HEADLINES

Jordan Thompson

Lions Release Leshoure, Roster To 53

August 30th, 2014 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

2:50pm: The Lions have announced their remaining cuts, per Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. In addition to the players listed below, the following players have been let go:

1:45pm: The Lions have let go of one of Matthew Stafford‘s favorite targets, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports (via Twitter) that the team has released wideout Kris Durham.

The 26-year-old finished 2013 with career-highs in receptions (38) and yards (490). He also led all of the Lions offensive skill players in snaps, even topping All-Pro Calvin Johnson.

The Lions weren’t done there, as they released an additional six players:

11:40am: The Lions’ starting running back from 2012 is no longer on the roster, as the team informed Mikel Leshoure today that he’s being waived as the 53-man cutdown deadline nears, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. While the move leaves a little dead money on Detroit’s cap, the team avoids having to pay the running back his non-guaranteed base salary for 2014.

Leshoure wasn’t the only veteran among the Lions’ cuts today. Here’s the complete running list:

Minor Moves: Bengals, Browns, Lions, Packers

April 28th, 2014 at 5:01pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ll keep tabs on Monday’s minor transactions right here — that includes free agents accepting contract tenders, notable CFL signings, and roster moves involving players who haven’t seen much or any NFL action lately. Here are the day’s minor moves, with any new transactions added to the top of the list throughout the evening:

  • The Bengals have cut center Scott Wedige, the team announced today (Twitter link). Wedige, who didn’t appear in a regular-season game for Cincinnati last season, saw his only NFL action in 2012, briefly appearing in a pair of contests for Arizona.
  • Kicker Brandon Bogotay has been waived by the Browns, the club announced today (via Twitter). The move leaves Billy Cundiff as the only kicker on Cleveland’s roster.
  • The Lions have signed tight end Jordan Thompson, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Thompson’s signing was first broken by his old high school coach, who tweeted a congratulatory message on Friday.
  • Wilson also tweets that the Packers have cut running back Orwin Smith. The Georgia Tech product was on Green Bay’s practice squad last season before inking a futures deal with the team.

NFC Notes: Will Hill, Julio Jones, Vikings

April 22nd, 2014 at 10:50am CST by Luke Adams

We rounded up several NFC West notes earlier this morning, but there are plenty more items to pass along from around the rest of the conference. Let’s dive in and check out the latest….

  • Giants safety Will Hill is facing another drug-related suspension and plans to appeal the results in hopes of avoiding a lengthy absence. However, as Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News writes, Hill is likely “done” with the Giants regardless of the appeal’s outcome, since the club is “livid” at the 24-year-old’s continued drug issues.
  • Speaking to reporters today, including ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure (Twitter link), Falcons head coach Mike Smith indicated Julio Jones “is going to be an Atlanta Falcon for a long, long, long time.” Smith didn’t specifically address Jones’ fifth-year option, but I imagine the only way that won’t be exercised is if Atlanta reaches a longer-term agreement with Jones before the May 3 deadline.
  • Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) adds offensive tackle Greg Robinson to the list of prospects visiting the Falcons this week.
  • A source tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link) that Blake Bortles won’t be visiting or working out for the Vikings. It’s hard to know how to interpret the report — if it’s Bortles’ decision, he may be confident he’ll be drafted before the Vikings pick at No. 8. If it’s Minnesota’s decision, perhaps the team simply knows all it needs to after watching Bortles and meeting with him at his Pro Day.
  • Speaking of Vikings quarterbacks, Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune, with the help of cap expert Joel Corry, explains why the club’s decision on Christian Ponder‘s fifth-year option isn’t as simple as it may seem on the surface.
  • We heard yesterday that Kareem Martin has visited the Vikings, and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link) says the Cowboys and Panthers will also be hosting the UNC defensive end.
  • The Lions invited five tryout players to minicamp, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter): Kevin Matthews (C), Sherman Carter (G), Josh Jenkins (G), Cordaro Howard (T), and Jordan Thompson (TE).