HEADLINES

Stephen Tulloch

Lions Rumors: Ansah, Slay, Tulloch

March 21st, 2016 at 7:47pm CST by Zachary Links

On Monday, the Lions bolstered their wide receiving corps by signing former Jet Jeremy Kerley. The 27-year-old signed a four-year extension with the Jets roughly 18 months ago, but he had little involvement in the team’s offense once the new regime took over. The Lions are now hoping that Kerley can replicate his best seasons from the past, like in 2012 when he caught 56 passes for 827 yards and two touchdowns.

Here’s more out of Detroit:

  • The Lions aren’t currently planning to extend defensive end Ziggy Ansah, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. The 2013 draft pick is entering his contract year, but the Lions can continue to control him through his fifth-year option and the franchise tag. Of course, the prices for defensive linemen have skyrocketed in recent years. Last offseason, Ndamukong Suh inked a record-setting deal with the Dolphins. This year, the Giants signed Olivier Vernon to an $85MM over five years with $40.5MM guaranteed.
  • Lions GM Bob Quinn met with agent Drew Rosenhaus about linebacker Stephen Tulloch and cornerback Darius Slay on Monday, Birkett tweets. Talks with Slay are ongoing, but the status of Tulloch’s talks are a bit of a mystery, according to Birkett (link). Slay, who changed representation earlier this year, was a 2013 draft pick, making him eligible for an extension when the Lions’ regular season ended. The Lions reportedly were set to release Tulloch in February but they may have had a change of heart. Tulloch, 31, has spent the last five years with the Lions.
  • Within his article, Birkett notes that the Lions are still seeking rotational help at defensive end via free agency.

Lions To Release Stephen Tulloch?

March 13th, 2016 at 4:29pm CST by Zachary Links

MARCH 13: The Lions say they “have nothing to announce today” regarding Tulloch’s roster status, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). Tulloch has a $500K roster bonus due today, so if Detroit doesn’t confirm his release today, it’s possible that he’ll stick around.

FEBRUARY 18: The Lions have informed Stephen Tulloch that he’ll be released at the start of the league year, a source tells PFT (on Twitter). The linebacker took to Instagram minutes ago with a message for Detroit fans, seemingly confirming the news. Stephen Tulloch (vertical)

“What a journey it’s been Detroit!,” Tulloch wrote. “Five years of some of the greatest memories of my career. I can’t put into words how grateful I am to have played for such a great organization. I want thank the Ford family, the front office, the strength coaches, trainers, equipment staff, and everybody in between for everything you have done for me over the years. Last but not least I want to thank the community of Detroit for being behind me and my foundation over the years in making a difference in many lives. Such as life there is constant change. But change that I’m looking forward to. As one chapter closes in my career another one opens up.”

By cutting Tulloch, the Lions will save $6MM in cap space in 2016. Now, his dead money will count for just $1.3MM against the Lions’ cap.

Tulloch, 31, has spent the last five years with the Lions. He has played in all 16 regular games of each season except for in 2014. In a September contest against the Packers, Tulloch tore his ACL while celebrating a sack, ending his season prematurely. In 2015, he restored his ironman cred by playing in 16 games, racking up 108 total tackles, 1 sack, and 2 fumble recoveries.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC Notes: Watson, Lions, White

February 6th, 2016 at 11:10am CST by Ben Levine

Impending free agent Ben Watson had an excellent season with the Saints. Despite being 35-years-old, the tight end finished with a career-high 74 catches for 825 yards and six touchdowns. Predictably, the veteran would like to stick around New Orleans.

“I had a good conversation with Sean (Payton) and Mickey (Loomis), and I love the Saints organization,” Watson told Joel A. Erickson of The Advocate. “I’d love to be playing there. If not there, we’ll see where else. I think I’ll know more in about a month or so.” 

Of course, Watson understands that it’s no guarantee that he’ll be back in black and gold.

“It is exciting to have the possibility to return there, but as an NFL veteran, you know how it works,” Watson said.

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

  • Possible Lions cap casualties include linebacker Stephen Tulloch, running back Joique Bell, and tight end Brandon Pettigrew, writes ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein.
  • When it comes to Calvin Johnson, Rothstein believes it’d be best for the Lions if the wideout stuck around for one more season. That way, the team could draft a young receiver who could learn from the superstar. However, if Johnson does decide to hang it up, the writer believes the team could pursue Marvin Jones or Jermaine Kearse.
  • While the ultimate decision will be up to coach Dan Quinn, Falcons owner Arthur Blank is hopeful that receiver Roddy White will finish his career in Atlanta. “I have nothing but respect for Roddy and I love Roddy,” Blank told ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure. “I love what he’s done for our franchise. And I love the type of leadership that he has. And I love his role as a father…When it comes to where Roddy is in the future, that’s where the owner doesn’t get involved. That’s a decision that will be made by the coach, the coaching staff and personnel. When they’re ready to do it, they’ll do it. They’re in the process of going through the roster evaluation now. They’ve had some discussions. They’ll have more discussions.”

NFC Notes: Gabbert, Draughn, Tulloch

December 12th, 2015 at 6:06pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

A look at the latest from a couple of NFC teams:

  • Most wrote 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert off after the former 10th overall pick’s failed tenure in Jacksonville from 2011-13, but he’s making the most of his current stint in San Francisco. The 26-year-old implies his struggles with the Jaguars were a blessing in disguise. “I would say I’m a better leader now for the experiences I’ve had in the last five years,” Gabbert stated, per Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group. As McDonald notes, Gabbert faced difficult circumstances with the Jags – including taking over as the starter before he was truly ready. This year is the first time Gabbert has garnered significant playing time since joining the 49ers last season, and he has put up solid numbers (63 percent completion rate, five touchdowns and three interceptions in four games). One prominent teammate – receiver Anquan Boldin – sees clear progress. “You’ve seen him the last couple of weeks. He’s been playing lights out,” Boldin said. “We’re happy to have him here, we enjoy playing with him and everybody on the team has confidence in him.”
  • Linebacker Stephen Tulloch and the Lions’ defense have fared well since coordinator Teryl Austin decreased Tulloch’s role earlier in the season and started using him mostly as a run stopper. Despite the uptick in Tulloch’s play, his future beyond this season is uncertain. Because linebackers who have difficulty against the pass aren’t that valuable, the Lions could opt to cut the 10-year veteran after the season and save roughly $6MM on their cap, writes Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. Two of Tulloch’s biggest advocates – Austin and head coach Jim Caldwell – might be elsewhere in 2016, which would increase the likelihood of his days in Detroit ending.
  • The 49ers plan to re-sign running back Shaun Draughn and let him compete for a roster spot next year, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Injuries to Carlos Hyde, Reggie Bush and Mike Davis have enabled Draughn to take over the starting role over the last several games. Draughn hasn’t exactly dazzled as a ball carrier (3.3 yards per rush) during his four weeks as the team’s primary back, but he has averaged a respectable 85.5 total yards per game. Maiocco cites Draughn’s well-rounded game – including his ability on special teams – as the reason to keep him in the fold.

North Notes: Browns, Tulloch, Monroe

December 11th, 2015 at 2:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Whatever differences of opinion might exist within the Browns‘ organization, one thing that head coach Mike Pettine, GM Ray Farmer, president Alex Scheiner and the rest of the front office should agree on is that “it’s a teardown job” in Cleveland, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today. As Pelissero argues, it’s impossible to look at a club that has lost 15 of 17 games by an average of two touchdowns and say that the team just needs to fill a few holes.

While Pelissero acknowledges that tearing down the Browns’ front office structure multiple times within the last few years is hardly ideal, he suggests that the dysfunction within the organization – along with the relative lack of promising young talent – makes it the most logical move for owner Jimmy Haslam to make more big changes this winter.

As we wait to see how the Browns address their front office, coaching staff, and roster this offseason, let’s check in on a few more notes from around the NFL’s North divisions….

  • Veteran Lions linebacker Stephen Tulloch is due to make a $5.5MM salary, and is in line for a $500K roster bonus in March, raising questions about his future in Detroit, says Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Tulloch has played well in recent weeks, but it’s been an up-and-down season overall, and he remains a liability against the pass. The Lions could create $6MM in cap savings by cutting him this offseason, so the team will have to think about such a move.
  • Ravens offensive tackle Eugene Monroe hasn’t seen his injured shoulder make much positive progress over the last several weeks, and may be ticketed for the injured reserve list, which would end his season, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
  • Cornerback Deveron Carr and wide receiver DeAndre Carter had workouts for the Bengals this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Carr most recently spent time on Washington’s practice squad, while Carter was on Oakland’s practice squad earlier in the season.
  • Wilson also passes along word of a Lions tryout, tweeting that Detroit took a look at defensive back Kendall James. James was just cut from the Browns’ practice squad on Tuesday.

North Notes: Suh, Hoyer, Cutler, Tulloch

March 5th, 2015 at 9:47pm CST by Dallas Robinson

When he officially becomes a free agent next Tuesday, Ndamukong Suh is expected to garner a “massive” contract, in the words of Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), who hears from insiders that the Lions defensive tackle could receive $17MM per year with as much as $60MM guaranteed.

That guaranteed figure in particular sounds high, as that total would be the highest in the NFL (Aaron Rodgers currently is No. 1 with $54MM in guarantees). However, with the league-wide salary cap continuing to rise, and a number of clubs enjoying ample amounts of cap space, nothing is out of the question. La Canfora adds that the Dolphins are hot on Suh’s trail, noting that if Miami doesn’t add the 28-year-old, it “won’t be for lack of effort.”

Here’s more from the North divisions…

  • After the Browns signed Josh McCown last month, fellow quarterback Brian Hoyer‘s tenure in Cleveland presumably came to an end. Hoyer confirmed as much to Jim Corbett of USA Today, saying that he’ll be looking to compete for a starting job elsewhere. “It’s good for both sides to get a fresh start and go our separate ways,” said Hoyer, who should sit near the top free agent QB market alongside Mark Sanchez.
  • Though not a free agent like Hoyer, Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has been the subject of just as many rumors during the offseason, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com confirms what most already suspected: teams around the league know that Cutler is available via trade. I outlined why it could be difficult for Chicago to deal Cutler in our Bears’ Offseason Outlook.
  • Via an Instagram post, Lions linebacker Stephen Tulloch indicates that he’ll return to Detroit next season. Tulloch isn’t a free agent, but his $5.8MM 2015 cap hit, combined with an ACL injury, lead to speculation that he’d be released. Tulloch is reportedly progressing well in his recovery, and while his post obviously doesn’t make his return official, one can assume that Lions management has told him he’ll be retained.

Tuesday Roundup: Cassel, Winston, Peterson

February 24th, 2015 at 8:38pm CST by Rory Parks

Vikings GM Rick Spielman said that nothing definitive has been decided about bringing Matt Cassel back to the team, but Spielman was complimentary of his veteran signal-caller when discussing him earlier this week. “We went through our process, we evaluated all of our players,” Spielman said, according to Brian Hall of FOXSportsNorth.com. “We looked at everything from what they bring to our football team, in the locker room, off the field, what they bring to us on the field. But we also have to look at where they’re at from a standpoint of their contract, where we’re at from a cap standpoint…Matt’s done a great job. Came in and has won some games when he had to play. He’s a great locker-room guy. Matt has a lot of value to us.” Cassel is signed for the 2015 season at a salary of $4.15MM, and he’ll count $4.75MM against the cap.

Now for some more links from around the league on this Tuesday evening:

  • Tahir Whitehead filled in capably for Stephen Tulloch when Tulloch went out last season, and that leaves the Lions with an interesting choice this offseason, as Kyle Meinke of MLive.com writes. Detroit could continue to roll with Whitehead at middle linebacker and carve out some space by parting ways with Tulloch. The 30-year-old is slated to count $5.8MM against the cap next season. Whitehead, meanwhile, costs just $713K.
  • The consensus around the league is that the Buccaneers will draft Jameis Winston with the No. 1 overall pick, according to a tweet from the NFL Network (citing its own Ian Rapoport).
  • The Colts are in dire need of a running back, and Mike Wells of ESPN.com writes that the team will be closely monitoring the Adrian Peterson situation. If Peterson and the Vikings part ways, Indianapolis GM Ryan Grigson, a noted risk-taker, may pull the trigger.
  • Falcons defensive end Osi Umenyiora has no plans to retire, writes Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Umenyiora, 33, will become a free agent on March 10, and he said he would like to play at least one more season. If he could choose, Umenyiora stated that he would like to finish his career where it started: with the Giants.
  • Packers fullback John Kuhn is one of the last members of a dying breed, but the impending free agent reaffirmed his importance to the Green Bay offense in 2014, earning first team All-Pro honors for the first time in his career. As Weston Hodkiewicz of PackersNews.com writes, there is mutual interest in Kuhn’s return to the Packers.
  • Former Australian rugby star Jarryd Hayne, who has garnered interest from at least a dozen teams, is expected to sign with a club this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (writing for the National Football Post).
  • Bill Williamson of ESPN.com believes middle linebacker Nate Irving could be a fit with the Raiders if the impending free agent is not re-signed by the Broncos.
  • Parys Haralson, who signed a one-year deal with the Saints in February, hopes to end his career in New Orleans, writes Katherine Terrell of the Times-Picayune.
  • Jason Fitzerald of OverTheCap.com provides the Panthers‘ salary cap outlook for the 2015 season.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

 

NFC Notes: Panthers, Lions, Saints, Giants

September 27th, 2014 at 4:53pm CST by Luke Adams

As we wait to see whether the Eagles can take sole possession of the top spot in the NFC with a win tomorrow in San Francisco, let’s round up some notes from around the conference….

  • Offensive lineman Garry Williams landed on injured reserve for the third time in four years today, and while it’s an unfortunate break for both Williams and the Panthers, the team protected itself against injury in its one-year extension for the veteran, according to Brian McIntyre (Twitter links). Williams’ base salary drops from $650K to $373K on IR, and he’ll miss out on nearly $100K in per-game roster bonuses.
  • While Kyle Meinke of MLive.com initially scoffed at the notion that injured linebacker Stephen Tulloch may have placed his last game with the Lions, he notes that the team could save more than $3MM by cutting the linebacker in the offseason, which is money that could be put toward re-signing Ndamukong Suh or another player. Meinke isn’t advocating for Tulloch’s release and doesn’t necessarily view it as likely, but the combination of the 29-year-old’s ACL injury and cap figures make it a possibility.
  • Mike Triplett’s latest Saints mailbag at ESPN.com deals primarily with questions about Drew Brees‘ potential longevity as he enters his late-30s, and whether it’s realistic to expect New Orleans to be a Super Bowl contender as long as Brees has one of the league’s largest contracts.
  • Meanwhile, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com fields Giants-related questions in his Saturday mailbag, including one on how the team might balance the workload for free agent signee Rashad Jennings and rookie Andre Williams going forward.

NFC North Notes: Munnerlyn, Finley, Tulloch

September 27th, 2014 at 11:02am CST by Ben Levine

Vikings defensive backs Captain Munnerlyn and Robert Blanton were not fined for their hit on Saints quarterback Drew Brees last weekend. The play resulted in a 15-yard penalty and some shoving from both sides.

As ESPN.com’s Ben Goessling writes, Munnerlyn opined that he shouldn’t have been flagged for the play. Brees respectfully disagrees:

“He said that wasn’t a penalty. I said, ‘Of course it was, you suplexed me,'” Brees said. “‘But listen, I like you, I think you’re a good football player. I appreciate the 15 yards, thank you.'”

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

Injury Updates: Monday

September 22nd, 2014 at 4:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Teams around the league today are assessing the damage from Week 3’s games, and in some cases the news is sobering. At Pro Football Rumors, we don’t cover every injury, but we’ll keep tabs on the major ones that could result in a player heading to injured reserve or in his team adding a replacement via free agency or trade. Here are the latest Monday updates on those major injuries from this week:

  • According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Panthers running back Mike Tolbert has sustained a hairline fracture in his leg, while Jonathan Stewart has a sprained knee. Tolbert, who also has a bone bruise, won’t require surgery but may miss more than a month, a source tells Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). With DeAngelo Williams also banged up, expect the Panthers to add some help for the backfield this week.

Earlier updates:

  • Like Jason Kelce, whose injury is noted below, Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph will undergo surgery for a sports hernia, reports Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter links). Rudolph is expected to miss about six weeks, which might make him a candidate for the injured reserve list with the designation to return.
  • Saints center Jonathan Goodwin has been diagnosed with a high ankle sprain, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). While an MRI today will determine the severity of the injury, the team anticipates that Goodwin will miss time.
  • As first reported by Howard Eskin of 94WIP Radio in Philadelphia (Twitter link), Eagles center Jason Kelce has a sports hernia injury and is expected to require surgery, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. It’s the latest blow for an increasingly depleted Eagles line, which is already missing Evan Mathis and Allen Barbre and may require an outside addition, as both Eskin and McLane point out. McLane reports that Kelce could end up missing about two months.
  • Lions head coach Jim Caldwell confirmed today that linebacker Stephen Tulloch will be placed on injured reserve after sustaining a torn ACL (Twitter link). As if the season-ending injury wasn’t bad enough, it happened while Tulloch was celebrating a sack of Aaron Rodgers by performing his version of the “Discount Double Check” act.
  • Bills wideout and special-teams ace Marcus Easley has suffered a sprained MCL, and will likely be sidelined for four to six weeks, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Buffalo has yet to use its IR-DTR spot, but Easley may not be a candidate for that designation, since he could return within a month.
  • We rounded up some news on Steelers injuries earlier this morning.
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