Trent Richardson is expected to sign with the Ravens.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

NFLPA Announces Cap Carryover Amounts

February 25th, 2016 at 9:12am CST by Luke Adams

The NFL Players Association issued a press release today announcing the salary cap carryover amounts for all 32 NFL teams for the 2016 season. The official salary cap amount for 2016 has yet to be announced by the league, but it’s expected to be in the neighborhood of $155MM+. When that figures becomes official, it can be added to each team’s carryover amount to determine that club’s official cap for 2016.

According to the press release, the Broncos, Rams, and the Saints are the only teams that opted not to carry over the full amount available to them, though none of those clubs are believed to have left significant amounts on the table.

Here are the salary cap carryover amounts for 2016, per the NFLPA, from highest to lowest:

  1. Jacksonville Jaguars: $32,774,928
  2. Tennessee Titans: $20,783,801
  3. Cleveland Browns: $20,734,144
  4. Oakland Raiders: $13,373,617
  5. San Francisco 49ers: $12,206,686
  6. New York Giants: $11,193,231
  7. Miami Dolphins: $9,137,544
  8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $7,987,748
  9. Cincinnati Bengals: $7,587,902
  10. Philadelphia Eagles: $7,255,362
  11. Green Bay Packers: $6,953,847
  12. Washington: $5,837,734
  13. Indianapolis Colts: $4,950,629
  14. Buffalo Bills: $4,467,331
  15. Atlanta Falcons: $3,905,771
  16. Carolina Panthers: $3,731,200
  17. Dallas Cowboys: $3,571,239
  18. Denver Broncos: $3,300,000
  19. Arizona Cardinals: $3,031,663
  20. Pittsburgh Steelers: $3,000,327
  21. Kansas City Chiefs: $2,622,838
  22. New York Jets: $2,484,216
  23. San Diego Chargers: $2,287,176
  24. Minnesota Vikings: $2,090,409
  25. Houston Texans: $1,637,055
  26. Baltimore Ravens: $1,633,944
  27. New Orleans Saints: $1,400,000
  28. New England Patriots: $1,347,882
  29. Los Angeles Rams: $933,521
  30. Chicago Bears: $867,589
  31. Detroit Lions: $862,191
  32. Seattle Seahawks: $11,587

NFC Notes: Cousins, Reiff, Falcons, Floyd

February 24th, 2016 at 3:49pm CST by Luke Adams

As noted earlier this afternoon, Washington‘s Scot McCloughan wasn’t on today’s schedule of general managers or head coaches to hold formal press conferences at the combine in Indianapolis. However, he did speak to the media about his team’s contract talks with quarterback Kirk Cousins.

While McCloughan didn’t go into specifics, he said that he has met with Cousins’ agent face-to-face this week, describing the sit-down as “very positive,” per Mike Jones of the Washington Post (Twitter link). According to McCloughan, conversations are going on “every day” between the two sides, and he remains optimistic that something will get done (Twitter link).

Let’s round up several more of the latest GM and head coach comments from the combine in Indianapolis, with a focus on NFC teams….

  • Lions tackle Riley Reiff is currently set to earn an $8.07MM salary for 2016, and while that money isn’t yet guaranteed, Reiff won’t be going anywhere, GM Bob Quinn said today (Twitter link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). It’s not clear yet what position Reiff will play next season, but he’ll be a Lion.
  • Speaking to the media today, Falcons head coach Dan Quinn said that he’d like to see defensive free agents Adrian Clayborn and O’Brien Schofield re-signed, and added that no veterans besides Paul Soliai have been approached about restructuring their contracts (Twitter links via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and ESPN’s Vaughn McClure).
  • There’s no new deal imminent for Michael Floyd, but GM Steve Keim had plenty of praise for the Cardinals wideout, as Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com details. Floyd is extension-eligible but still has one year left on his rookie contract, so Arizona doesn’t have to get anything done right away.
  • Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman confirmed today that wide receiver Kevin Norwood met the conditions of the trade Carolina made with Seattle prior to the 2015 season, so the Seahawks will receive the Panthers‘ seventh-round pick in 2017, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
  • Despite a fairly sizable cap hit for 2016, Vikings defensive end Brian Robison sounds like a good bet to remain on Minnesota’s roster based on comments made today by GM Rick Spielman, says Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune.

NFC Notes: Romo, Lawrence, Bucs, Lions

February 23rd, 2016 at 6:18pm CST by Zachary Links

Let’s take a look at some of the latest news coming out of NFC cities, starting with Tony Romo‘s immediate future.

  • Romo has yet to make a final decision on what type of surgery he’ll undergo in March, but the 14th-year Cowboys quarterback leaning toward a Mumford procedure, a source tells Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News. The Mumford procedure involves shaving off or removing a portion of the distal clavicle.
  • Demarcus Lawrence probably won’t be 100% until at least training camp after he underwent January back surgery to repair an injury that Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones said was “a little more serious” than anticipated, per Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Lawrence played in all 16 games last season and led Dallas with eight sacks, but Jones conceded the third-year defensive end may miss time this summer due to the procedure.
  • The Buccaneers are leaning toward assigning RFA tenders to wide receiver Russell Shepard and safety Bradley McDougald, but have yet to make a decision on linebacker Danny Lansanah, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times and Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (Twitter links). Shepard and McDougald figure to be in line for low-end tenders, while Lansanah would become an unrestricted free agent if he doesn’t get an offer from the Bucs by March 9.
  • Tampa Bay wants Sterling Moore to return, per Cummings (on Twitter), but will allow him to test free agency. Moore experienced a down year after Pro Football Focus ranked the journeyman corner as a top-25 player at his position in 2014. The site ranked him 64th among cornerbacks last season. He started nine games for the Bucs after being nontendered by the Cowboys last March.
  • Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com has a few suggestions for Bob Quinn as the Lions general manager prepares for his first NFL combine as a GM. Calvin Johnson and Darius Slay are among the players on Quinn’s list of issues to address.

Sam Robinson contributed to this report

NFC Notes: C. Long, Randle, Lions, 49ers

February 22nd, 2016 at 8:52am CST by Luke Adams

Of the three veteran players the Rams parted ways with last week, Peter King of TheMMQB.com thinks defensive end Chris Long could be the one the team regrets releasing. According to King, Long – who turns 31 next month – is already being pursued by contending teams. However, it’s not clear yet whether the veteran pass rusher will sign quickly, since he and his wife are expecting their first child in the near future, says King.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • According to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, two Giants sources recently questioned wide receiver Rueben Randle‘s “work ethic and desire to be great.” Raanan estimates there’s only about a 15% chance of Randle re-signing with New York this winter.
  • “The salary cap is not our enemy. It can be our friend,” Lions president Rod Wood said last week in an appearance on WMGC-FM in Detroit. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press passes along some other Wood quotes from that interview, and examines the state of the Lions’ salary cap as the new league year approaches.
  • Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones expressed disappointment in defensive end Randy Gregory over his four-game suspension for a substance-abuse violation, as Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram details. However, the Cowboys should also shoulder some of the blame, since they knew what they were getting into when they drafted him and were responsible for helping to avoid repeating his failed combine drug test, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
  • Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle takes a look at three key positions of need for the 49ers heading into this week’s draft combine, and considers potential targets for the club’s No. 7 overall pick.

Lions President: Team Not For Sale

February 21st, 2016 at 3:24pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Lions owner Martha Ford is now 90 years old, and though the club hasn’t been forthcoming with its plans for a potential ownership transition, the Fords has no interest in selling the team, as team president Rod Wood told 105.1 WMGC on Thursday.Martha Ford (Vertical)

“I’m very involved in the plans to succeed Mrs. Ford within the family and the ownership, and beyond that I’d rather leave all that to those who are in the room as opposed to talk about it outside the room,” said Wood, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “But I can assure the fans and the community that the Ford family’s committed to owning the Lions long term.”

[RELATED: PFR previews the 2016 Detroit Lions offseason]

The Fords have been the sole owners of the Lions franchise since Martha’s husband, William Clay Ford, bought the club in 1963 — when William passed away in 2014, Martha became the controlling partner. Per Birkett, Ford’s daughter Sheila Ford Hamp has taken on a more substantive role in the organization since William’s death, so it’s possible that she is (privately) next in line to lead the team.

The NFL expressed concern earlier this year that the Titans did not have a clear succession plan in place following the passing of Bud Adams, so it’s fair to wonder if the league will have similar worries about the Lions. But for the time being, Martha Ford’s actions in Detroit have been praised by other owners, as Colts owner Jim Irsay said Ford is “very engaged and alert” in NFL business.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Joique Bell Rejected Lions Offer Before Release

February 20th, 2016 at 8:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Running back Joique Bell was released by the Lions on Tuesday after five seasons with the club, but he was offered a chance to stay in Detroit before he was cut, as Bell himself told reporters, including Justin Rogers of MLive.com.Joique Bell (Vertical)

“The NFL is a crazy business,” said Bell. “You never know. The Lions made me an offer. I thought I did what was best for my career. I ended up declining the offer.”

[RELATED: PFR previews the 2016 Detroit Lions offseason]

The 29-year-old Bell didn’t elaborate as to the details of the Lions proposal, but it likely would have included a paycut. Bell was entering the final year of an extension he signed prior to the 2014 season, and was due to earn a base salary of $2.5MM and count for $3.5MM against the salary cap. Detroit cleared out that $2.5MM from its 2016 books, and is now set to enter the offseason with about $26MM in cap space.

Bell saw time in 13 games last season, rushing for 311 yards off of 90 carries with four touchdowns. He also produced as a pass-catching back, hauling in 22 receptions for 286 yards. Bell has been an important part of the Lions’ backfield rotation since 2013, but the club — pending other additions — will move forward with incumbents Ameer Abdullah, Theo Riddick, and Zach Zenner.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Load More Posts