Lions Rumors & News

Michigan Live "The Lions are just more than a month away from the start of the first training camp of the Matt Patricia era. The roster mostly is what it will be this season, short of when it shrinks to 53 men by the start of the year. It'll be up to the new coaching staff to get the most out of..." June 24

Detroit Lions "Wide receiver TJ Jones is coming off the finest season of his young career. The former sixth-round pick out of Notre Dame caught 30 passes for 399 yards (13.3 average) and a touchdown in 14 games. In his previous two seasons, Jones, who’s been primarily used as a depth player,..." June 23

NFL Trade Rumors "According to Ian Rapoport, the Detroit Lions hired veteran executive Jimmy Raye III as their new Senior Personnel Executive late last week. Rapoport says that Raye III will work directly with Lions GM Bob Quinn. The Panthers interviewed Raye III..." June 19

Detroit News "Detroit Lions wide receiver Marvin Jones is a man of many talents. When he’s not hauling in deep passes from quarterback Matthew Stafford, you might find Jones in the recording studio in his basement, laying down some soulful R&B tracks with a voice that landed him a shot at..." June 17

Detroit Free Press "The phrase has become so synonymous with the New England Patriots that it was the title of the NFL Films documentary on Bill Belichick and the 2014 Super Bowl champs. Now it appears as if the Detroit Lions have co-opted the slogan, “Do Your Job.” Several Lions players and..." June 15

Pro Football Talk "The NFL’s new rules designed to reduce the impacts on kickoffs represent a last-gasp effort to keep the play in the sport. That’s the word from former head of officiating Mike Pereira, who believes that if this year’s rule changes don’t result in the desired..." June 15

Detroit Free Press "The Detroit Lions are expanding their open training camp practices under first-year coach Matt Patricia, and will make all three of their joint workouts with the New York Giants open to the public. The Lions begin training camp July 27 and will hold 12 open practices this..." June 14

Detroit Free Press "For four years, Devon Kennard watched the New England Patriots defense from afar, studying it trying to figure out what made it so great. “I could never really understand what they were doing,” Kennard, the Detroit Lions’ biggest free-agent addition of..." June 14

The Score "It appears the NFLPA is preparing for a legal battle with the NFL over its new anthem policy. The NFLPA has hired multiple law firms to begin researching potential avenues to fight the league's policy, a source told Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio. Florio..." June 14

Michigan Live "For years, the Lions had a prototype for the back who would stand next to Matthew Stafford in the shotgun or pistol, but the old guard is changing. An inefficiency in results will do that over time. The Stafford offense has often operated with a scat back who could operate..." June 14

CBS Sports "Over the last few seasons, the run-pass option (RPO) has become increasingly popular in the NFL. The way it allows an offense to react to how the defense lines up and then reacts off the snap of the ball makes it easy to avoid negative plays that flow right into what the defense is doing, and..." June 11

Detroit News "The Detroit Lions showcased their skills on a different type of field Saturday and it was all for a good cause. A little over two miles away from the team’s practice facility, over 20 players traded in their helmets and cleats for bats and gloves at the Lions’ annual..." June 10

Detroit Free Press "One of the best punters in the NFL had a miserable 2017. But now that he's healthy, Sam Martin appears poised for a bounce-back year. "I definitely take this time of year not for granted at all," Martin said Thursday after the Detroit Lions wrapped up their three-day..." June 09

USA Today "Matt Patricia is in danger of losing his players. This was my main observation from three days of minicamp this week. The Detroit Lions rookie coach wants things done his way. And his way means running as punishment. Lots and lots of running. That’s not..." June 08

WEEI Boston "Donald Trump discussed his plan for presidential pardons on Friday and made an offer to NFL players to suggest to him people he should pardon. "What I'm thinking to do, you have a lot of people in the NFL in particular ... they're not proud enough to stand for..." June 08

Pro Football Rumors "The Lions fear rookie that rookie fullback Nick Bawden suffered a torn ACL in practice on Wednesday, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter) said. Right now, it looks like the seventh-round pick’s season is over and it is expected that he will be placed on injured reserve in..." June 06

Detroit Free Press "Detroit Lions defensive end Ziggy Ansah made his first comments of the offseason Tuesday during the start of the team’s mandatory three-day minicamp. But he didn’t say much. Ansah also didn’t do much. He barely took part in individual drills early in..." June 06

Detroit Free Press "Calvin Johnson was a ball of nerves in the weeks before he played his final NFL game, not because he was retiring — he had to be talked into playing the 2015 season by his father — but he said Saturday he spent his final few weeks as a Lion worried about how he was going to tell..." June 03

Michigan Live "In his first four seasons with the Lions, Sam Martin posted the four best net punting seasons in Lions history. In 2016, he had the second-best season in NFL history. In 2017, he finished outside the top 30 in the league. "It was very,..." June 02

Pro Football Rumors "The biggest names in this year’s free agent class such as Kirk Cousins, Sammy Watkins, Allen Robinson, and Trumaine Johnson have long been spoken for, but plenty of notable players remain on the board here in June. With a hat tip to James Palmer of NFL.com..." June 01

Detroit Free Press "First, Golden Tate.  Next, LeBron James? Reigning Verizon IndyCar Series champion Josef Newgarden renewed a high school rivalry on Wednesday in Detroit: He bested his old pal Golden Tate, a standout receiver for the Detroit Lions, in a table tennis battle for the..." May 31

Michigan Live "This is Matt Patricia's defense, of course, and his fingerprints are going to be all over it. But part of becoming a head coach, perhaps the most important thing about becoming a head coach, is learning how to delegate. You can't do everything, you can't be everywhere, and you..." May 31

12 Up "NFL owners may not all be in lock-step over issues surrounding player protests during the National Anthem, but it's clear that the American president has been a driving force in the conflict-- and has influenced at least a few owners' positions on the matter. Former..." May 30

Detroit News "At no point in his NFL career is a player expected to improve more than from year one to two. The learning process for a rookie is a whirlwind of information that can be overwhelming for many to process. By year two, there’s a comfort level. A player is able to absorb and apply..." May 28

Michigan Live "The first few moments of Matt Patricia's first open practice with the Lions featured some new tests of will. On one end of the field, running backs lined up with the ball behind three bags made to simulate offensive linemen. When the back would approach the..." May 27

Detroit Free Press "LeGarrette Blount wasn’t paying too much attention to the NFL draft last month when the Detroit Lions spent most of their six picks on help for the running game. Blount, the leading rusher in February’s Super Bowl and one of the Lions’ top free-agent signings this..." May 26

Michigan Live "Golden Tate would like a new deal with the Detroit Lions. But more than halfway through the offseason, he still has no idea whether he'll get one. "I don't know what to expect," the YAC king said Thursday after wrapping up the first round of OTAs in Allen..." May 25

Pro Football Talk "NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith says the league’s owners are less interested in showing respect for America than in showing they can control their employees with the new rule requiring players who are on the field for the national anthem to..." May 25

Fort Worth Star-Telegram "The troubles of Lions head coach Matt Patricia might not be over. When Patricia visited South Padre Island in Texas a little more than 22 years ago, he was indicted by a grand jury on one count of aggravated sexual assault. At the time, he was a 21-year-old football player..." May 25

USA Today "While decades-old legal claims have sullied the starts of two first-time NFL head coaches in recent years, several owners said this week they’re not sure what more the league can do to help teams avoid controversy like what the Detroit Lions faced with Matt Patricia — and one even..." May 24

Pro Football Talk "Question: When is a unanimous vote not unanimous? Answer: When there’s no vote at all. No, this isn’t a Matrix-style exercise in whether or not there is a spoon. (Then again maybe it is.) It’s an example of the kind of casual white-lying that has..." May 24

Pro Football Talk "President Trump has weighed in on the NFL’s new national anthem policy, saying the owners took a step in the right direction — but warning that the rule allowing players to remain in the locker room could be problematic. “I think that’s good,” Trump said..." May 24

ESPN "NFL owners have unanimously approved a new national anthem policy that requires players to stand if they are on the field during the performance but gives them the option to remain in the locker room if they prefer, it was announced Wednesday. The policy subjects teams to a fine if a..." May 23

NFL.com "The NFL is expected to enact a national anthem policy in 2018 that requires players on the sideline to stand but gives them the option to remain in the locker room if they don't want to stand, NFL Network's Judy Battista and NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. Under the..." May 23

The Comeback "In 2013, the NFL agreed to pay $765 million to settle a lawsuit brought by more than 4,500 players and their families who claimed the league had concealed knowledge about the risk of head injuries. Five years later, a reported 90 percent of former players who..." May 23

The Score "The playing of the national anthem and how to handle protests during the anthem are reportedly under heavy discussion at the NFL's spring meetings. Protests dominated headlines during the early portion of the 2017 season, but serious talks about the topic were deferred until..." May 23

Detroit Free Press "They couldn't sign him as an undrafted free agent, but the Detroit Lions were awarded wide receiver Chris Lacy off waivers from the New England Patriots on Monday. Lacy caught 63 passes in four seasons at Oklahoma State, and Lions receivers coach Robert Prince attended the..." May 22

Detroit Free Press "By now, the slicing and dicing of Frank Ragnow’s NFL measurables is complete. The Detroit Lions examined the height, weight and quickness of the 6-foot-5, 312-pound center from Arkansas. They used their first-round draft pick on him. Some pundits and Lions fans,..." May 21

Larry Brown Sports "Matt Patricia may not have disclosed to the Detroit Lions that he was involved in a sexual assault case many years ago, but the NFL has decided the new information does not warrant any type of fine or suspension. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Monday that neither Patricia nor..." May 21

Detroit Free Press "Can Luke Willson be the Detroit Lions' next Eric Ebron? While Ebron was a lightning rod for criticism from fans for his inconsistency, his drops, his lack of production and his outspokenness, he was the Lions’ primary offensive-minded tight end the four..." May 19

Pro Football Talk "With the 49 states that currently don’t have sports wagering now able to launch it, the NFL’s word of choice is “integrity.” As sports wagering takes root, the NFL will have another go-to term. “More.” Yes, the dormant push for an expanded..." May 18

Pro Football Rumors "The Lions announced that they’ve signed third-round safety Tracy Walker, and in doing so have now inked their entire 2018 draft class. It’s not clear exactly how quickly Walker will see the field in Detroit’s starting lineup, as the Lions already have Glover Quin and..." May 15

Michigan Live "Running backs are supposed to wear down over time. But in Year 5, Theo Riddick felt better than ever. The Detroit Lions running back adopted a vegan diet last offseason, and says he felt an unmistakable difference as he navigated the tough life of an NFL running back. "I just think my..." May 14

Pro Football Talk "The NFL has lost in the judicial branch (even if the NFL actually has won at the every branch of every bank with which it does business). The league now will take the gambling fight to the legislature. In its first statement issued in the aftermath of Monday’s landmark ruling..." May 14

USA Today "New Jersey won a landmark ruling from the Supreme Court Monday that could lead many states to legalize betting on college and professional sports.The justices ruled 7-2 that a 25-year-old federal law that has effectively prohibited sports betting outside Nevada by forcing states..." May 14

Detroit Free Press "Jarvis Landry is a very good NFL wide receiver, but he doesn't quite crack the list as great. So when Landry signed a market-shifting five-year, $75 million contract with the Cleveland Browns last month, plenty of people perked up and took notice. “Guys are getting paid a looot of money,” Lions..." May 13

ESPN "Emmett Cleary could have kept playing. He felt healthy enough. He had a shot to be on the Detroit Lions' roster this season, and he loved playing football. Yet last month, at age 27, Cleary walked away. Injuries or a lack of interest from teams didn’t retire Cleary; trading one childhood dream..." May 13

Detroit Free Press "The prosecution's witness list in the sexual assault case against Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia included a nurse, a doctor, a police detective, a police officer and a college friend of the alleged victim, according to court documents obtained by the Free Press. The documents shed light on..." May 12

The Score "Golden Tate has come to the defense of his new head coach Matt Patricia. It has recently come to light that Patricia was one of two men arrested and charged with aggravated sexual assault in 1996. The case was dismissed after the woman chose not to testify, and Tate wants to know why the story..." May 12