Pride Of Detroit

"I won't get into specific names, but we had a number of guys on defense who would have been better...

2010-03-10T20:35:23Z

"I won't get into specific names, but we had a number of guys on defense who would have been better a step back from where they were actually having to play every week," Mayhew says.

"We had a number of spots where a player would have been perfect as, say, a third defensive end or a nickel, or as a backup special teams player. But they were forced onto the field and were a little overmatched, overwhelmed at times.

"That's definitely something that we took a long look at after the season. We feel like a lot of guys on our team are quality players and they belong in the league, but they need somebody ahead of them and they need to be in a rotation or in the right role."

-Martin Mayhew in the Detroit News

Martin Mayhew Checks Out Oklahoma's Pro Day

2010-03-10T11:09:52Z

Martin Mayhew is a busy man. Just days after wrapping up the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, free agency started and kept the entire Lions organization busy. There were lots of moves made during the first few days of free agency, and there were probably many more potential moves that we never heard about because nothing ended up actually happening. Needless to say, I'm sure Mayhew spent quite a bit of time working the phones since Friday.

Now, though, as free agency starts to die down a little, it's time to turn the focus back to the draft. Although lots of scouting was done in Indy just a week or so ago, pro days are now taking place at colleges across the country, including some big-name schools this week, such as Oklahoma. As expected, Mayhew was at the Sooners' pro day to continue to scout a potential first-round pick in Gerald McCoy.

General manager Martin Mayhew attended Oklahoma’s pro day today, along with many other NFL officials, including Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo, whose team holds the No. 1 overall pick.

Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy didn’t go through some of the drills he did at the NFL scouting combine, such as the bench press, even though he did only 23 reps of 225 pounds in Indianapolis. But McCoy measured 6-feet-4 and 298 pounds and went through some position drills.

Oklahoma State left tackle Russell Okung’s pro day is Wednesday. Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh’s is Thursday.

McCoy is planning on doing the bench press again on March 25, which is when Sam Bradford will be holding his own pro day. In the meantime, I'm sure the Lions, and more specifically Martin Mayhew, will be ready to check out Russell Okung today and Ndamukong Suh tomorrow.

For a look at the full schedule of pro days, click here.

Steelers interested in bringing back Foote

2010-03-09T16:58:25Z

Steelers interested in bringing back Foote

That's interesting news, to say the least.

Transactions Tracker: What the Lions Have Done in March So Far

2010-03-09T06:03:11Z

The start of free agency has brought about a slew of stories ranging from rumors to trades to signings and to releases. In the past week alone, there have been over 40 stories posted on Pride of Detroit, not to mention a countless number of FanPosts and FanShots as well. With that in mind, I wouldn't be surprised if some of you have missed a story or two since things have been so busy. In order to quickly catch you all up on everything that has happened in the last week, I put together a transactions tracker dating back to March 4, which is when things first started happening this month. Check it out.

Signings

WR Nate Burleson; 5 years, $25 million with $11 million guaranteed (March 5)
DE Kyle Vanden Bosch; 4 years, $26 million with $10 million in 2010 (March 5)
WR Brian Clark; 1 year (March 8)
CB Jonathan Wade; 1 year (March 8)

Re-signings

OT Jon Jansen; 1 year, $860,000 (March 5)
LB Vinny Ciurciu; 1 year (March 5)
TE Will Heller; 3 years (March 8)

Trades

Received from Cleveland: DT Corey Williams, 2010 7th-round pick; Sent to Cleveland: 2010 5th-round pick originally belonging to Denver (March 5)
Received from Atlanta: CB Chris Houston, 2010 5th-round pick; Sent to Atlanta: 2010 5th-round pick, 2010 6th-round pick (March 8)

Releases

CB Phillip Buchanon (March 4)
DT Grady Jackson (March 5)
DE Dewayne White (March 8)

Restricted Free Agent Tenders (March 4)

OG Manny Ramirez (Right of First Refusal [ROFR] & Original Draft Compensation [4th-round pick]) - $1,101,000
OG Daniel Loper (ROFR) - $1,226,000
C Dylan Gandy (ROFR & Original Draft Compensation [4th-round pick]) - $1,176,000
DE Jason Hunter (ROFR & 2nd Round Compensation) - $1,759,000
DE Copeland Bryan - Not tendered
LB Cody Spencer - Not tendered
CB Kevin Hobbs (ROFR) - $1,101,000
S Daniel Bullocks (ROFR & Original Draft Compensation [recognized as a 3rd-round pick]) - $1,176,000
S Ko Simpson (ROFR & Original Draft Compensation [4th-round pick]) - $1,176,000

Exclusive Rights Free Agents Tendered Offers (March 4)

RB Cedric Peerman
OG Corey Hilliard
TE Jake Nordin
LB Zack Follett
CB DeAngelo Smith

Tom Kowalski: Lions Won't Pursue Lito Sheppard

2010-03-09T02:29:45Z

The Lions have already made some moves to improve their secondary, but according to Tom Kowalski, don't expect anything to happen with Lito Sheppard.

Contrary to a report that indicated the Detroit Lions were interested in bringing in veteran free agent cornerback Lito Sheppard for an interview, it's not going to happen. According to a league source, the Lions will not pursue Sheppard.

Well, that's that I guess. I'm not going to bother speculating too much over if things changed or if the original report was inaccurate, but one quick guess is that with the additions of Jonathan Wade and Chris Houston, perhaps the Lions are simply content with waiting to make any moves involving a veteran like Sheppard until after the draft. After all, the Lions don't necessarily want to go too crazy with the signings, especially if they have a plan to address the cornerback position in the draft. I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Lions Officially Trade for Chris Houston

2010-03-09T00:50:40Z

Multiple news outlets are reporting that the Lions have officially traded for Falcons cornerback Chris Houston. I guess whatever delay there may have been was resolved quickly, because Houston is now a member of the Detroit Lions.

The compensation that was originally reported by Adam Schefter hasn't changed. Atlanta will receive a sixth-round pick from the Lions and the two teams will swap their fifth-rounders. All picks involved are for this year's draft.

Suddenly the Lions' secondary is starting to take shape with the additions of Houston and Jonathan Wade. I'm sure the Lions aren't done, but like I said earlier, this is a great start.

Lions Sign Jonathan Wade; Trade for Chris Houston Still Being Negotiated

2010-03-08T23:33:02Z

Cornerback Jonathan Wade was set to visit the Lions today, and that visit must have went pretty well, because the team has reportedly signed the former Rams defensive back to a one-year deal.

Wade is a speedy cornerback who excelled in both track and football in high school and college. At Tennessee he was originally a wide receiver but switched to cornerback early on his career, which has proved to be a good decision. Also at Tennessee he ran track and was an All-American in 2005 for the indoor and outdoor seasons.

In 2007, Wade was drafted by the Rams in the third round. In the three seasons he played for the Rams, Wade appeared in all but one game and made a total of 6 starts. Wade should be able to compete for a starting job with the Lions, and even if he is merely a backup, his versatility should prove useful if any starters are unable to play. Wade can be a nickelback or a regular cornerback, which will be good for depth purposes one way or another.

While the Lions have improved their depth at cornerback by signing Wade, the team is still hoping to add more depth by trading for Chris Houston. Although Adam Schefter's report on the trade made it sound like the Lions and Falcons simply had to dot the i's and cross the t's, the Free Press' Nicholas Cotsonika reports that a deal may not be quite that close to becoming official just yet.

The Lions and Atlanta Falcons are still talking today about a trade that would send cornerback Chris Houston to Detroit, an NFL source said.

I'm not sure what the delay is, but hopefully it is nothing that will be too big of an obstacle for the trade to become official at some point. The Lions still have a ways to go to improve the secondary, but signing Wade and trading for Houston would be a great start, so let's hope this trade is completed without any issues.

Lions Make Roster Moves Involving Will Heller, Brian Clark, and Dewayne White

2010-03-08T23:05:36Z

More photos » Andy King - AP

Detroit Lions tight end Will Heller catches an 8-yard touchdown pass. (AP Photo/Andy King)

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There are reports of trades and signings that have not been confirmed by the Lions just yet, but the team did announce three roster moves earlier today.

The Detroit Lions announced today that they have re-signed TE Will Heller to a three-year deal and signed free agent WR Brian Clark to a one-year deal. Additional contract terms were not disclosed. The team also released DE Dewayne White.

The move to re-sign Heller comes as no surprise considering there was talk last week that a deal would get done at some point. The Lions obviously like what they have in Heller, who provides good depth at tight end behind Brandon Pettigrew, who is still recovering from a torn ACL. Heller performed well last season in my opinion, so I'm glad he's coming back.

Brian Clark played for the Buccaneers the last three seasons and the Broncos for the two seasons before that. He is more of a special teams player than a receiver considering he only has 11 career catches, so I would imagine he is someone who will be competing for a roster spot based on what he does on special teams.

As for White, he was originally brought in by Rod Marinelli in 2007 after playing for the Buccaneers from 2003-06. White played quite well in his first two seasons with the team, but his production dropped off big time last season. He appeared in only 10 games and started in only half of them. Injuries played a big part in his lack of production, but that was far from the only reason. With Kyle Vanden Bosch signing with the Lions last week, this move comes as no big surprise.

Lions and Bears Interested in Lito Sheppard?

2010-03-08T20:33:01Z

More photos » Bill Kostroun - AP

FILE - In this Aug. 14, 2009, file photo, New York Jets' Lito Sheppard runs on the field before an NFL football preseason game. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun, File)

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Cornerback Lito Sheppard, who became a free agent after the Jets released him last week, is reportedly drawing interest from a pair of NFC North teams -- the Lions and, of course, the Bears. Here is what Pro Football Talk had to say about Sheppard earlier this afternoon:

We're told that two teams are in the mix for his services. Per a league source, the Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears have expressed interest.

To date, no visits have been scheduled.

It will be interesting to see if anything develops on the Lito Sheppard front with the Lions. Detroit needs to rebuild the cornerback position this offseason, and one way they are going to do that is by trading for Chris Houston, assuming there are no snags with that deal. I would imagine that the Lions will also draft at least one cornerback in April because that position is pretty deep and if somebody like Kyle Wilson drops to the second round, I'd imagine Detroit would jump at the opportunity to select him.

Beyond that, I'm not sure what the Lions' plans are, specifically with free agents. In the report about the Houston trade we learned that the Lions pursued Dunta Robinson, so it's obvious they are exploring all options. Perhaps Sheppard is just merely one of those options and nothing will come of this report, but personally I would be for adding a player like Sheppard for the right price. Say what you want about the type of player he is now versus a couple years ago, but I think Sheppard is an upgrade over the corners currently on the roster. Plus, if it comes down to the Lions or Bears for Sheppard, I'd like to see him end up in Detroit so we don't have to play him twice a year and possibly regret missing out on him.

Zack Follett plays with lions -- real lions. This made my day. Check out more on Zack's official...

2010-03-08T18:52:32Z

Zack Follett plays with lions -- real lions. This made my day. Check out more on Zack's official site.

Lions Reportedly Set to Trade for Falcons Cornerback Chris Houston

2010-03-08T05:15:02Z

More photos » Dave Martin - AP

Atlanta Falcons' Chris Houston (23) reacts after intercepting a pass from Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

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Basically a week after rumors about a trade involving Antonio Cromartie came to the forefront, the Lions are once again at the center of a report about acquiring a cornerback. This time the rumors focus on Atlanta Falcons cornerback Chris Houston, who is about to be traded to the Lions, according to Adam Schefter. This actually appears to be more than just a rumor considering Schefter said the trade is "expected to be completed Monday," but nothing is official quite yet.

If the trade does happen, Houston would be sent to Detroit for a sixth-round pick as well as a swap of fifth-rounders. All picks involved are for the 2010 draft, and below is an exact look at what each team would get.

Lions receive:

CB Chris Houston
18th pick of the fifth-round

Falcons receive:

2nd pick of the fifth-round
2nd pick of the sixth-round

This trade would have a pretty big effect on the final day of the draft for the Lions because they would lose a pick and move down in the fifth round. Even so, the Lions are in desperate need for cornerbacks, and when you consider that Chris Houston has started in 37 games in three seasons, I'd say it's worth it. From the Falcons' point of view, Houston became expendable with the signing of Dunta Robinson, who the Lions "pursued," per Adam Schefter. Also from the Falcons' perspective is this quick evaluation of Houston from Dave the Falconer of SB Nation's The Falcoholic.

For the price, you’re getting an awesome bargain. Houston has underachieved during his time in Atlanta and the rumors you heard about him not turning his head in coverage are true. But the physical tools are all there, and maybe a change of scenery will fix everything for you.

Houston brings a lot of positives to the table. He has starting experience, pretty good stats, and great speed. Besides that, he's an upgrade over anyone currently on the roster, so if this deal does in fact become official on Monday, then I will be pretty happy with it.

Jonathan Wade to Visit Lions

2010-03-07T20:51:38Z

More photos » Nick Wass - AP

St. Louis Rams cornerback Jonathan Wade, right, breaks up a pass. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

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According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, cornerback Jonathan Wade is scheduled to visit the Lions on Monday. Wade is technically a restricted free agent, but because the Rams didn't tender him an offer, he is basically an unrestricted free agent.

Wade was a third-round pick in 2007 and has only started in 6 games in his career. In his three seasons in the league, however, Wade has appeared in all but 1 game.

It looks like Wade can play multiple positions at cornerback (right, left, and nickel), similar to what William James did with the Lions last season. Considering it looks like James is moving on and the Lions also released Phillip Buchanon on Thursday, it's good to see that something is happening on the cornerback front. The Lions will likely have to shore up depth at the cornerback position via both free agency and the draft, and adding a player or two like Wade will probably be necessary just to add some bodies to the secondary.

Lions Announce Signings of Nate Burleson, Kyle Vanden Bosch

2010-03-06T20:31:28Z

The Lions announced the trade for Corey Williams yesterday and introduced him to the media, but the team held off on announcing the signings of Nate Burleson and Kyle Vanden Bosch until today. The signings were finally announced earlier this afternoon, though, and both of the two new additions to the Lions were introduced to the media at a press conference. Also, Burleson announced that he is now a Lion on his Twitter page earlier today.

It is official so "Go Lions"...I am a Leo so you gotta admitt, it does make sense! I will miss the fans but I'm back to the black & blue!

I plan on posting profiles of all three of the new Lions in the coming days, so look out for those.

William James to Visit Seahawks

2010-03-06T20:14:07Z

More photos » Tony Tribble - AP

3 months ago: Detroit Lions cornerback William James, left, turns away from Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Laveranues Coles while running with the ball during the first half of their NFL football game in Cincinnati, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Tony Tribble)

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Larry Foote isn't the only free agent starting to make his post-Lions plans. Earlier today it was reported that Foote has lined up visits with the Redskins and Cardinals, and now Pro Football Talk is reporting that fellow free agent Williams James will also be heading west for a visit -- to Seattle.

It was once thought that the Lions were going to bring James back based on the comments of some people from the team, but then we learned on Thursday from his agent that a deal before the start of free agency was unlikely. To me that still left the door open for a return since none of the Lions' free agents were re-signed before March 5, but now that James is ready to visit another team, I'd say he's probably gone.

Obviously nothing is certain one way or the other when it comes to the Lions' free agents, but you would think that if Detroit wanted to bring back someone like William James that it would get a deal done long before he was ready to visit another team. After all, the Lions have no depth at corner right now, so for it to get to the point where James is scheduling visits with other teams, I'm just assuming Detroit has decided to not bring him back.

Larry Foote Schedules Visits with Arizona, Washington

2010-03-06T17:55:36Z

More photos » Paul Sancya - AP

7 months ago: Detroit Lions linebacker Larry Foote practices during NFL football training camp Monday, Aug. 3, 2009, in Allen Park, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

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Linebacker Larry Foote, who officially became a free agent on Friday, has scheduled visits with the Arizona Cardinals and Washington Redskins. Foote drew some late interest from the Cardinals last year before signing with the Lions, most likely because Ken Whisenhunt was with the Steelers at the same time as Foote. Considering that, it's no real surprise that he is drawing interest from Arizona again, especially when you consider that they have already lost Karlos Dansby to the Dolphins. Arizona needs to bring in another linebacker, and there is a connection there with Foote.

More than anything, this seems to indicate that Foote and the Lions have moved on. I know Tom Lewand said it was possible that the two sides could come to a deal even after free agency starts, but the writing seems to be on the wall in this case. Foote wants a multi-year deal that the Lions aren't willing to dish out because they obviously feel comfortable with DeAndre Levy at middle linebacker. I really wish something could get worked out, but I have to remember this is a business. Personal feelings aside, if the Lions think Levy has the middle linebacker position locked down, then there is no point to sign Foote to a multi-year deal.

What I will say is that if Foote is indeed moving on, then I want to thank him for coming to the Lions for the 2009 season. It's not often that a player like Foote will turn down multiple offers to play for a team coming off of a winless season, but that is exactly what Foote did since he wanted to give back to his hometown in more ways than one. I think he did a tremendous job at middle linebacker in 2009, and more than anything he allowed the Lions to transition to the future at that position with DeAndre Levy.

Friday Notes: Artis Hicks to Visit the Lions

2010-03-06T00:20:32Z

(Note: I will have more on the Lions' free agent signings tomorrow. In the mean time, feel free to use this as an open thread for tonight, because I'm headed out for a few hours. If any news breaks I will post about it when I get back.)

Offensive guard Artis Hicks, formerly of the Vikings, is going to visit the Lions, Cardinals, and Redskins.
The Seahawks might replace Nate Burleson with Brandon Marshall, which would really shake up the draft order since Marshall was tendered with a first-round pick.
Arizona traded wide receiver Anquan Boldin to the Ravens for a third- and fourth-round pick in this year's draft. The Ravens also got a fifth-round pick in this year's draft out of the deal. Upon being traded, Boldin promptly agreed to an extension.
Quarterback A.J. Feeley is headed to St. Louis.
Speaking of the Rams, they are already doing background checks on Jimmy Clausen and Sam Bradford, and in the future they will do them on Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy.
Cornerback Dunta Robinson has signed a six-year deal with the Falcons.
It looks like the Giants are going to sign Antrel Rolle.
The Browns agreed to a new deal with Joshua Cribbs.
Thomas Jones is now officially a free agent, and it doesn't exactly sound like he would be too interested in re-signing with the Jets.
Julius Peppers' deal with the Bears could be worth $40 million in the first three years alone. Wow.

Lions bringing back TE Will Heller

2010-03-05T21:14:12Z

Lions bringing back TE Will Heller

No word yet on what, if anything, has been agreed to, but Heller will be staying with the Lions next season.

Lions Release Grady Jackson

2010-03-05T21:10:15Z

Just a day after releasing veteran cornerback Phillip Buchanon, the Lions have announced that defensive tackle Grady Jackson has also been released. Jackson was signed almost exactly a year ago and started 13 games in 2009. He appeared in 15 of the Lions' 16 games and had 32 tackles and no sacks.

Considering the team just traded for Corey Williams, this move isn't a very big surprise. The Lions like what they have in the young Sammie Hill, and it looks like Williams was definitely brought in to be a starter. Obviously we will have to wait and see what happens in the draft, but I think somebody like Ndamukong Suh would be a great fit in a rotation with Williams and Hill.

PFT: Lions Re-Sign Vinny Ciurciu

2010-03-05T20:19:56Z

Pro Football Talk is reporting that the Lions have re-signed linebacker Vinny Ciurciu. Ciurciu joined the Lions last October to add depth to the linebacker position and to shore up the special teams units. Like Jon Jansen, Ciurciu's deal is reportedly only one year.

With Jansen and Ciurciu now signed, the remaining unrestricted free agents for the Lions are Daunte Culpepper, Patrick Ramsey, Will Heller, Casey FitzSimmons, Damion Cook, Anthony Henry, William James, and Marquand Manuel.

Kyle Vanden Bosch Will Wear No. 93

2010-03-05T20:07:04Z

From the Lions' official store:

I guess if Ndamukong Suh is drafted by the Lions he will have to find another number to wear, as fellow Cornhusker Kyle Vanden Bosch has already claimed No. 93.

The No. 93 jersey was not worn by any player last year since the Lions wanted to honor Corey Smith, whose life was taken in a boating tragedy a year or so ago. Smith wore No. 93 and the Lions decided to not make it available for a year. I think Vaden Bosch is a good player and a good person to bring it back onto the football field.