Pride Of Detroit

Nick Fairley Arrested For DUI, According To Report

2012-05-27T16:30:02Z

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley has been arrested -- again. Fairley was arrested back in April on a charge of marijuana possession, and he was arrested again early Sunday morning, this time for a much more serious offense. Fairley was charged with driving under the influence, as well as attempting to elude police, according to WALA. He also was ticketed for reckless driving, no proof of insurance and having an open container, according to the report.

Here are more details:

Alabama State Troopers say Fairley was arrested shortly after 1:00 a.m. Sunday on I-10 near the intersection of Highway 90 in Tillman’s Corner. [...]

He posted $1750 bond and was released shortly after 9:00 Sunday morning.

Clearly, Fairley didn't learn from the mistake he made earlier in the offseason. He has now been arrested twice in two months, with the most recent charge involving a DUI and attempting to elude police. At this point, I think it's safe to say he will be facing a suspension. We've been talking about how long Mikel Leshoure will be suspended for being caught with marijuana on two separate occasions, and it seems likely that Fairley's arrests for marijuana possession and a DUI/attempting to elude police will land him in serious trouble with Roger Goodell.

Fairley may have a lot of promise on the field, but he is officially a big concern off of it for the Lions.

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Memorial Day Weekend Open Thread

2012-05-27T07:00:15Z

What are everybody's plans for the remainder of the weekend?

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J.C. Oram Scouting Report

2012-05-27T04:02:04Z

OG J.C. Oram (Weber State) - Undrafted Free Agent

You probably know the drill by now for the undrafted free agent offensive linemen the Detroit Lions signed this offseason. There are four total undrafted OL on the team (from this year), three of whom are offensive guards. J.C. Oram is among the guards on the team, and he hails from Weber State, a school in the FCS.

Experts' Opinions

SI.com:

Positives: Tough position blocker who is best in a small area. Plays with a nasty attitude and is always looking for someone to hit. Stays square and turns defenders from the line. Stays with assignments, possesses solid body strength and controls opponents once engaged at the point. Keeps his head on a swivel and works well with teammates.

Negatives: Heavy footed, lacks lateral blocking range and minimally effective blocking in motion. Gets tall in his blocking, loses leverage and struggles to hold the point.

Videos

Not available

Outlook for 2012

The story for Oram is the same as Rodney Austin and Pat Boyle. Oram has a shot to make the team given the Lions' current lack of depth at offensive guard. The only guards returning from last season are Rob Sims, Stephen Peterman and Jacques McClendon, so the opportunity is certainly there for Oram and the other undrafted guards to play their way onto the team come August.

More scouting reports: Riley Reiff, Ryan Broyles, Dwight "Bill" Bentley, Ronnell Lewis, Tahir Whitehead, Chris Greenwood, Jonte Green, Travis Lewis, Kellen Moore, Stephfon Green, Troy Burrell, Patrick Edwards, Jared Karstetter, Wallace Miles, Alex Gottlieb, Austin Wells, Quinn Barham, Rodney Austin, Pat Boyle

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Lions Interested In Trading For Mike Jenkins?

2012-05-26T23:13:12Z

Although the Detroit Lions seem relatively happy with their cornerback situation, that doesn't mean that they won't explore upgrading the talent at the position. After drafting three cornerbacks, you might expect them to stand pat, but ESPN Dallas' Calvin Watkins reports that the Lions are one of the teams interested in potentially trading for Dallas Cowboys cornerback Mike Jenkins.

The Indianapolis Colts are interested in cornerback Mike Jenkins. I heard the Detroit Lions are, too. But there are other teams that want nothing to do with him.

The problem for the Lions is that the Cowboys don't seem to be interested in trading Jenkins right now. After signing Brandon Carr and selecting Morris Claiborne in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft, speculation immediately began that Jenkins would be dealt, but so far, the Cowboys have decided to keep him.

ESPN's John Clayton reported on SportsCenter on Saturday that he expects the Lions to be a team with interest in making a deal "down the line," assuming the Cowboys change their mind and decide to trade him.

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Lions Notes: Calvin Johnson Among NFL's Most Dominant Players

2012-05-26T17:43:15Z

NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah has Calvin Johnson on his list of the seven most dominant players in the NFL today.
Jeremiah also ranked the quarterbacks in each division, and he has Matthew Stafford second in the NFC North behind Aaron Rodgers. On the whole, he has the NFC North ranked as the second-most talented quarterback division in the NFL.
Ryan Broyles sounds pretty impressed with Stafford.
Stafford is in a new commercial for Champs Sports.
The Lions are ranked sixth in ESPN's NFL future power rankings list, which is based on "the core of every franchise as it projects for the 2015 season."
Scott Linehan would rather keep Riley Reiff at offensive tackle in 2012 than move him around to guard.
Don Banks has Mikel Leshoure on his list of players who were injured last season but are "primed" for a bounceback season in 2012.
Kyle Vanden Bosch and Willie Young are looking forward to the Lions' upcoming charity fishing tournament.
The Lions' official site has video from the Lions' charity bocce ball tournament that took place earlier this week.
Remember Bobby Sippio, a wide receiver who was on the Lions for about a week in training camp back in 2009? He was just arrested for attempted murder. Yikes.

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Pat Boyle Scouting Report

2012-05-26T16:22:19Z

OG Pat Boyle (Temple) - Undrafted Free Agent

Pat Boyle is one of four undrafted offensive linemen who signed with the Detroit Lions. He is officially listed as an offensive guard on the Lions roster. While that may be his primary position with the Lions, Boyle was actually Temple's starting left tackle in 2011. Before then, he made starts at left guard and right guard in 2010, so he has some versatility.

Experts' Opinions

Temple's official site:

A 2011 first-team All-MAC honoree, Boyle was cited on the 2012 and 2011 Athletic Director's Honor Roll and the 2011 Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Football Team. A 2011 ECAC All-Star and two-year starter, Boyle started all 13 games at left tackle last fall, helping Temple to the most rushing touchdowns and yards in a season. The recipient of the 2011 Owl Club Academic Award, he played in the inaugural AstroTurf NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in January. The psychology major was part of the winningest Senior Class in Temple football history.

Videos

Not available

Outlook for 2012

Boyle's outlook for 2012 is really the same as Rodney Austin, the undrafted offensive guard we scouted earlier in the week. With there not being a ton of depth at offensive guard, Boyle has a legitimate shot to make the team. Only starters Rob Sims and Stephen Peterman are locks to make the team at offensive guard, and the only other guard returning from last season is Jacques McClendon. The Lions may not opt to keep more than two or three guards on the team, but if they do, there's a good chance the extra spot will go to one of the UDFAs.

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Jason Hanson Unsure Of How Many More Years He Will Play

2012-05-25T19:17:09Z

Since 1980, the Detroit Lions have really only had two different starting kickers. Others have come along as temporary replacements or as camp bodies, but for the last 32 seasons and counting, either Eddie Murray or Jason Hanson has served as the Lions' kicker. Murray kicked for the Lions from 1980-91, and Hanson has been the kicker ever since.

In 2012, Hanson is set to begin his 21st season in the NFL. The soon-to-be 42-year-old was asked about his future earlier this week, and he admitted he's not sure just how much longer he will play.

"You know, I don't know" how much longer I'll play, Hanson said at the team's charity bocce ball tournament at Palazzo di Bocce in Lake Orion.

"I can't answer it anymore. I never thought I'd play this long. I just know this: I know that when I'm kicking, I can kick as well as I ever have. And it's just enough to make it each year."

At some point, the Lions will have to switch kickers, as Hanson can't play forever. As nice as it's been to not have to really worry about the kicker position for the last three decades, a time will come when there will actually be a need for a new kicker. Hopefully that time doesn't come for at least a few more years, though.

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Three Lions Make CBS Sports' Top 100 Players List

2012-05-25T15:26:36Z

Last week, CBS Sports' Pete Prisco posted a list of his top 100 players in the NFL. Unlike the top 100 show on NFL Network, this list wasn't voted on by the players, but rather assembled based on Prisco's own thoughts, as well as thoughts he has overheard from scouts.

Three Detroit Lions players made Prisco's list. You can probably guess who they are and what order they're in, as their inclusion isn't a big surprise. Here's the breakdown:

No. 4 - WR Calvin Johnson
No. 50 - QB Matthew Stafford
No. 74 - DT Ndamukong Suh

My instant reaction is that Johnson is right where he belongs, Stafford is a bit underrated and Suh is probably right where he belongs. Johnson is the best wide receiver in football, so there's no doubt he is a top-five player. While Stafford played much better than 50th in the NFL last season, I do get that it was only one year and there is a need to keep it going over multiple seasons. As for Suh, I think Prisco said it best: "He was good at times last season, but not as good as he was as a rookie."

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