Lions News

Lions' official Ricky Sandoval dies at 49
Comment
July 3
Detroit News
 
"Dominic Raiola will miss the pregame hand shake. Before every Lions game, director of security Ricky Sandoval came over, shook his hand and gave him words of encouragement. Sandoval liked the big guys. He was a big guy himself. He had a big smile, big heart and made a big impact. On Thursday, Sandoval died after a three-year fight with pancreatic cancer. He was 49. He was really strong, and I looked forward to seeing him every day," Raiola said during a phone interview from Hawaii. "I don't think anybody knew how bad things were for him because he was so strong. "When things get hard on the field you think about a guy like that going through when he went through. But when you think ..."
Northcutt 'excited' about trade
Comment
July 2
Detroit Free Press
 
"Dennis Northcutt doesn't mind that the Jaguars traded him to the team coming off the NFL's first 0-16 season. "I'm excited," Northcutt said today in a telephone interview. "I feel like the Lions went out and won the Super Bowl last year, for real. I'm just excited about playing this game for a team that wants me and came out and got me." The Lions agreed Friday to trade safety Gerald Alexander to the Jaguars for Northcutt, a wide receiver and punt returner. Northcutt took his physical Tuesday in the Detroit area, then immediately dove into the playbook - though it wouldn't be until today that the Lions officially announced the deal. "I don't think I'm that far behind," Northcutt said. ..."
Lions' Stafford getting support from fellow rookie QB
Comment
July 2
Detroit Free Press
 
"Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez are set to become rich beyond comprehension long before throwing their first official NFL pass. The quarterbacks will be anointed as saviors - Stafford for a Detroit team that went winless in 2008, and Sanchez for a New York Jets club that hasn't tasted the Super Bowl in 40 years. The accompanying pressure can be overwhelming. So Stafford and Sanchez often find themselves seeking someone who understands their situation. They call each other. Already linked as the top two quarterbacks in this year's draft, Stafford and Sanchez have forged a separate bond. They go back and forth as a sounding board for the other while attempting to turn potential into ..."
The Lions have officially announced the trade that sent safety Gerald Alexander to Jacksonville for wide receiver Dennis Northcutt.
Comment
July 2
Detroit Free Press
 
"The teams agreed to the trade Friday, but it was contingent on both players passing physicals. Although the Jaguars acknowledged the trade Tuesday on their official Web site, the Lions did not until today. Northcutt, 31, is a 5-foot-11, 172-pounder who could fit in the slot between Calvin Johnson and Bryant Johnson and return punts. He caught 44 passes each of the past two seasons for the Jaguars, averaging 573 yards and three touchdowns, after seven seasons with Cleveland. He has returned punts throughout his career. Alexander, 24, was one of three recent second-round picks the Lions had at safety. The Lions drafted him in 2007, between Daniel Bullocks ('06) and Louis Delmas ('09). He ..."
Will big bucks help Matthew Stafford cope with Lions' dysfunction?
Comment
July 1
Detroit Free Press
 
"It's hard to know how to feel about the fates of Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin and Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford, the first overall selections in their respective NBA and NFL drafts. Griffin, last week, became a Clipper. Stafford, this past April, became a Detroit Lion. Should we have sympathy for them as innocent victims of a draft system that lets every year's best players get publicly abducted by the worst, supposedly neediest and sometimes most dysfunctional franchises? Or should we have indifference since both talents get to be filthy rich for the time they will have to spend with franchises with longer histories of problems than Jon and Kate times 8? In college, the ..."
Jaguars' trade with Lions finalized
Comment
July 1
Jacksonville Times-Union
 
"The Jacksonville Jaguars made their trade with the Lions official on Tuesday, sending receiver Dennis Northcutt to Detroit in exchange for safety Gerald Alexander, the Jaguars announced. The rare player-for-player swap appears to fill pressing needs for both teams. Alexander, who suffered a fractured vertebra last season, passed a physical for the Jaguars on Monday, but it wasn't until Tuesday that satisfactory results came back from Northcutt's physical in Detroit. A second-round pick in 2007, Alexander is expected to bolster a relatively thin group of safeties led by starters Reggie Nelson and Sean Considine. In fact, Alexander could wind up becoming a bargain for the club. In just 21 ..."
Ex-Lions safety Gerald Alexander surprised by trade
Comment
July 1
Detroit Free Press
 
"Safety Gerald Alexander arrived in Jacksonville on Monday morning to take his physical and told Jaguars.com he was surprised the Detroit Lions had traded him for wide receiver Dennis Northcutt. "I'm just excited about being in this situation," Alexander told Jaguars.com, the team's official Web site. "Obviously there is a shock value, but I'm looking forward to being a part of this team. I have to move on to a new situation and learn a new system, get acquainted with a new group of players." Jaguars.com reported the trade had yet to be finalized pending word from the Lions. The Lions still had nothing to announce late this afternoon. For a trade to become official, both players must pass ..."
National writer calls for end to debate: 'Lions have to play Stafford'
Comment
June 30
Detroit Free Press
 
"Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com says today that there's really no discussion as to who should start at quarterback for the Detroit Lions: "They have to play Matthew Stafford as a rookie. Not spot duty. Give him the job. End the stupid debate that's going on in Detroit and name him the starter. " Prisco goes on to explain that while the Lions are reinventing themselves, Stafford could be gaining some very valuable experience."
Lions rookie helps heat up competition at safety
Comment
June 30
Detroit Free Press
 
"By agreeing to trade Gerald Alexander to Jacksonville for wide receiver Dennis Northcutt, the Lions thinned their numbers at safety. But they still should have good competition at the position when training camp opens July 31. Rookie Louis Delmas, the first pick of the second round in this year's draft, impressed during the off-season program. Coach Jim Schwartz said Delmas mastered the complexities of NFL defense "maybe as quick as I've ever seen a young player in the secondary do it." Then the Lions have four veterans with significant experience: Daniel Bullocks, Kalvin Pearson, Marquand Manuel and Stuart Schweigert. Bullocks, a second-round pick in 2006, missed the '07 season with a ..."
Lions' Ernie Sims welcomes rookie Brown to NFL
Comment
June 29
Detroit Free Press
 
"Aaron Brown's welcome-to-the-NFL moment arrived fast. Really fast, courtesy of linebacker Ernie Sims. During an off-season practice, Brown, a speedy running back from Texas Christian, thought he had found a hole and was about to break off a nice run. "I had broke to the right," said Brown, a sixth-round pick this year. "I promise you I saw broad daylight and my vision was running straight. As soon as I turned, Ernie ran right through me. He didn't tackle me, but he would have made a tackle and I didn't see it coming. And it probably would have hurt." Like a lot of rookies, Brown's eyes have been opened by the dramatic increase in game's speed and talent level in the NFL. "They are so ..."
Lions coach shows his young players the city's spirit, character
Comment
June 27
Detroit News
 
"Lions coach Jim Schwartz didn't want television cameras around. He simply wanted to do his civic duty and move on. But people talk, and his little secret got out. Schwartz didn't end minicamp this week with a morning practice session. He continued it by taking rookies Matthew Stafford, Louis Delmas and Brandon Pettigrew inside the Dearborn Truck Assembly Plant, where they sat for two hours and signed autographs, took photos and passed out Lions gear to surprised workers. He wanted this to be part of his players' education on the NFL and the city of Detroit. Schwartz is a different cat. After a month of planning, he took his high-profile rookies to meet the rank-and-file. His goal was to do ..."
Minicamp invite woos ex-Lions season-ticket holders
Comment
June 27
Detroit Free Press
 
"The Lions' first-round picks teamed up for a highlight-reel play Wednesday afternoon at minicamp. Quarterback Matthew Stafford, the No. 1 overall pick, threw a high dart over the middle. Tight end Brandon Pettigrew, the No. 20 overall pick, leaped into the air and snared it. "He might have been 12 feet in the air when he caught that ball," coach Jim Schwartz said. This is one of the things the Lions wanted former season-ticket holders to see when they invited them out for practice. But as the Lions know -- after years of losing, after the NFL's first 0-16 season, in an ailing economy -- it's going to take a lot more to win most customers back. The Lions failed to sell out five games last ..."
Lions center Dominic Raiola signs 4-year extension
Comment
June 27
Detroit Free Press
 
"Center Dominic Raiola came to the Lions as a second-round draft pick in 2001. The Lions have gone 31-97 since, culminating in the NFL's first 0-16 season. But Raiola said he never thought about playing out the final year of his contract and looking elsewhere in free agency. He has signed a four-year contract extension, committing himself to the Lions through 2013. The deal includes $20 million in new money, with $9 million guaranteed. "There's so much I put into this," Raiola said today, after the Lions wrapped up their off-season program with their final minicamp practice. "I think it'd be like quitting. This place is worse now than when I came in. I definitely want to be a part of when ..."
Lions agree to trade Alexander for WR Dennis Northcutt
Comment
June 27
Detroit Free Press
 
"The Lions have agreed to trade safety Gerald Alexander to Jacksonville for wide receiver Dennis Northcutt, a person familiar with the situation said today. Lions spokesman Bill Keenist said the team had nothing to announce. The deal likely is contingent on the players passing their physicals and cannot become official until after the NFL reopens for business Monday. The Lions had a logjam at safety, but they had a need at wide receiver and in the return game. Northcutt, 31, is a 5-foot-11, 172-pounder who could fit in the slot between Calvin Johnson and Bryant Johnson and return punts. He caught 44 passes each of the past two seasons for the Jaguars, averaging 573 yards and three ..."
Lions owner: I've never told a coach who to play
Comment
June 26
Michigan Live
 
"With the Detroit Lions drafting quarterback Matthew Stafford with the first overall pick -- and investing $41.7 million in guaranteed money in him -- there is a perception that, at some point, owner William Clay Ford Sr. will order the coaching staff to play him in a game. Ford is adamant that not only will that not happen, but it's never happened. "I do not, contrary to public opinion, interfere with the football side of it,'' Ford said. "I mean, if so-and-so plays lousy, I'll say 'I think he's a bum.' But, no, I've never said, 'Play this guy or that guy' or "Don't play him.' No, these guys know more about the game than I do by 10 miles. I'm not going to try to second-guess them. Now, if ..."
Lions center Dominic Raiola signs 4-year extension
Comment
June 26
Detroit Free Press
 
"Center Dominic Raiola came to the Lions as a second-round draft pick in 2001. The Lions have gone 31-97 since, culminating in the NFL's first 0-16 season. But Raiola said he never thought about playing out the final year of his contract and looking elsewhere in free agency. He has signed a four-year contract extension, committing himself to the Lions through 2013. The deal includes $20 million in new money, with $9 million guaranteed. "There's so much I put into this," Raiola said today, after the Lions wrapped up their off-season program with their final minicamp practice. "I think it'd be like quitting. This place is worse now than when I came in. I definitely want to be a part of when ..."
Raiola displays a belief in Lions
Comment
June 26
Detroit News
 
"Lions center Dominic Raiola is from Honolulu. He is proud to be Hawaiian and even has a tattoo of the Pacific islands on his midsection. However, Raiola, 30, put another stake into his Detroit roots by signing a four-year contract extension Thursday during the conclusion of a mini-camp at the Lions' practice facility. The contract takes him through 2013, when he will turn 35. Raiola is due $3.4 million this season on the final year of his current deal. A source told The Detroit News the extension is worth $20 million, with $9 million guaranteed. The Lions could have waited, but they wanted to be proactive with their center. He is a vocal leader in the dressing room, and once the Jim ..."
Lions sign Dominic Raiola to a four-year extension
Comment
June 25
Detroit Free Press
 
"Center Dominic Raiola came to the Lions as a second-round draft pick in 2001. The Lions have gone 31-97 since, culminating in the NFL's first 0-16 season. But Raiola said he never thought about playing out the final year of his contract and looking elsewhere in free agency. He has agreed to extend his contract four years beyond the upcoming one, committing himself to the Lions through 2013. "There's so much I put into this," Raiola said today, after the Lions wrapped up their off-season program with their final minicamp practice. "I think it'd be like quitting. This place is worse now than when I came in. I definitely want to be a part of when this thing is turned around." Raiola is from ..."
Lions owner talks of firing Millen, hiring Schwartz
Comment
June 25
Detroit Free Press
 
"After watching a minicamp practice in his blue Ford Mustang replica golf cart, Lions owner William Clay Ford Sr. spoke publicly today for the first time since firing president Matt Millen in September. Ford said his lawyer and Millen's lawyer had reached an amicable settlement recently on the balance of Millen's contract and that the two remain friends. He declined to give details of the settlement. He also said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell had offered help in finding a new general manager and coach. He said he explored Goodell's suggestions, but liked what he already had in Tom Lewand and Martin Mayhew, whom he promoted to president and general manager, respectively. He said coach Jim ..."
Lions practice is already hot and heavy
Comment
June 25
Detroit News
 
"Rookie tight end Brandon Pettigrew felt the heat as soon as he hit the field. But he shrugged it off. "Hey I am Superman," he said laughing. "It doesn't affect me." That is the attitude head coach Jim Schwartz wants. The 89-degree temperature during the second day of mini-camp Wednesday made Schwartz smile. It is exactly what he wanted as he tries to prepare the Lions to become tougher mentally and physically. One of the problems with the Lions the past few years is they often melted down during the heat of games and could not contend. "We embrace it," he said. "We are not going to move practices indoors. The last time I checked when 1 o'clock Sunday rolls around and if it is 90 degrees ..."
Lions' Foote gets surprise when Trammell visits practice
Comment
June 24
Detroit Free Press
 
"Detroit Lions linebacker Larry Foote got a nice surprise when he met his boyhood baseball hero, Alan Trammell, after today's morning session of minicamp. Foote, who grew up in Detroit as a big Detroit Tigers fan and an even bigger fan of the longtime shortstop, was walking off the field when he caught a glimpse of Trammell. "Tram, Tram," Foote said as he smiled widely. "Welcome, buddy," said Trammell, who is in town with the Chicago Cubs, for whom he works as a bench coach. "Detroit is your home, but I appreciate it. I'm honored." "No, I'm honored," Foote said."
Player hustle less than impressive as Lions begin minicamp
Comment
June 24
Detroit Free Press
 
"Coach Jim Schwartz was less than thrilled with the initial lack of energy shown by the Lions as they began a three-day minicamp Tuesday at Allen Park. "I think the first thing that really stood out to me coming off the two-week layover is we were a little bit lethargic when we started off today," Schwartz said. "Our tempo was good, getting in and out of the drills. But we just weren't firing on all cylinders, and I think it showed, particularly early in practice." Temperatures in the high 80s didn't help. Rookie defensive lineman Sammie Hill sat out part of practice and had to be cooled off with a wet towel on his head. Even running back Kevin Smith, a Florida native, had his energy sapped ..."
Culpepper well-armed for QB battle
Comment
June 24
Detroit Free Press
 
"Daunte Culpepper was asked a direct question Tuesday after the first practice of the Lions' three-day mandatory minicamp. Which quarterback has the stronger arm: Culpepper or Matthew Stafford? "I don't know," Culpepper said, hesitating a bit. "We haven't tested it, but I know I'm throwing it pretty far. He can throw it pretty far. It doesn't matter sometimes." No, arm strength isn't everything. This is a quarterback competition, not a carnival game. But it says something about how hot this competition is that Culpepper was vague -- and apparently not just to be politically correct. Culpepper has a cannon of an arm and said he feels better than he did in 2004, the last time he was 100% ..."
Lions quarterbacks get ready for an arms race
Comment
June 24
Detroit News
 
"The Lions were feeling the heat Tuesday, back on the field for the start of a three-day mini-camp -- their last team workouts prior to the July 31 start of training camp. But perhaps no one is feeling it more than Daunte Culpepper, the veteran quarterback who'll spend the next two months trying to fend off No. 1 overall pick Matthew Stafford for the starting job this fall. Culpepper, speaking to the media for the first time since late April, when the Lions made Stafford the richest rookie in NFL history, answered questions about the competition diplomatically Tuesday. "My goal is to be the quarterback of this team this year and win the division," he said. "That's the goal I have. And ..."
New Lions tackle Grady Jackson has yet to be seen
Comment
June 24
Detroit News
 
"Veteran defensive tackle Grady Jackson, a mammoth, 350-pound run-stopper, was arguably the biggest free-agent addition to the Lions' defense this winter. But coming off knee surgery in mid-February, the 36-year-old Jackson has yet to take part in on-field workouts with the team this offseason. And he was missing again Tuesday as the Lions began their final three-day minicamp in Allen Park. "We're probably a little bit behind schedule with it," coach Jim Schwartz said. "We were shooting to have him on the field now. But the one thing you don't want to do in a situation like that, particularly now when we're not playing games, is rush it when it shouldn't be rushed and all of a sudden you ..."
Minicamp opens competition for positions
Comment
June 23
Detroit Free Press
 
"The battles begin today. When the Lions open a three-day mandatory minicamp this morning in Allen Park, they will open the competitions for jobs. Earlier in the off-season, the Lions emphasized teaching and learning more than competing and evaluating. The Lions have a new coaching staff, so the veterans were adjusting to a new philosophy and system. When the rookies arrived, they had to play catch-up. All the while, the front office tinkered with the roster. But coach Jim Schwartz has pointed to this minicamp -- the end of the off-season program -- as the time to start making it count. "You guys saw that first minicamp," Schwartz said June 1. "If you would have read too much into that, you ..."
SI's Peter King says Roy Williams did no heavy lifting with the Lions
Comment
June 23
Detroit Free Press
 
"How serious is Roy Williams taking his new job as the Dallas Cowboys' No. 1 receiver? For the first time in his life, or so one of Williams' unnamed buddies told SI.com's Peter King. "I'm serious," King quoted the guy. "Roy never lifted before. Now that he has, and now that he's serious about making himself a great football player, especially with T.O. gone, I think he's really going to have a good year." Think about that. Williams played at Texas and for the Lions, and neither required him to do any weight training? King writes: "I think the most worrisome thing about that previous note is what it says about what in tarnation the Detroit Lions have been doing for the past decade. No ..."
Foote returns home with dual missions
Comment
June 23
Detroit News
 
"Larry Foote sat behind his desk looking at a newly installed trophy case in his home office. There were Pittsburgh Steelers helmets, Steelers footballs and two replicas of the NFL championship trophies he won during a seven-year career in Pittsburgh. "Hopefully, we can get some championship Lions stuff up there," he said. Pittsburgh is in the rearview mirror after he signed a one-year deal with the Lions. Foote returns home with a dual mission. He wants to help his hometown team become good again and he wants to improve his hometown by reshaping the minds of young people who too often fall victim to the streets. Foote, a 29-year-old linebacker, begins a three-day minicamp today with ..."
Smith set to lead at Lions mini-camp
Comment
June 23
Detroit News
 
"The Lions begin a three-day mini-camp Tuesday, and running back Kevin Smith said he is more than ready. "I feel I have the mentality that I'm the lead dog and I'm going to set the tempo," Smith said in a blog on his Web site, smith34.com. "It's a mentality I like to take on, and you can do it if you have the killer instinct." When you lead by example, there are always some guys who notice you and want to go in the same direction, which is great as long as it's a positive direction." "We have more than a few guys like that. Daunte (Culpepper), Calvin (Johnson), Dominic Raiola -- his tempo in practice is like nobody else's. It's good when you can look at the majority of the players on ..."
Lions' Kevin Smith: 'I'm the lead dog'
Comment
June 22
Detroit News
 
"The Lions have a three-day mini-camp starting Tuesday and running back Kevin Smith says he is more than ready. "I feel I have the mentality that I'm the lead dog and I'm going to set the tempo," Smith said in a blog on his website smith34.com. "It's a mentality I like to take on and you can do it if you have the killer instinct. When you lead by example, there are always some guys who notice you and want to go in the same direction, which is great as long as it's a positive direction.""
In his 7th year, Harris feels like a stranger
Comment
June 22
Detroit Free Press
 
"Punter Nick Harris is entering his seventh season as a Lion, and in some ways it feels like his first. "This is my seventh year and I feel like a stranger because everyone is new -- the whole staff, it seems like half the team," he said. "And it's just like every day, it's almost like I'm introducing myself to someone I haven't met." Harris is at least thankful that special-teams coordinator Stan Kwan was one of the few coaches retained from last season. "There's some familiarity," Harris said. "It's good. Special teams was pretty solid last year in a lot of areas, and I think they didn't want to mess with it. What we were doing was good. Stan did a good job, and I think he deserved to ..."
Stafford cleans up good, with Sharapova's help
Comment
June 21
Detroit Free Press
 
"It's fun being a Lion, isn't it? So far, so good for rookie Matthew Stafford. He'll be featured later this month in ESPN the Magazine's "Revenge of the Jocks" issue getting a fashion makeover from tennis star Maria Sharapova, the guest editor. La belle Sharapova writes: "I could tell he felt a little weird being fussed over, for good reason: When he took off his jeans, I noticed his boxers. The new face of a franchise, maybe a league, in boxers?! 'C'mon, Matthew,' I said. 'Brady wouldn't be caught dead in those.' ... "Matthew griped about being abused ... but where was he going to run in that underwear?" Locker-room banter in his shorts with Maria Sharapova? That has to be a new experience ..."
Delmas, Stafford two hungry rookies
Comment
June 21
Detroit Free Press
 
"So, which rookie on the Lions has been the most impressive so far? Cornerback Phillip Buchanon has seen two of the Lions' best up close. He has played next to safety Louis Delmas and he has gone against quarterback Matthew Stafford. "I would say Delmas right now because it's easier for a guy to come in at his position and his stature," Buchanon said. "He's a safety, physical guy, very confident. He almost has that Miami attitude. He's definitely confidant but pretty much I'll probably say it'd be much easier for Delmas to come in. "And Matthew, he's still learning, so it's going to be a couple things he has to get over, it's going to be a couple hurdles he has to get over. But he's looking ..."
Lions' big rookie from little school hopes to make an impact
Comment
June 20
Detroit Free Press
 
"At first, everyone wanted to make a big deal about Sammie Hill's small school. But as the rookie defensive tackle from tiny Stillman College in Alabama might say, the size of a player's heart is more important than the size of his alma mater. "It's not that big of an adjustment, for real," Hill said of joining the NFL after coming from a football program at a school with an enrollment of about 1,000. "It's just you've got a lot more talent; everybody's talented around you. You've got to work harder, like I say, every day because you're facing the best every day -- the best of the best. "Just being from a small school, my thing is if you want to work hard and you want to be the best that ..."
Stafford and his girl-approved hair keeping up with teammates
Comment
June 19
Detroit Free Press
 
"Things are getting hairy for Matthew Stafford, the No. 1 pick in this year's NFL draft. Stafford has an endorsement deal with Axe Hair, and while doing a series of radio interviews Wednesday to promote its products, he talked about the Detroit Lions' quarterback competition. Coach Jim Schwartz has said the arms race between Stafford and veteran Daunte Culpepper will begin during next week's minicamp and go into training camp. Stafford said Wednesday he had not talked to the coaches about when he will play, but he sounded eager to compete for the starting job. "I would love to start Game 1," Stafford said when asked for his ideal scenario on ESPN Radio's Galloway and Co. in his hometown of ..."
Lions might consider moving training camp, but not yet
Comment
June 18
Detroit Free Press
 
"The Detroit Lions say they are not considering moving training camp from team headquarters in Allen Park, though they could consider it in the future. "We are always looking at any opportunity to reach our fans, and training camp certainly provides us with a unique vehicle to accomplish that," team spokesman Bill Keenist said today. "We were extremely pleased with the experience we were able to provide our fans last summer at our Allen Park facility, and we plan to grow and expand upon that experience this year. "We are not giving any consideration to moving our training camp location at this time." Coaches sometimes like to take their teams off-site for team-building reasons. But it's ..."
Millen plays victim: 'I was to blame for the ... auto industry and the housing market'
Comment
June 18
Detroit Free Press
 
"Matt Millen still doesn't get it. At the very least, he doesn't accept it -- responsibility for the Lions' historically horrible record while he was their president. Listen to this comment Millen made to Don Banks of si.com: "I don't go backward. I just don't think like that. There's nothing I can do about (Detroit). All I can do is from here on out. "I understand. In Detroit, they need a bad guy. I was a bad guy. I was to blame for the fall of the auto industry and the housing market. Somehow, I had something to do with Kwame Kilpatrick, although I'm not sure what. "But that's what happens when you lose in this game. You give everyone a cheap and easy story to jump on." Millen wants to ..."
Former Lion/Spartan Charles Rogers wants a chance at redemption
Comment
June 17
Detroit Free Press
 
"Hugh Bernreuter of the Saginaw News reports that former Lions and Michigan State wide receiver Charles Rogers is ready to prove that he can play at the pro level. Here is a portion of his story: "Charles Rogers claims Charles Rogers finally gets it, finally is ready to make the commitment needed to fulfill Charles Rogers' promise as an NFL player. According to Rogers, the change in attitude came two months ago, about the same time he finished a month in jail for testing positive for alcohol and for falsifying Alcoholics Anonymous records. 'I know my next shot might be my last shot," Rogers said. "I know I have to work harder than I ever worked before. I'm willing to do that.'"
Free-agent DE Kevin Carter will take his time to sign
Comment
June 17
Detroit Free Press
 
"If free-agent defensive end Kevin Carter signs with the Lions, it might not be for a while. His agent said he has no timetable for making a decision on where he will play this year. "I think he has earned the right to wait and enjoy the summer with his family," Carter's agent, Harold Lewis, wrote Tuesday in an e-mail. "Now, if an offer was made that we can't resist, then I'm sure we would make it sooner." Carter visited the Lions in late April. At the time, Lewis said Carter would make a decision in the near future. But soon afterward, general manager Martin Mayhew said he didn't think Carter had a sense of urgency and nothing was imminent. Nothing has changed. Mayhew and coach Jim ..."
Millen not worried about fans' analysis of his analysis
Comment
June 17
Detroit News
 
"Matt Millen isn't worried about what Lions fans think of his ability as an NFL analyst. "It's like anything else," the former Lions president said Tuesday during an interview on SIRIUS NFL Radio. "I can't control ... how somebody views you, or views me, or what they think or what they don't think. ... I'm going to give you an opinion, and you can judge for yourself if it's the right opinion or it's the wrong opinion. Or you can sit at home and go, 'The guy's an idiot, turn the channel.'" Millen was hired Monday as an analyst for the NFL Network's Thursday Night Football telecast. His first broadcast will be Nov. 12, when San Francisco hosts Chicago."
Jim Schwartz likes West Michigan as possible Lions training camp site
Comment
June 17
Detroit News
 
"Are the Lions willing to move training camp from team headquarters in Allen Park? Coach Jim Schwartz told The Detroit News last weekend at Michigan International Speedway he was interested in getting his players outside of the Detroit area for camp, possibly as early as 2010. Schwartz mentioned west Michigan -- specifically Grand Valley State University -- as a desirable location. The Allendale, Mich., campus features an 8,600-seat stadium, an indoor facility with a 100-yard field, other practice fields, a weight training facility and meeting rooms. Allendale, just west of Grand Rapids, also is just 15 miles from the Lake Michigan shoreline. Tim Nott, GVSU's associate athletic director ..."
Millen talks: 'I love Detroit,' 'I really like Stafford,' 'You learn a lot from failures'
Comment
June 16
Detroit Free Press
 
"Matt Millen is still seeking money from the Lions. But he heaped praise on the organization today in his first general media session since he was fired as team president in September, and he said he would show no bias as a TV analyst. The NFL Network announced today that Millen will serve as an analyst on "Thursday Night Football." Millen also will serve as a college football and NFL analyst for ESPN. "I have absolutely no issue with the Detroit Lions at all," Millen said in a media conference call, answering questions about a payment dispute and how he would handle Lions issues on the air. "We're golden, and things are working forward. That's the first thing. "The second thing is, how ..."
Millen says he'll be fair when assessing Lions
Comment
June 16
Detroit News
 
"Former Lions president Matt Millen said he remains a big fan of the Detroit Lions and the Ford family, but the team will not get preferential treatment if he is called upon to broadcast a game on the NFL Network. Millen spoke out Monday afternoon after he was named analyst for the NFL's Thursday Night Football telecast. Millen will broadcast with play-by-play man Bob Papa; their first game is Nov. 12 when Chicago plays at San Francisco. Millen served as the Lions team president for eight seasons -- a period during which the team went 31-97. He praised the organization -- from the drafting quarterback Matthew Stafford to the hiring of coach Jim Schwartz. "I'll handle the Lions like I do ..."
Lions' Avril says he wasn't taking shots at former coaches
Comment
June 15
Detroit Free Press
 
"Lions defensive end Cliff Avril says he wasn't taking shots at former coach Rod Marinelli or former defensive line coach Joe Cullen when he praised new defensive line coach Bob Karmelowicz in a recent blog. "Coach Marinelli is a great coach," Avril wrote in a blog posted today at avril92.com. "I would never in any shape form or fashion try to come at him and say he's not a great coach. He definitely knows what he's talking about and he's coached Pro Bowlers and Hall of Famers. "He drafted me; he's the one who gave me the opportunity to be where I am so why wouldn't I be happy about him?" Marinelli spent his entire career as a defensive line coach before the Lions hired him in January 2006, ..."
Matt Millen joins 'Thursday Night Football'
Comment
June 15
Detroit Free Press
 
"Matt Millen is working for the Lions again. Sort of. NFL Network announced today the former Lions president will serve as an analyst on "Thursday Night Football." The NFL's 32 teams own the network. The Lions hired Millen as president in 2001. They went 31-84 until they fired him in September, then lost 13 more games to complete the NFL's first 0-16 season, making them 31-97 since hiring him. Millen was an excellent player and broadcaster before he joined the Lions. He also will serve as a college football and NFL analyst for ESPN. "Matt Millen is one of the best television analysts in the business, and we welcome him back to the booth on 'Thursday Night Football,' " NFL Network president ..."
Rookie TE Pettigrew works well with Stafford
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June 15
Detroit Free Press
 
"Quarterback Matthew Stafford isn't the only Lions rookie who has picked up a nickname. Tight end and fellow first-round pick Brandon Pettigrew also has been the subject of some good-natured teasing by veterans. "They call him Big Money or something like that," Pettigrew said. "I'm like Half Big Money." Of course, Lions coaches just hope Pettigrew turns out to be money, period. With a big 6-foot-5 frame, a penchant for blocking and impressive hands, Pettigrew could be the complete tight end any team would treasure. During a recent practice, Pettigrew was a favorite target of Stafford's and the two seemed to work well together. "It just happened like that," Pettigrew said. "I'm glad we're ..."
Alama-Francis starts anew with a clean slate
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June 13
Detroit Free Press
 
"Ikaika Alama-Francis' first two years with the Lions were a little intense, to say the least. The defensive end was the first defensive lineman drafted by coach Rod Marinelli, a defensive-line specialist. Sure enough, the easygoing Hawaiian soon became a pet project of Marinelli's. The excruciating details Marinelli preached to Alama-Francis in private sessions during practice and for extended periods after practice were enough to practically make him feel like the coach's son on a Little League team. "Oh, definitely there's a lot of pressure when a coach is always on you," Alama-Francis said. "You always have to be on your toes. Sometimes it got to a point where it was like, 'Whoa.' Every ..."
Lions rookie: Keep dreaming, learning
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June 13
Detroit Free Press
 
"The audience knew it was about to hear a success story even before Lions rookie Derrick Williams walked into the residence hall cafeteria Thursday at Wayne State University. It wasn't long ago, Williams explained, that he was just like them -- a high school football player with big dreams. Eight years ago, Williams attended his first of several NFL High School Player Development camps near his home in Greenbelt, Md. Two months ago, Williams -- who started 43 of 46 games during his four years at Penn State -- was selected by the Lions in the third round of the NFL draft. Thursday, he wore a broad smile as he listened to Curtis Blackwell of Think Detroit PAL explain that this week's HSPD ..."
Lions making extra effort to win back ticket holders
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June 12
Detroit Free Press
 
"The Lions sent an e-mail to former season-ticket holders Thursday morning. Above a photo of receiver Calvin Johnson making a catch, in the team's new distinctive typeface, it declared the Lions "WANT YOU BACK." It was an invitation to an "exclusive" minicamp session June 24 at team headquarters in Allen Park. "Enjoy the opportunity to view a Detroit Lions mini camp session, meet with Detroit Lions officials, sales representatives and more!" the message said. The ailing economy has hurt sales for all Detroit sports teams, and the Lions' record has exacerbated their problems. The Lions are 31-97 since 2001 and coming off the NFL's first 0-16 season. The Lions failed to sell out five of their ..."