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Detroit Lions News & Rumors

NFC Mailbags: Packers, Lions, Rams, Washington

August 22nd, 2015 at 9:52am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday morning, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s take a look at some interesting whispers out of the NFC…

  • Looking ahead to the Packers roster decisions, Rob Demovsky believes John Kuhn will be in Green Bay for at least another year. Meanwhile, he believes backup quarterback Brett Hundley is a lock to make the team.
  • Michael Rothstein tries his luck at guessing which Lions players could make the squad and contribute on special teams. At the gunner position, the writer believes Jeremy Ross and Don Carey have the advantage, with Nevin Lawson having shown “mixed results.” For blockers, Rothstein opines that both Zach Zenner and George Winn will make the roster.
  • Even though neither of the players have been very productive throughout their career, Rothstein is under the impression that the Lions will keep both of their backup quarterbacks, Dan Orlovsky and Kellen Moore.
  • Nick Wagoner can’t envision the Rams holding on to defensive back Brandon McGee. The former fifth-rounder hasn’t seen the field much during training camp or the preseason.
  • John Keim says it’ll be tough for Washington to keep three quarterbacks and four running backs. Trey Williams would seem to have the advantage over Chris Thompson, but the writer isn’t convinced that either of the running backs are safe.

NFC Notes: Manning, Smith, Lions, Spadola

August 21st, 2015 at 8:35pm CST by Rob DiRe

Giants quarterback Eli Manning has been making headlines recently, as he has allegedly demanded and then refuted reports that he demanded to be the highest-paid player in the NFL. Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com writes that all this could be the “storm before the calm” as was the case with Philip Rivers’ contract, noting that there is a reason all the top quarterbacks have received long-term extensions.

Here are some other notes from around the NFC:

  • With a need at safety, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com was asked if the Giants might be interested in the recently released Taylor Mays (via Twitter). Raanan opines that the team would not be interested, noting that perception around Mays isn’t positive.
  • Eagles’ 2014 first-round pick Marcus Smith will miss two to three weeks with a hamstring injury, writes Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “It was not as bad as I thought it was,” said Smith. “Three weeks is probably the most. I’ll definitely be ready for the Falcons game. Try to be ready for the last preseason game.”
  • The Lions have a pair of key starters dealing with high ankle sprains, in offensive guard Larry Warford and defensive tackle Caraun Reid, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. It is uncertain when they will be able to return to the field, and head coach Jim Caldwell would not put a timetable on their recovery.
  • Cardinals receiver Ryan Spadola is considering a career as a ref after his football career comes to an end, writes Bob McManamoan of AZCentral.com. Spadola has been a practice squad player bouncing around the league for two seasons, and is competing for a spot on the Cardinals’ roster.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/21/15

August 21st, 2015 at 6:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Friday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL:

  • The Eagles have waived/injured safety Earl Wolff, who has been bothered by knee injuries since 2013, writes Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com. Wolff, a 2013 fifth-round pick, started six games for Philadelphia in his rookie year, but has been plagued by injuries since that season. He confirmed today (via Twitter) that he underwent surgery on his troublesome right knee.
  • Rookie receiver Isiah Ferguson suffered a torn ACL and torn meniscus, and will be sidelined for the year, per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who reports (via Twitter) that the Rams have waived/injured the young wideout.
  • The Colts announced today that they’ve made a change at the back of their roster, waiving wide receiver L.T. Smith and replacing him with free agent guard Harland Gunn. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle adds (via Twitter) that the team also reached an injury settlement with linebacker Cody Galea, removing him from the roster.
  • As Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets, UDFA wideout Jarred Haggins announced today that he has been cut by the Lions. Neither this transaction nor the reported release of safety Taylor Mays showed up on today’s transactions log, so the team will probably officially confirm the moves tomorrow.
  • After working him out earlier today, the Cowboys have signed free agent defensive tackle Carlif Taylor, waiving offensive lineman Cody Clay with an injury designation to clear roster space, tweets Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com.
  • According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links), the Eagles have waived linebacker Brandon Hepburn off their injured reserve list with an injury settlement, while the Saints have removed wide receiver Andy Tanner from their IR.

NFC Notes: Benjamin, Falcons, AP, RGIII

August 19th, 2015 at 2:33pm CST by Luke Adams

The Panthers are holding their collective breath as they await the results of an MRI on Kelvin Benjamin‘s left knee. The Panthers wideout went down with an apparent non-contact injury during today’s joint practice with the Dolphins, and while head coach Ron Rivera indicated that it’s a sprained knee, there’s a chance the injury is more serious than that. If Benjamin has to miss regular-season action, it’ll be bad news for a Carolina receiving corps that’s lacking legit playmakers outside of Benjamin. Jonathan Jones and Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer have the details.

As the Panthers and their fans wait on the results of that MRI, let’s round up a few more items from across the NFC….

  • A report yesterday suggested that free agent quarterback Rex Grossman was drawing interest from the Falcons, but D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says it’s the other way around, tweeting that Grossman is interested in the Falcons. According to Ledbetter, the team is happy with T.J. Yates and Sean Renfree behind Matt Ryan.
  • Within an extensive look at Adrian Peterson‘s unusual offseason, Eli Saslow of ESPN The Magazine says that the Vikings running back wants to play another eight season in the NFL, in the hopes of breaking Emmitt Smith’s career rushing record.
  • Washington would like to stick with Robert Griffin III as the team’s starting quarterback for the entire 2015 season in order to make a fully informed decision about his future, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). The club has already picked up RGIII’s fifth-year option for 2016, but that salary doesn’t become guaranteed until the first day of the ’16 league year, so Washington could still decide to move on from the young QB if this season doesn’t go well.
  • The Cardinals‘ signing of running back Chris Johnson is a potential coup, and a move straight from the Steve Keim playbook, writes Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic.
  • Lions safety James Ihedigbo, who had been seeking a new contract earlier this year, still feels like he’s in his prime as he prepares to turn 32 years old, he tells Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

More Minor NFL Transactions: 8/18/15

August 18th, 2015 at 6:04pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, we rounded minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the league. Here’s the latest batch..

  • The Giants announced that they have claimed defensive tackle Jimmy Staten off waivers from the Seahawks and waived rookie defensive tackle Carlif Taylor, Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News tweets.
  • The Jets announced that they have acquired tight end Arthur Lynch off waivers from the Dolphins. Lynch was the fifth-round pick (No. 155 overall) of Miami in the 2014 draft out of Georgia. He had 56 career receptions for 907 yards and eight touchdowns for the Bulldogs and was an All-Southeastern Conference first-team selection as a redshirt senior.
  • The Raiders announced that they have signed free agent receiver Devon Wylie. Wylie, originally drafted by the Chiefs in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft, appeared in six games during his rookie campaign, recording six receptions for 53 yards.
  • Offensive tackle Chris Martin, who was waived by the Dolphins recently, was awarded to Patriots, Wilson tweets. Martin, who is 6’5″ and 305 pounds, has had two prior stints with the Patriots.
  • The Patriots cut tight end Logan Stokes, Wilson tweets.
  • The Saints will sign defensive tackle David Hunter, according to Brett Martel of The Associated Press (on Twitter). Hunter joins New Orleans after DT Austin Brown went down with an injury.
  • The Lions released David Ausberry with an injury settlement, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter).
  • The Lions waived/injured center Darren Keyton, Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com tweets.

North Notes: Bears, Forte, Brown, Steelers

August 17th, 2015 at 5:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, the Browns announced that backup center Ryan Seymour has been suspended for four games without pay for violating the NFL’s policy on performance enhancing substances. In a statement, Seymour said that he did not “knowingly” take a banned substance and added that he will be “much more careful in the future,” Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com tweets. Here’s more from the AFC and NFC North..

  • Bears running back Matt Forte has come to the realization that this season might be his last in a Bears uniform, Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com writes. “All I can do is talk to them about it and they can say yes or no. They said we’re not talking about that type of stuff right now, so all I can do is play football. I’ve come to the realization that every run or catch that I may have might be my last in a Bears uniform, so if they don’t want to re-sign me, I’ll have to play somewhere else,” Forte said.
  • Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown‘s desire for an extension is “fueled by” the deals given to Dez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas, and T.Y. Hilton, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) hears. The Steelers are listening to Brown’s requests, but if they rework his deal, they want to wind up with a contract that will put him under club control for the remainder of his career.
  • Browns GM Ray Farmer told Grossi (Twitter link) that quarterback Connor Shaw underwent surgery on Monday morning. He adds that Shaw suffered ligament damage and not a broken thumb as some believed earlier.
  • Harland Gunn and Dionte Savage were among the offensive lineman that worked out for the Lions last week, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets.

NFC Notes: Peterson, Giants, Evans, Lions

August 15th, 2015 at 9:34pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Despite all the rumors and news surrounding Adrian Peterson over the offseason, the Vikings running back always felt that he’d return to Minnesota, as he tells Mark Craig of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “Deep down inside, I always knew I’d be back here,” said Peterson. “I like looking at situations and putting myself in other people’s positions. No way the Vikings were going to let me go.” Peterson will have to run behind a Phil Loadholt-less offensive line, as we learned earlier tonight that the Vikings right tackle tore his Achilles.

Here’s more from the NFC:

  • The Giants have suffered a rash of injuries in their secondary, leading Paul Schwartz of the New York Post to wonder if the G-Men might be forced to make some additional signings. Rookie safeties Landon Collins and Mykkele Thompson each suffered injuries in last night’s preseason game (Thompson’s is more serious, as he’s expected to miss the season), and although head coach Tom Coughlin hopes that corner Prince Amukamara will return soon, he admits that new players may have to be brought in.
  • The Saints extended guard Jahri Evans this offseason — mostly to create cap space — but Larry Holder of the Times-Picayune isn’t sure how much the 31-year-old has left. Comparing Evans to a pitcher who has lost his fastball and has become “craftier,” Holder nevertheless observes that Evans has been regularly beaten by opposing defensive lineman during camp.
  • Offensive lineman Darren Keyton will miss the entire season after tearing his patellar tendon, tweets Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com, and according to Kyle Meinke of MLive.com, the Lions didn’t wait around to look for candidates to take Keyton’s role. Detroit held OL tryouts directly after today’s practice, but the names of the players involved were not released.

NFC Notes: Shembo, Washington, Packers

August 14th, 2015 at 11:59am CST by Luke Adams

The Falcons cut linebacker Prince Shembo earlier in the offseason when he was facing felony charges in an animal cruelty case. Now that he has pleaded those charges down to a misdemeanor and resolved the case, Shembo may land on Atlanta’s radar again, says D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“I’m sure that we will [discuss Shembo], but general manager Thomas [Dimitroff] and I have not gotten together on that, at this point,” Falcons head coach Dan Quinn said.

As Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk observes, you can make an on-field case for the Falcons re-signing Shembo, a former fourth-round pick. However, considering the linebacker admitted to killing his ex-girlfriend’s dog and was also investigated but not charged at Notre Dame with sexual assault of a woman who later committed suicide, Shembo may not be worth the trouble. He’ll also likely be facing NFL discipline for running afoul of the league’s personal conduct policy.

Here are several more Friday notes from across the NFC:

  • Niles Paul and Logan Paulsen may both be out for the year for Washington, but the team isn’t eyeing free agent tight end Zach Miller, according to John Keim of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
  • While many of their rivals around the league get impatient and pursue high-priced free agents to fill holes, the Packers have continued to “draft, develop, and reinvest,” writes Field Yates of ESPN.com in his Insider-only look at how Green Bay built its current roster.
  • Several days after the Lions made DeAndre Levy the highest-paid 4-3 outside linebacker in the league, Lavonte David signed an even bigger deal with the Buccaneers to set the new standard at the position. Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap takes a closer look at how the two contracts stack up against to one another, throwing in Bobby Wagner‘s new extension with the Seahawks as a point of comparison.
  • With Jimmy Graham no longer in the mix in New Orleans, the Saints will need a player – or a combination of players – to step up and provide help for quarterback Drew Brees this year, writes Zolan V Kanno-Youngs of USA Today.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/11/15

August 11th, 2015 at 7:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Tuesday’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves from around the NFL:

  • The Bills have signed cornerback Lavelle Westbrooks and waived/injured receiver Caleb Holley, Joe Buscaglia of WKBW tweets.
  • The Cowboys have signed defensive back Brandon Smith, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com (on Twitter). To make room for Smith, the Cowboys waived/injured Chris Whaley, who tore his Achilles on Monday (link).
  • After getting word that JaCorey Shepherd suffered a torn ACL and will be out for the season, the Eagles added another cornerback to their roster, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve signed former Ravens seventh-round pick Marc Anthony.
  • The Lions have placed tight end David Ausberry on their injured reserve list, ending his season, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. Twentyman adds that the team signed cornerback Jocquel Skinner to fill the newly-created roster opening.
  • In addition to confirming their previously reported signing of defensive tackle Tony McDaniel, the Buccaneers announced several more moves today in a press release. Tampa Bay signed punter Karl Schmitz, who was cut earlier this week by Denver, and waived rookie linebackers Quinton Alston and Sammuel Lamur.
  • To make room on their roster for new kicker Garrett Hartley, the Steelers waived/injured QB/WR Devin Gardner, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link). Gardner, who originally signed with the Patriots as an undrafted rookie out of Michigan in May, figures to land on Pittsburgh’s IR if he clears waivers.
  • The Cardinals have made a change in their secondary, re-signing safety Ross Weaver and cutting another safety, D.J. Campbell, tweets Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com.
  • The Falcons have removed safety Terell Floyd from their roster, reaching an injury settlement with him, according to the team.
  • Three months after signing him as an undrafted free agent, the Packers have cut rookie wideout Ricky Collins, the club announced today in a press release. Battling a heel injury, Collins never got off Green Bay’s PUP list during camp.
  • After clearing waivers, linebacker Matt Robinson will revert to the Jaguars‘ IR with a hamstring injury, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union.
  • According to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link), the NFL reinstated the previously-terminated contract between the Cowboys and linebacker Will Smith, who is back on the team’s injured reserve list.

Extra Points: Los Angeles, Cardinals, Levy

August 10th, 2015 at 9:19pm CST by Zachary Links

Ahead of tomorrow’s meeting, San Diego city officials are meeting with NFL today in Schaumburg, Illinois, Albert Breer of NFL.com tweets. The city of St. Louis has already met with the league. He adds that there is no meeting scheduled as of yet between the NFL and the city of Oakland, because there’s been no progress on that front (link). Here’s more from around the NFL..

  • Cardinals coach Bruce Arians says that he’s not happy with the play of his running backs and will discuss options for outside help with GM Steve Keim, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com tweets. When asked if Ray Rice will be among the options considered, Arians said no (link).
  • San Diego officials announced a stadium financing plan that would require $750MM in private money from the Chargers and NFL with $350MM in public funds, Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego tweets. Meanwhile, Chargers attorney Mark Fabiani struck back with a strongly worded statement that refuted the viability of the plan (via Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, Twitter links).
  • The early word from Chicago is that Carmen Policy should not be underestimated when it comes to the Los Angeles situation, Mike Florio of PFT tweets. Policy, the longtime NFL exec, is pushing the Carson stadium project.
  • The Lions were smart to get their extension with DeAndre Levy done before Lavonte David reached agreement with the Buccaneers, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com tweets. Corry reasons that David’s deal might have complicated things for Detroit.
  • The Ravens lost ace returner Jacoby Jones this offseason but they’re not sweating it because their system has been successful in producing many different quality returners, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com writes. Currently, Michael Campanaro, Asa Jackson and DeAndre Carter are listed as the top three on the team’s unofficial depth chart. Lardarius Webb and Steve Smith also have expressed an interest in running back kicks.
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