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Detroit Lions News & Rumors

Extra Points: Slay, Lions, Bills, Griffin, Oher

February 19th, 2016 at 9:19pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Lions cornerback Darius Slay has made it clear that he’d like to sign an extension with Detroit, and it looks like some movement may be coming on that front. According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), Slay’s new agent Drew Rosenhaus will meet with the Lions at the scouting combine to discuss a new contract. As Cole notes, it probably makes sense for Detroit to strike a deal now — and add some guaranteed money in 2016 while they’re flush with cap space — instead of waiting until next offseason and running the risk of having to franchise Slay.

Here’s a few more notes from around the NFL:

  • Restricted free agent Corbin Bryant believes he can be part of the solution in Buffalo, and the Bills defensive lineman wants to be retained, as Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News writes. Because of cap trouble, Dunne expects the Bills to tender Bryant, a restricted free agent, at the lowest level, but he notes (via Twitter) that the two sides haven’t had any talks as of yet.
  • While Bryant is set to hit restricted free agency, Bills linebacker Nigel Bradham is an unrestricted free agent, and he’s willing to accept a one-year, “prove-it” deal to return to Buffalo, reports Dunne (Twitter link). Bradham was a much better fit under former Buffalo DC Jim Schwartz than he is in Rex Ryan‘s system, but general manger Doug Whaley wants Bradham to return, per Dunne.
  • Free agent safety Michael Griffin has hired David Mulugheta and Andrew Kessler as his new agents, as Rand Getlin of NFL Network reports (Twitter link). The 31-year-old Griffin was released last week after nine seasons with the Titans.
  • Like Slay did earlier this year, Panthers tackle Michael Oher has hired Rosenhaus as his representative, tweets Getlin. Oher, coming off a surprisingly successful first season in Carolina, has a $4.5MM 2016 cap charge in the second year of a two-year deal, and could be a candidate for an extension.

Lions Release C.J. Wilson

February 19th, 2016 at 4:29pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lions continue to clear salary from their 2016 cap, announcing today in a press release that they’ve released veteran defensive lineman C.J. Wilson. Wilson, who was added to Detroit’s roster via waiver claim halfway through the 2015 season, helped fill in on a defensive line plagued by injuries, but his cap number was too high to keep him in the mix going forward.Lions Helmet (Featured)

[RELATED: Lions to release Stephen Tulloch]

Wilson, 28, accrued 23 tackles and two sacks in 16 games (seven starts) with the Raiders in 2014. However, he didn’t have as significant a role in 2015, and was cut by Oakland several weeks into the season, at which point the Lions grabbed him off waivers. The East Carolina alum had been set to earn a base salary of $1.8MM in 2016, along with roster and workout bonuses totaling $500K. The Lions will clear that entire $2.3MM figure from their cap by cutting him.

With Haloti Ngata and Tyrunn Walker facing free agency and Wilson no longer in the fold, the Lions will be in the market for interior defensive line reinforcements this winter, addressing the position in free agency and/or the draft.

The Lions have also removed RB Joique Bell (released) and CB Rashean Mathis (retired) from their cap this week, and will cut LB Stephen Tulloch when the new league year begins. Of course, the team could clear a significant chunk of cap room if WR Calvin Johnson officially decides to retire, though that would leave a major hole to fill on offense.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC Notes: Panthers, Lions, Greenway, Eagles

February 19th, 2016 at 9:39am CST by Luke Adams

The Panthers are adding former 49ers special teams coach Thomas McGaughey to their staff as a special teams assistant, a source tells Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Carolina head coach Ron Rivera wanted to hire a young special teams coach to assist coordinator Bruce DeHaven, who has been undergoing treatment for prostate cancer. The team also interviewed former Bucs assistant Kevin O’Dea and ex-Panthers linebacker Chase Blackburn for the job.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • On the heels of the news that the Lions will release linebacker Stephen Tulloch, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that another veteran starter, safety James Ihedigbo, will be “gone” as well. Ihedigbo is eligible for free agency this winter, so Rapoport’s tweet suggests the 32-year-old won’t be re-signing with the Lions.
  • Echoing comments he made after the Vikings‘ season ended in January, linebacker Chad Greenway said on SiriusXM NFL Radio that he’d like to return to Minnesota for another season, as Alex Marvez of FOX Sports details. Assuming the Vikings re-sign Greenway, it will likely be one final year before he retires.
  • The Eagles and college scouting coordinator Matt Lindsey have mutually agreed to part ways, per a report from FootballScoop.com (on Twitter). As Geoff Mosher of 97.5 The Fanatic tweets, this leaves Philly without a college scouting director or college scouting coordinator right before the combine.
  • Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link), cornerback Jeremy Lane said today that he’d love to re-sign with the Seahawks this winter, pointing to the fact that Seattle gave him his “first crack” in the NFL. Lane, a sixth-round pick in 2012, is eligible for free agency this offseason.

Lions Notes: Megatron, Ngata, Quinn, Levy

February 18th, 2016 at 12:32pm CST by Luke Adams

Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson is expected to retire this offseason, but it’s not a done deal yet. Appearing on 105.1 FM in Detroit on Thursday morning, Lions president Rod Wood said that the team is still waiting on a final decision from Megatron, as Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions outlines.

“We’re staying in touch with him,” Wood said of Johnson. “I talked to him Monday, and [GM] Bob Quinn talked to him, so get that out there. Bob has spoken to Calvin. Calvin has not made a decision…. We’re going to give him time to think about what he wants to do. If he wants to come back, we’d, obviously, love to have him back. If he decides to retire, we’re going to support that decision.”

Asked whether the Lions will push Johnson to make his decision by a certain date, Wood insisted there was no timetable.

“It’d be nice to know what we’re going to do, but it’s not something that we’re going to force on him to make a decision prior to free agency,” Wood said. “I’m not going to try and talk him in, or anybody else with the team, talk him into a decision. He needs to decide what’s right for him and his future and his body and the rest of his career. And I think the worst thing that we could do is try and put pressure on him, and we’re not doing that.”

Wood weighed in on a few more Lions-related topics, and we have a couple other notes out of Detroit to pass along, so let’s round up the latest….

  • Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, who took some time after the season to contemplate his future, wants to play in 2016 and perhaps beyond, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Ngata is unsigned for 2016, but will talk to the Lions soon to see if the two sides can continue their relationship.
  • As Twentyman writes in his piece linked above, Wood pointed to the offensive line as an area the Lions will look to upgrade this offseason, and also stressed the importance of building a strong defense. “I certainly think there’s a long history of teams with good defenses winning,” the club president said. “Last year (2014), when we had the No. 2 defense in the league, we were 11-5. This year, when our defense didn’t play as well the beginning of the year, we struggled.”
  • Wood confirmed today that GM Bob Quinn has final say on all of the team’s player personnel decisions, and that it was “absolutely” Quinn’s call on whether or not to retain head coach Jim Caldwell (Twitter links via Mike O’Hara).
  • Wood dismissed the idea that Caldwell is on a short leash, but stressed that the Lions do expect to win in the short term, rather than enter rebuilding mode (Twitter link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press).
  • Asked whether linebacker DeAndre Levy will be healthy for the start of training camp, Wood said he has “no reason to believe” Levy won’t be ready (Twitter link via O’Hara). The veteran linebacker missed most of the 2015 season due to hip issues.

Lions Won’t Re-Sign Manny Ramirez

February 17th, 2016 at 3:14pm CST by Zachary Links

Lions guard Manny Ramirez will not sign a new deal with the club. Both the guard and the team are ready to move on as he approaches free agency, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets. Manny Ramirez (vertical)

[RELATED: Lions Cut RB Joique Bell]

Ramirez, who turns 33 on Friday, saw time in all 16 games this season but started only seven contests. When he was relegated to the bench in favor of younger interior linemen, Ramirez missed out on several playing-time incentives in his contract. When asked in November if he felt his benching carried financial motives, Ramirez took the high road.

“I hope not,” Ramirez said.“But I can’t worry about that. I can only worry about the things that I’m in control of, which is, every time I step on the field, that I’m ready to go. That’s all I can do.”

Ramirez played more than 1,000 snaps for the Broncos in 2014, seeing time at both center and guard. On Day 1 of the draft, however, Denver shipped him to the Lions in a deal that allowed them to move up and select Missouri pass rusher Shane Ray.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Lions Cut RB Joique Bell

February 16th, 2016 at 4:23pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lions have cut Joique Bell, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Bell entered last season as the team’s starting tailback before being leapfrogged by rookie Ameer Abdullah. Abdullah was up-and-down in his first season, but he is clearly the team’s tailback of the future. "<strong

[RELATED: Rashean Mathis Announces Retirement]

Bell, 30 in August, 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 apparently will look for a No. 2 back elsewhere in ’16.

Bell was due to earn $2.5MM in 2016, a sum that would be very reasonable for a No. 2 tailback. However, Bell was not projected to be the main understudy to Abdullah, thanks to the emergence of Theo Riddick. Much of Bell’s value is tied to his receiving ability, but that’s a role that Riddick filled very capably in 2015. Riddick caught 80 catches (99 targets) for 697 yards in 2015, making him a favorite in the Detroit locker room as well as in PPR fantasy football leagues. He also ran for 133 yards off of 43 carries.

The Lions save $1MM by cutting Bell while carrying $2.5MM in dead money.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC North Notes: Lions, Bears, Guion

February 15th, 2016 at 2:39pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lions and Bears each formally announced additions to their coaching staff today, with Detroit naming a new quarterbacks coach and Chicago confirming a new wide receivers coach.

As previously reported, the Lions’ new QBs coach is Brian Callahan, who spent the last six seasons with the Broncos, and has previously worked with Detroit offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter. In 2015, Callahan was an offensive assistant in Denver, playing a part in coaching the club’s QBs.

As for the Bears, their new wide receivers coach is Curtis Johnson, who had been Tulane’s head coach for the past four seasons after serving as the WRs coach for the Saints from 2006 to 2011. Joining Johnson in Chicago is Ben McDaniels, whose hiring was also reported last Friday. Josh McDaniels‘ brother officially joins the Bears as an offensive assistant.

Here’s more from around the NFC North:

  • According to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link), Letroy Guion‘s new contract with the Packers features a modest $500K signing bonus. Silverstein adds that the deal includes “$1.5MM more later,” though it’s not clear if that refers to a signing bonus or his 2016 salary. Friday reports indicated the three-year pact is worth a total of $11.25MM.
  • Having locked up two key defensive players – Mike Daniels and Guion – who would have been eligible for free agency this winter, the Packers‘ next priority may be a special-teamer, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, who examines kicker Mason Crosby‘s impending free agency.
  • Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com explores the possibility of cornerback Tracy Porter re-signing with the Bears for the 2016 season after a strong 2015 campaign.

Sunday Roundup: T. Jackson, Osweiler, Jags

February 14th, 2016 at 12:38pm CST by Rory Parks

The brief post-Super Bowl lull has set in on the NFL world, but the first day of free agency is right around the corner, and you can bet that there will soon be reports concerning contract extensions, franchise tags, etc. As we await that deluge, let’s take a look at some news and notes from around the league:

  • Seahawks backup quarterback Tarvaris Jackson is expected to test the free agent market this year, according to Jessamyn McIntyre of 710 ESPN Seattle (via Twitter). McIntyre reports that there was a strong market for Jackson’s services last season before he ultimately decided to re-up with Seattle.
  • Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wonders what it will take for the Broncos to retain Brock Osweiler, especially since there are likely to be a number of teams like the Texans, Jets, and Rams potentially willing to bid against Denver for his services. We learned yesterday that a contract with an AAV of around $9MM would probably not be enough to prevent Osweiler from testing the free agent market, and Florio appears to concur with that sentiment.
  • Kevin Acee of The San Diego Times-Tribune explores potential stadium sites in San Diego that the Chargers might consider, concluding that the Mission Valley site, although less exciting, is more likely than the East Village option.
  • Although there have been rumors that the Jaguars will consider adding an offensive tackle this offseason, Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union would be surprised if that happened. O’Halloran notes that the Jaguars’ two starting tackles, Luke Joeckel and Jermey Parnell, currently account for the third and fourth highest cap charges on the roster, respectively, and he adds that no starting-caliber free agent tackle would sign with Jacksonville at this point.
  • Joe Person of The Charlotte Observer looks at the biggest issues facing the Panthers this offseason. He believes that Carolina will ultimately put the franchise tag on Josh Norman and should ask defensive end Charles Johnson to rework his current deal.
  • Although he may be a bit biased, former NFL GM and well-respected football mind Bill Polian believes the Lions made the right decision in retaining Jim Caldwell, per Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. Polian points to the team’s drastic improvement in the second half of the 2015 season and the players’ support of Caldwell as indicators that Caldwell is the right man for the job.

NFC Notes: Forte, Packers, Falcons, Lions

February 13th, 2016 at 5:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Green Bay could be a destination for running back Matt Forte despite the organization being one of the league’s most hesitant to sign outside veteran help. A source told Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune that former Bears teammate Julius Peppers is already discussing a reunion with Forte with the Packers. Eddie Lacy will enter his contract year in 2016, and longtime backup James Starks looms as an unrestricted free agent.

Here’s more from the NFC:

  • The Falcons are leaning toward bringing Roddy White back for his 12th season with the team, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Although White slumped through his worst season as a starter, catching 43 passes for 506 yards in 16 games, Atlanta looks to increase the veteran’s slot usage. Using Larry Fitzgerald as an example, Dan Quinn told media (including Ledbetter) White, who is nearly two years older than Fitzgerald despite entering the NFL a year later, is at his best on in-breaking routes.
  • In other Falcons news, general manager Thomas Dimitroff told Ledbetter he wished he’d have kept Todd McClure after the longtime Atlanta center expressed desire to play in 2013, but the team opted to go younger at the spot in the form of Peter Konz. The Falcons’ starting center from 2000-2012, McClure instead chose to retire after the ’12 season after the team handed his job to Konz, who started for two years and was released in September 2015 after recovering from a torn ACL.
  • The Lions hired Broncos offensive quality control coach Brian Callahan to be their quarterbacks coach, Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports. Callahan formerly worked with current Lions OC Jim Bob Cooter in Denver. The son of Bill Callahan, Brian Callahan worked with the Broncos for six seasons.

Extra Points: Lions, Dolphins, Broncos

February 13th, 2016 at 12:11pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the NFL on this Saturday afternoon…

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