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Calvin Johnson

NFC Links: Johnson, Eagles, Packers, Gore

February 21st, 2015 at 10:51am CST by Ben Levine

Some notes from around the NFC…

  • Despite Calvin Johnson‘s 2016 cap-hit of more than $24MM, Lions general manager Martin Mayhew made it clear that the team would do whatever it takes to keep the talented wideout in Detroit. “Calvin’s a stud,” Mayhew said (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). “Calvin’s a great player. He’s a phenomenal player. He has a very bright future and a very bright past. I plan on him being around for a long time. He’s a heck of a player.”
  • Draft prospect Eric Kendricks would be thrilled to play with his brother, linebacker Mychal Kendricks, on the Eagles. “Man, that’d be crazy,” the UCLA linebacker told Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. “I played with him in high school and I think I took it for granted at the time, as far as how cool it was. But that would be unreal to say the least.” The younger Kendricks brother is expected to be a late-first, early-second round pick.
  • Jason Pierre-Paul is the type of pass-rusher Falcons head coach Dan Quinn loves, and D. Orlando Ledbetter says the organization is keeping an eye on the Giants defensive end.
  • Former Packers special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum still had one season left on his contract, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky points out (via Twitter). As a result, the team will pay the ousted coach for 2015.
  • Following news that 49ers running back Frank Gore could be seeking $4MM annually, Eric Branch of the San Franciscion Chronicle questions whether the veteran is worth the asking price. Ultimately, the writer believes the team will let Gore walk if he can “fetch” that $4MM in free agency.

NFC North Links: Packers, Briggs, Bell, Smith

February 7th, 2015 at 1:59pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Packers kept three quarterbacks on the active roster last season for the first time in five years, but it is unclear whether the team will elect to do so again in 2015, writes Weston Hodkiewicz of PackersNews.com. Matt Flynn served as Aaron Rodgers‘ backup but the team was worried that putting Scott Tolzien on the practice squad would leave him vulnerable to being signed away from the roster.

If the Packers need the extra roster spot next season, they will have to make a choice between the two players. However, Rodgers hopes that he will once again get a chance to have both of them in the room with quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt. “Both different personalities, but great teammates,” Rodgers said. “Those guys are a lot of fun. It would be great to have them back.”

Here are some other links from around the NFC North:

  • Longtime Bears stalwart Lance Briggs could be looking for a new team for the first time in his career. However, there is one team that he has already crossed off his list, in the division rival Packers, writes David Just of the Chicago Sun-Times. Briggs said so very succinctly when asked yesterday about the possibility (via Twitter).
  • Lions running back Joique Bell is coming back from offseason surgery, and looking forward to another chance at getting into the playoffs, writes Justin Rogers of MLive.com. The biggest thing for Bell is bringing back star defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, suggesting that Calvin Johnson will have to restructure his contract to make sure they can re-sign him. “We’ll have to talk to Calvin, see if he can do something,” Bell said. “We just need him back. Come back, Suh.”
  • Vikings safety Harrison Smith is also coming back from surgery and focused on his future. As he is coming closer to free agency, he has made sure the team knows he is interested in staying in Minnesota for a while, writes Matt Vensel of StarTribune.com. “That’s all I’ve thought of doing,” Smith said. “I have no intentions of going anywhere else. I’ll just let [my agency] handle it. I’m just here to play football and we’ll see what happens.”

Lions Favorites For Ndamukong Suh

February 1st, 2015 at 11:57am CST by Rory Parks

11:57am: Lions president Tom Lewand said in an interview today, “I think there’s a very, very good chance that we can get something done with [Suh] in the next few weeks,” writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Lewand added that affording Suh and fitting his lucrative contract under the salary cap will not be an issue. According to Birkett, Lewand’s statements are the strongest indication yet that Suh will return to Detroit.

11:19am: The Lions are favored to re-sign Ndamukong Suh, writes ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. The fate of the star defensive tackle, who is eligible for free agency this year, has dominated headlines for much of 2014 and will continue to be a prominent storyline until he signs his next contract.

Suh is regarded as perhaps the second-best defensive lineman in the league, taking a backseat to only Houston’s J.J. Watt, who received 13 MVP votes for his outstanding play in 2014. As such, Suh is expected to command a contract similar to the $100MM deal that Watt signed last year, and Mortensen’s sources believe Detroit will be the team to give him that money.

Of course, the salary cap ramifications of such a deal represent the biggest concern for Detroit, who would apparently be willing to go so far as to part with Calvin Johnson to create enough cap space to re-sign Suh. However, the Lions believe they can manage to keep both Suh and Johnson on the roster.

For his part, Johnson may have expressed a willingness to rework his own deal if it would allow his team to retain Suh, writes Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. “I’ll do whatever I got to do,” Johnson said. It is unclear if that statement means that Johnson is willing to restructure his contract or if he simply meant that he would be aggressive in trying to convince Suh to stay in Detroit.

According to Mortensen, though, Suh may not need much convincing. Although the Lions suffered a disappointing loss in the first round of this year’s playoffs, they showed the ability to contend for a championship, and a Suh return would allow them to return as many as 18 starters. All of that has led Suh to express his desire to continue his career where it started.

Extra Points: Goldson, Cowboys, Draft, Titans

November 14th, 2014 at 9:23pm CST by Rob DiRe

As free agency and cap management is becoming more notable in teambuilding, Kevin Seifert of ESPN takes a closer look at six of the league’s most inflated contracts and the effects they are having on their team’s roster. He dissects the contracts of Jay Cutler, Ndamukong Suh, Joe Flacco, Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, and Tony Romo, and how each team will likely deal with the large cap numbers going forward.

Here are some other notes from around the NFL:

  • The Buccaneers put together one of the most high profile secondaries out of nowhere before the 2013 season, signing Darrelle Revis and Dashon Goldson and drafting Mark Barron at the top of the first round. Not long after, Revis was released and Barron was traded, leaving only Goldson on the roster, and he may be the next to go, writes Chris Wesseling of NFL.com. Goldson has played less as the season goes on, and with large money attached to his contract, the team may choose to go younger and cheaper at the safety position.
  • Much has been made of the Cowboys as they approach their decision on what to do with offensive stars Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray, with many pundits and fans expecting long-term extensions for both. Murray also seems like an obvious franchise tag candidate, but Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News could see the Cowboys surprising us and rewarding Murray with the long-term deal while franchising Bryant at the higher tag price.
  • Although the 2015 NFL draft order has not even been set, Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay of ESPN are already working hard to evaluate both the prospects available as well as the needs of NFL teams. They look at the possibility teams like the Raiders, Jets, Buccaneers, and Titans would take a quarterback such as Marcus Mariota of Oregon or Jameis Winston of Florida State at the top of the draft, and look at other questions surrounding the draft.
  • The Titans may be in position to draft high at the top of the first round, but in no way will that be on purpose, writes Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. “It is ludicrous to me. Fans don’t understand the situation we go through as players,” said tight end Delanie Walker. “No one wants to lose games for better picks. It just doesn’t happen. It would never happen. Just the thought is ludicrous.”

NFC Mailbags: Giants, Panthers, Lions

November 8th, 2014 at 10:53am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday morning, and that means a fresh batch of NFL mailbags from ESPN’s writers. We’ve compiled some of the more interesting notes from the articles, and we’ll start with whispers out of the NFC…

  • Dan Graziano believes that Giants general manager Jerry Reese is safe and will not be fired following the season. The writer shares a similar sentiment for head coach Tom Coughlin, but he warns that a lot could change in the second-half of the season.
  • Based on what the team has seen from Robert Griffin III, Washington probably won’t be in the position to give their quarterback an extension this spring, writes John Keim.
  • Following a disappointing season, teams often place the blame on somebody besides the general manager or head coach. David Newton opines that Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula could be that guy in Carolina.
  • Michael Rothstein writes that Calvin Johnson is practically indispensable to the Lions organization, and having the wideout on the roster will have no impact on Ndamukong Suh or DeAndre Levy‘s future with the team.

Justin Houston Aiming To Top Watt?

November 6th, 2014 at 7:00pm CST by Matt Feminis

“Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker Justin Houston’s career year is happening at the right time, as he is in the final year of a four-year rookie contract that pays $1.406 million this season,” says NFP’s Joel Corry, who goes into detail forecasting the premier pass rusher’s contractual future. Corry’s main points:

  • First the stats. . .Houston is leading the NFL with 12 sacks through eight games (a pace that would break the all-time single-season record), ranks as Pro Football Focus’ top-rated 3-4 outside linebacker and is tied for second in the league with 44 pressures (combined sacks, QB hurries and QB hits).
  • Signing Houston to a long-term deal is a priority for the Chiefs, but multiple reports indicate the team and player (agent Joel Segal) are far apart on terms.
  • Segal will likely seek to top Texans defensive end and reigning defensive player of the year J.J. Watt‘s record-setting, six-year, $100MM mega deal ($51.88 guaranteed), which is the gold standard for defensive players right now. Watt is the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback based on average yearly salary ($16.67MM).
  • While Houston’s deal is up, he won’t be able to enjoy the fruits of unrestricted free agency because the Chiefs can (will) franchise tag him twice if need be. Corry estimates the tag number will be approximately $13.25MM in 2015 and $15.9MM in 2016.
  • One “major obstacle” to a deal could be the team’s insistence on quarterback Alex Smith, who signed a four-year, $68MM deal ($45MM guaranteed) in August, remaining the highest-paid Chief. This is typical salary cap structure, according to Corry, who sites the example of Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford‘s place atop Detroit’s salary hierarchy even though receiver Calvin Johnson is widely regarded as a better overall player.
  • In summation, “Based on the changing market conditions for elite defensive players and the relationship between salaries of top pass rushing defensive ends and linebackers that consistently pressure opposing quarterbacks, expect Houston to sign a long-term deal somewhere between $14.5 million per year and $15.5 million per year as long as he doesn’t sustain a serious injury before the end of the season,” estimates Corry.

Injury Updates: Sunday

October 26th, 2014 at 3:46pm CST by Rory Parks

We will keep you informed of any major injuries that arise throughout the course of today’s games.

  • In addition to suffering an embarrassing loss at the hands of the Patriots, the Bears may have lost one key contributor on each side of the all. Guard Matt Slauson left the game with a pectoral injury (Twitter link via Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune), and as we saw with Brian Orakpo, a torn pectoral will likely force a player to miss the remainder of the season. Campbell’s Tribune colleague, Brad Biggs, tweets that defensive lineman Lamarr Houston had to be carted off the field after suffering an injury while celebrating a sack of Tom Brady.
  • Rams receiver Brian Quick suffered an arm injury in today’s game against the Chiefs, and had to be carted off the field, per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Dispatch (Twitter link).

Earlier updates:

  • Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that Ravens CB Jimmy Smith has been carted off the field with a left leg injury.
  • Lions DT Nick Fairley suffered a right knee injury and has already been declared out for the rest of today’s game in London, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
  • Texans rookie Jadeveon Clowney is expected to suit up for the first time since Week 1, tweets NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Clowney is expected to contribute primarily in obvious passing situations.
  • Rapoport adds (via Twitter) that Bengals WR A.J. Green, who was listed as doubtful for today’s divisional tilt against Baltimore, will not play. He hopes to return next week, but how he feels on Wednesday will be a major part of that decision.
  • NFL.com’s Kevin Patra confirms that Lions star wideout Calvin Johnson will not play in today’s game against the Falcons in London.

NFC North Links: Johnson, Jennings, Kalil

October 25th, 2014 at 8:59am CST by Ben Levine

Former Bears return man Devin Hester has lit up NFC North opponents throughout his career. Lions coach Jim Caldwell has witnessed the game-changing abilities the veteran possesses, and he believes the current Falcons speedster deserves a spot in Canton. Via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press…

“He’s made it an art form and cut a niche in there like no one else has in the game, I think,” Caldwell said. “There’s been some great returners in this game, there’s no question about that. Deion Sanders was one that was one of those guys that was dangerous, in that regard. This guy is equally so, and I think he will be one of the first guys to ever sort of carve that niche out.

“Anytime (Hester) gets the ball in his hand, obviously, he’s a threat to go all the way. A very difficult guy to handle. We’ve faced some very good ones prior to this weekend, and he’s no exception. He’s probably going into the Hall of Fame, so he’s a cut above, maybe, the rest.”

Lions punter Sam Martin echoes his coach’s sentiment.

“He’s undoubtedly the best to ever do it, so that’s definitely something you consider,” Martin said. “But just like I’ve said about every other guy we’ve faced, they’re all dangerous and you don’t want to give any of them an easy return … on kickoffs or punts. Our coverage teams are going to do what they do, and I’m going to try limiting his touches as much as possible. Hit high balls and, hopefully, we shut them down.”

Let’s check out some more notes from the NFC North…

Extra Points: Megatron, Peterson, Bailey

October 7th, 2014 at 10:09pm CST by Zachary Links

Dodger Stadium is in play as a potential temporary venue for an NFL team moving to Los Angeles, according to Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). Hopefully, whatever team moves there will fare better than the Dodgers did tonight. Tonight’s look around the league..

  • Calvin Johnson carries a cap number of more than $20MM into the next league year and given his recent health trouble, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggests that the Lions could move on from him after this season or next. The fact that Detroit considered trading up for Sammy Watkins or Mike Evans and ultimately decided to use that pick on tight end Eric Ebron suggests that the Lions are at least considering the wisdom of reallocating their dollars, Florio writes.
  • A source with knowledge of the situation tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that Vikings running back Adrian Peterson hopes to emerge from court tomorrow with a December 1st trial date. If he goes to trial on December 1 and is acquitted that week, he could theoretically return to action on December 7, when the Vikings take on the Jets.
  • The Ravens tried out veteran cornerback Champ Bailey, a league source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Bailey recently said that he was willing to play nickel or safety if it meant getting back in the NFL. Meanwhile, on the D-line, the Ravens expect to be without Chris Canty for three weeks following a procedure to alleviate swelling in his wrist, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
  • The Bengals worked out linebackers Adrian Robinson and Yawin Smallwood today, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Robinson, who originally signed with the Steelers as a UDFA, also had stints with the Chargers, Eagles, and Redskins.
  • Linebacker Kevin Reddick is available after being waived by the Chargers and Vic Tafur of The San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter links) could see the Raiders dropping the newly-signed Ray Ray Armstrong in favor of him. The Raiders were fans of the UNC product at last year’s Senior Bowl.
  • The Vikings cut Mistral Raymond from their injured reserve, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
  • Somewhat surprisingly, the Raiders were the only team to put in a claim on wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • Talk of a new stadium and an NFL team coming to Los Angeles should scare the Chargers, writes U-T San Diego’s Kevin Acee. Both the Rams and Raiders could make a play to return to their one-time home and that would hurt the Bolts’ bottom line.

Lions Notes: Suh, Leshoure, Lawson

August 8th, 2014 at 6:00pm CST by Matt Feminis

Lions All-Pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was identified by the league as one of 21 “at-risk” players who have “teetered on the boundaries of the league’s new way of doing on-field business,” reports NFL.com’s Albert Breer. As a result, NFL executive VP of football operations Troy Vincent is seeking out the 21 players to address the issue directly. “There’s been pushback, and some anger,” says Breer, but in Suh’s case, Vincent was encouraged by their in-person sit-down.

“He was very receptive, he understood, he cared about the perception, his reputation, and I told him we’re not trying to take the edge he plays with away,” Vincent said. “I said, ‘We’ve seen you adjust, we’ve seen an adjustment in your play, let’s keep that going.’ … We met for hours, talking about the example he sets, the role model he’s become, and emphasizing his adjustment. What he did was set the bar with his approach, since he was first.” 

That news will probably be met with a collective eye roll from opposing players and fans who have grown tired of Suh’s lip service, but all eyes will be on him to see if he cleans up his act under a new coaching staff expected to incorporate more discipline than Jim Schwartz’s teams exhibited.

Here’s a few more Lions news and notes:

      • Running back Mikel Leshoure was a second-round pick in 2012, but he’s fourth on the Lions’ depth chart as the preseason kicks off, writes Mlive.com’s Kyle Meinke. However, people around the team seem to think that’s more a reflection of the team’s depth at the position rather than Leshoure underachieving. Even though new offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi comes from New Orleans, where the Saints used a stable of capable runners, it’s difficult to envision the Lions carrying Leshoure as a projected inactive or severing ties, particularly if he has trade value, as Meinke’s Mlive colleague Justin Rogers suggests. “Mikel Leshoure still looks the part of a former second-round pick,” says Rogers. “The fourth-year running back has the size, speed and strength teams covet in the backfield, but it’s increasingly clear he’ll struggle to see the field in Detroit…Leshoure has looked good during the early stages of training camp and has been rewarded with plenty of reps with the first-team offense. But no matter how much work he gets and how well he practices, it’s difficult seeing a role for Leshoure without an injury to another player.”
      • “An area of concern for Detroit at this point might be Ezekiel Ansah,” says ESPN’s Michael Rothstein. Ansah (shoulder) is still on the active physically unable to perform list, and while he’s been working on the side with trainers, Rothstein wonders how far behind he’s falling physically and/or mentally, especially with the team implementing a new scheme.
      • Fourth-rounder Nevin Lawson isn’t expected to have a major impact this season, but he’s in an enviable position to learn and grow, according to Fox Sports Detroit’s Dana Wakiji, who points out that the rookie stands to benefit from practice reps against Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate and tutelage from Rashean Mathis. With the Lions adding Drayton Florence to the mix, Lawson will likely begin the year fifth on the depth chart, as the team is willing to take a patient approach with his development.
      • It looks as if veteran Kevin Ogletree is establishing himself as the No. 3 receiver, says Dave Birkett and Carlos Monarrez in the Detroit Free Press.
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