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Nick Fairley

NFC Mailbags: Colston, Forte, Peterson

November 22nd, 2014 at 8:57am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday, and that means ESPN’s NFL writers are opening up their mailbags and answering questions. Let’s check out some of the notable whispers from the NFC…

NFC Notes: Eagles, Aldon Smith, Cards

October 29th, 2014 at 4:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The Eagles were cited as a potential suitor for a safety prior to Tuesday’s trade deadline, but they didn’t trade for anyone to replace Nate Allen because they have confidence in his ability to bounce back, as Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes.

“I watch every play Nate had. Nate had a very good game. He had one bad play,” defensive coordinator Bill Davis said. “Over and over again, Nate was in the right spot, the right leverage, making the plays, and at the end of the game he had one bad play. The spotlight is on you, and that’s part of being in the secondary, but Nate has thick skin, and we as a defense, collectively, blew it at the end.”

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • Don’t expect an announcement on a reduced suspension for 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith today, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The chances of Smith playing on Sunday are diminishing, but he could be in line for a return in the following week. That means the linebacker probably won’t be available for SF’s divisional game against the Rams but he could be back in action for the following week at New Orleans.
  • With lots of talk and little action before this year’s trade deadline, Cardinals coach Bruce Arians has a simple solution to make things more active. “It’s not like if it were four more weeks, you might be out of it, and you might trade a guy that’s in the last year of his contract and you’re not going to get anything for,” Arians said on SiriusXM, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. “But right now they’re still hoping in 25 cities or 28 cities that they’re going to the playoffs. I would like to see the trade deadline go back a little bit.“
  • Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk checks in on Adrian Peterson, writing that the Vikings running back’s career outlook remains murky.
  • While Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley will get a second opinion on his knee injury on Friday or early next week, he’s not expected to undergo surgery and should be sidelined for about a month, tweets Rapoport.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Nick Fairley To Miss 4-5 Weeks

October 27th, 2014 at 7:33pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Lions will be without one of their key defenders for at least the next month, as Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that defensive tackle Nick Fairley will miss four-to-five weeks after spraining his MCL and PCL. Detroit already used its injured reserve/designated to return slot on rookie linebacker Kyle Van Noy, so that tag isn’t an option for Fairley. Even if the Lions did still have their IR-DTR spot available, they probably would’ve opted to ride it out with Fairley, as his timetable for return is sooner than that of the required absence (eight weeks) of an IR-DTR player.

Fairley, 26, has been a central cog in a Detroit defense that has been excellent by both traditional statistics (first in both yards allowed and point per game allowed) and advanced metrics (first in defensive DVOA). Although he’s registered just one sack and eight tackles, he grades out as the eighth-best defensive tackle in the league, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required); Fairley’s line mate, Ndamukong Suh, ranks fourth. Fairley, a first-round pick out of Auburn in 2011, is a free agent after the season due to the Lions’ failure to exercise his fifth-year option.

The next man up on Detroit’s depth chart is Caraun Reid, a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft out of Princeton. He filled in for Fairley on Sunday, but still has seen only 85 defensive snaps on the season. The Lions do not have another player listed as a defensive tackle on their active roster, although C.J. Mosley should return to the team in Week 10 following his two-game suspension. Though they would have to clear a roster spot, the club could look to add an external option at tackle, with Isaac Sopoaga, Derek Landri, and Antonio Johnson topping the list of veterans available, per Adam Caplan of ESPN (on Twitter).

King On Lynch, Fairley, Martin, Pats

October 27th, 2014 at 3:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Let’s check out some of the highlights from Peter King’s weekly MMQB column..

  • King agrees with ESPN’s Chris Mortensen and feels that this is the end for Marshawn Lynch in Seattle. However, he doesn’t see him getting moved by Tuesday’s deadline unless the Seahawks are blown away by an offer. Even a team desperate for a running back isn’t going to give the Seahawks anything like the third-round pick that they would need to start considering a deal, King opines. Lynch is set to earn $6.5MM in 2015 but Seattle might cut him loose instead.
  • The Lions initially believed that defensive tackle Nick Fairley hadn’t suffered a season-ending knee injury in London on Sunday, but King is now hearing that the injury is bad. Fairley’s MRI results should be in later today.
  • King notes that on NBC’s Sunday Night Football telecast, Mike Florio noted that the Patriots could be in the market for Buccaneers running back Doug Martin. Martin is in the midst of a down year and injured his ankle yesterday.
  • John Brown was the Cardinals‘ hero on Sunday and that may have surprised some, but not Cardinals GM Steve Keim. When Keim traded the No. 20 pick in the draft to New Orleans for the Nos. 27 and 91, he was hoping and praying Brown would fall to him at No. 91. Brown, who doesn’t have a big program pedigree, was available, and it would appear that the Cards made one heck of a selection.

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 Notes: Lions, Cowboys, Panthers, Seahawks

October 18th, 2014 at 10:53am CST by Ben Levine

As Reggie Bush prepares for his reunion with the Saints this weekend, the former No. 2 overall pick reflected on his entrance and exit from New Orleans.

The current Lions running back was ushered into the business side of the league very quickly, as he was blindsided by not going first overall. Via ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein…

“I was preparing to go to Houston, and we found out the same way everybody else found out, on SportsCenter,” Bush said. “That was that. That was my first real introduction to the business side of football. I got an introduction really quick.”

Following five up-and-down seasons with the Saints, the two sides parted ways following the 2010 season. The 29-year-old said there is not bitterness or hard feelings over the “mutual decision.”

“It was nothing that was unexpected,” Bush said. “I don’t have any bitterness toward the team or anybody. It’s part of the business side, the business side of our sport.

“Sometimes it can be ugly, but at the end of the day we all sign on the dotted line and we understand how it works.”

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

  • Rothstein opines that if the Lions don’t keep Ndamukong Suh, they could very well re-sign DeAndre Levy and Nick Fairley. While Levy’s contract doesn’t expire until 2015, the team could still theoretically try to lock him up. Rothstein also questions whether the team would actually extend Fairley following one productive season.
  • In addition to Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray, Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain will also be in line for a payday this offseason, but an extension isn’t on his mind. “We haven’t talked about it and I’m not worried about it,” McClain told ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. “I’m getting ready for the Giants…I’m just happy to be with the Dallas Cowboys. I’m happy with our success so far. I’m having fun with my teammates. Having a good time, gelling together and playing some good ball right now.”
  • At this point in time, the Panthers have no reason to trade for a cornerback, writes ESPN.com’s David Newton. The team still believes in Antoine Cason and Melvin White, as well as former fifth-round pick Josh Norman.
  • Newton writes that there would be little incentive for the Panthers to cut Greg Hardy since the team would still owe him more than $13MM.
  • Seahawks rookie Cassius Marsh broke his foot in practice this week and is expected to have surgery on Monday, tweets NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. While Rapoport estimates the defensive end will miss four or five weeks, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times says a six-to-eight week absence is more likely (via Twitter).

NFC Notes: Peterson, Osgood, Fairley, Rams

October 9th, 2014 at 2:42pm CST by Luke Adams

A day after Adrian Peterson‘s trial date for his child abuse charges was set for December 1, the Vikings running back is potentially facing another arrest today, according to Isiah Carey of FOX 26 Houston. Carey reports that Montgomery County prosecutors filed paperwork to have Peterson rearrested after he admitted to smoking “a little weed,” in violation of his bond conditions. There won’t be any action immediately since the judge presiding over Peterson’s case is facing a recusal hearing, which is scheduled to take place tomorrow, but the Montgomery County DA has asked the judge to set aside Peterson’s $15K bond.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • Kassim Osgood was cut this week by the 49ers just days after head coach Jim Harbaugh called him the team’s best special teams player, and Harbaugh said today that he hopes to get Osgood back on the 53-man roster “imminently,” according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link).
  • The Lions say they declined Nick Fairley‘s fifth-year option for 2015 to motivate him to have a big contract year, and so far that approach seems to be working, writes Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. Of course, it’s fair to wonder if Fairley would have been more productive and more consistent anyway, and question whether the Lions should have given up the flexibility to bring him back in 2015 at an affordable one-year price.
  • As he nears free agency, Falcons running back Antone Smith is increasing his value every time he touches the ball, says ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure.
  • Passing along news that Rams owner Stan Kroenke figures to be granted an extra year to transfer ownership of the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche and NBA’s Denver Nuggets, Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post suggests there’s speculation that Kroenke will push for a permanent exemption from the NFL’s cross-ownership rule if he tries to move the Rams to Los Angeles. Currently, league rules prohibit ownership of teams in other sports that are in different markets than the owner’s NFL franchise.

Nick Fairley Wants To Stay With Lions

August 20th, 2014 at 6:36pm CST by Zachary Links

Even though the Lions declined his fifth-year option and demoted him to a reserve role, defensive tackle Nick Fairley says he still wants to stay with the Lions beyond this season, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. Even though he’s bummed about not being a part of the first unit, he says that this offseason hasn’t made him question his future with the organization.

“What it means, I couldn’t tell you to be honest,” the the 6’5″, 291 pound lineman said. “I want to be here. I want to stay here in Detroit.”

General Manager Martin Mayhew had the option to exercise Fairley’s fifth-year option for just $5.5MM, but he opted against it due to Fairley’s inconsistency. That means that a strong 2014 season will make it difficult for the Lions to retain Fairley, but Mayhew said that he is hopeful the 26-year-old will use it as motivation. The former No. 13 overall pick has had his work ethic called into question throughout his NFL career, and a fat new contract could be the carrot on a stick that gets him to realize his potential.

Fairley has also struggled with weight issues in the past. He played as heavy as 322 pounds in 2013 and reported to camp last month at 308. After undergoing sleep apnea surgery this offseason, he dropped down to 295 pounds but poor eating habits spiked his weight once again. Currently, he’s weighing in at 315 pounds and sees that as a comfortable playing weight.

A starter when healthy his first three seasons, Fairley might not be more than a rotational two-down lineman in the Lions’ new defensive scheme, Birkett writes. The Lions have used Jason Jones as an inside rusher in sub packages this summer and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh rarely comes off the field.

In 15 games last season, Fairley recorded a career-high 6.0 sacks, 22 tackles, and a safety.

King’s Latest: CBs, Bortles, Fairley, 49ers

August 18th, 2014 at 8:57am CST by Luke Adams

Those defensive penalties that have plagued preseason games for the last two weeks won’t be going away once the regular season gets underway, according to vice president of officiating Dean Blandino. Blandino tells Peter King of TheMMQB.com that defensive holding and illegal contact penalties will continue to be a point of emphasis throughout the year, and that he expects coaches and teams to adjust their style of play over the next few weeks. In the second weekend of the 2014 preseason, there have been nearly nine more penalties per game than an average 2013 regular season contest, which is a number that will hurt the game if it extends into the regular season, writes King.

Here’s more from this week’s MMQB:

  • King predicts that we’ll hear of several teams desperate for cornerbacks in the next week or so. “We’re going to get one,” a personnel man for one team said. “But we may have to pay a higher price than we want, or a higher price than the player deserves.” King identifies the Jets, Ravens, Lions, Colts, Vikings, and Buccaneers as teams that may be on the lookout for another corner.
  • While Chad Henne may open the regular season under center for the Jaguars, the team has always planned to transition Blake Bortles into the starting role when he’s ready, regardless of how well or how poorly Henne is playing, says King. Based on how Bortles has looked so far in the preseason, that transition could end up happening sooner rather than later.
  • According to King, Nick Fairley is now behind C.J. Mosley on the Lions‘ depth chart. So far, it doesn’t seem as Detroit’s decision to decline Fairley’s 2015 option as a motivational tactic has paid off for the defensive tackle or the team.
  • One scout suggests the 49ers should be worried about the backup quarterback situation, and King writes that Jim Harbaugh and Trent Baalke may be thinking about elevating Josh Johnson to No. 2 on the depth chart after another poor performance by Blaine Gabbert.
  • King praises the Bears‘ signing of wide receiver Santonio Holmes, writing that he has “no idea” why so many people view Holmes as a toxic locker-room presence — in King’s view, the veteran wideout has been “mildly disruptive,” but he’s hardly a cancer.

Sunday Roundup: Clemens, Fairley, Bortles

August 17th, 2014 at 12:57pm CST by Rory Parks

The preseason has reached its unofficial halfway point, and teams must trim their rosters to 75 players in just over a week from now. As position competitions continue to smolder and as bubble players strive to prove themselves in preseason contests, let’s take a look at some notes from around the league:

  • Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean offers some lessons learned from the Titans‘ second preseason game against the Saints. He notes that Travis Coons‘ accuracy has made the kicking competition with Maikon Bonani much more interesting than anticipated, and while return specialist Marc Mariani still faces an uphill battle to make the club, his returns on Saturday night have kept him in the picture.
  • Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com believes the Ravens should keep starting corners Lardarius Webb and Jimmy Smith on the shelf until the regular season opener against the Bengals. Baltimore has been “snakebitten” at the cornerback position and Hensley believes the team’s best bet is to hope that a decent player gets released as the preseason rolls on. He writes that, if free agents like Asante Samuel and Dunta Robinson could help, they would have jobs by now.
  • Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego writes that the Chargers are thrilled to have Kellen Clemens as Philip Rivers‘ backup, as they are confident Clemens could win games for them if he were pressed into duty.
  • Mike Klis of the Denver Post ranks undrafted free agent Juwan Thompson as the Broncos‘ biggest training camp surprise. Though Thompson entered camp as the No. 6 tailback on the roster, he now appears to have a legitimate shot at making the club.
  • Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes that the Lions need to salvage Nick Fairley, who represents their last hope from the now infamous 2011 draft, but if Fairley does not show improvement soon, he could be a midseason trade candidate.
  • Birkett (Twitter links) and Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com offer brief discussions of the Lions‘ wide receiver competition and predict which wideouts may make the club.
  • Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com provides a list of which Packers bubble players helped themselves and who hurt themselves in Saturday’s preseason game against the Rams.
  • Ben Volin of the Boston Globe believes the Browns and Jaguars should hand the reins to Blake Bortles and Johnny Manziel right away, rather than have them sit behind the players they will eventually overtake. Since Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan led their clubs to the playoffs during their rookie seasons in 2008, rookie quarterbacks have fared very well when thrown into the fire from day one. For what it’s worth, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida-Times Union tweets that Bortles will finally get reps with the first team offense on Monday and could play with the ones in the second quarter in the team’s upcoming preseason game against the Lions.
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