Lions News

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions continue revamping secondary, to re-sign Will Harris, add Emmanuel Moseley

Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press

Published 3:29 p.m. ET March 14, 2023

The Detroit Lions' secondary could have a whole new look in 2023.
A day after making Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Cam Sutton their top addition in free
agency, the Lions agreed to one-year contracts with Will Harris and San Francisco 49ers free
agent Emmanuel Moseley.

Harris, a third-round pick out of Boston College in 2019, has split his time between
cornerback and safety the past four seasons but played his best football after taking over as
the Lions' starting slot cornerback last year.


Harris, who moved to cornerback late in the 2021 season, made 57 tackles in 10 starts in
2022. He entered training camp competing for a starting job at outside cornerback, spent
most of his time early in the season on special teams and replaced Mike Hughes in nickel
packages in the second half of the year.



The Lions finished last in the NFL in total defense and 30th against the pass last season, but
held opposing quarterbacks to an 83.4 passer rating over their final 10 games.
Still, Lions general manager Brad Holmes entered the offseason intent on upgrading the
secondary and has focused his resources on the cornerback position early in the free agent
negotiating period.


Sutton, widely considered one of the top cornerbacks in free agency, had a career-high three
interceptions last season and held opposing quarterbacks to a 47.9% completion
percentage, according to Pro Football Reference.


Moseley missed 12 games last season with a torn ACL in his left knee, but has been at least a
part-time starter in the 49ers secondary since 2019.


He had one interception that he returned for a touchdown and 22 tackles in five games last
year.


Once healthy, Moseley should compete for the starting outside cornerback spot opposite
Sutton.


The Lions return Jerry Jacobs and Jeff Okudah as their top outside cornerbacks, though
Okudah, the No. 3 overall pick in 2020, lost his starting job late last year. The Lions have
until early May to decide on the fifth-year option on Okudah's rookie contract.


"He has to improve," Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said of Okudah at the NFL
combine earlier this month. "I will say that, along with everybody else on our defense. And he
knows that, and he did improve. But there is always going to be peaks and valleys when you
play that position. You try to stay at the top as much as you can. But it's hard. It's hard. But
I'll tell you what, he is busting his butt. He's trying his butt off to be at that top of the peak all
the time."


Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett

[whatever_gong82]

Report: Detroit Lions adding second cornerback, agreeing to terms with Emmanuel Moseley

Justin Rogers
The Detroit News

Published 3:20 p.m. ET March 14, 2023 Updated 3:26 p.m. ET March 14, 2023


Allen Park — The Detroit Lions aren't messing around with the team's secondary, agreeing to
a deal with a second cornerback in as many days. One day after coming to terms with
Cameron Sutton, the team has agreed to sign former San Francisco cornerback Emmanuel
Moseley, according to ESPN.


The one-year deal will reportedly be valued up to $6 million.


The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Moseley went undrafted out of Tennessee in 2018 and has played
his entire pro career with the 49ers. After spending most of his rookie season on the team's
practice squad, he has been a starter much of the past four seasons, appearing in 44 games.


Playing primarily on the outside, he's flashed good ball skills, breaking up 33 passes and
intercepting four, while limiting opposing quarterbacks to a passer rating under 70.0 the past
two seasons.


Moseley was limited to just five games last season after tearing his ACL in October. In
Detroit, he'll enter a competition for playing time with Jeff Okudah and Jerry Jacobs,
Detroit's returning starters from last season.


Interestingly, Moseley was college teammates with Sutton at the University of Tennessee,
overlapping three seasons in the team's defensive backfield. Moseley posted elite athletic
numbers when coming out of college, running a 4.42-second 40-yard dash and leaping 38.5
inches in the vertical jump at his pro day.

jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Lions DL John Cominsky on new two-year contract: 'I'm pumped to say the least'

Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press

Published 5:20 p.m. ET March 14, 2023 Updated 6:31 p.m. ET March 14, 2023


John Cominsky decided to bet on himself.


At his exit interview with the Atlanta Falcons last January, Cominsky asked for his release
from that team that made him a fourth-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft.
Cominsky's career was trending downward. He played in just four games in 2021 after
logging a then-career-high 28 tackles a season earlier, and he believed there was something
else better out there for him - but he never imagined it would be this.




The Lions claimed Cominsky off waivers last May, and after Cominsky set career-highs in
sacks (four), tackles (30) and quarterback hits (12) as a key part of the Lions defensive line
last fall, the team rewarded him with a new two-year contract Tuesday.


NFL Network reported the deal was worth $8.5 million, with another $1 million in
incentives.


"That was like the first time to really show true confidence in myself," Cominsky told the Free
Press on Tuesday. "To have somebody fulfilling your NFL dream and you tell them like, I
don’t want it anymore. I think there’s something else out there. It’s insane. It’s insane.


"(Last) year, I gave Detroit everything I got and obviously they were able to tell with this
contract. I already told them, I told A.G. (defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn) I’m ready to
run through a brick wall for that organization and he said, 'Well, when you run through that
brick wall I’m going to be right behind you.'"






Cominsky was one of the feel-good stories of the Lions' 2022 season, and in some ways
personified their run from NFC North afterthought to legitimate playoff contender.


The do-it-all lineman earned playing time with a strong training camp and after injuries
sidelined young defensive linemen Josh Paschal and Levi Onwuzurike, and he finished the
season as a crucial cog on their line.


The Lions went 9-3 with Cominsky in the lineup last season, and were 0-5 when he was out
with a broken hand.




"I think the timing of it was perfect," Cominsky said. "I think this past year I really adopted
just an attitude of just letting it rip and not playing so tight, and to have gotten the
opportunity once I finally figured that out about football, I get my chance to start and get to
show what I got. So it worked out perfect. Last year alone was enough for me, enough of a
reward just to have gotten out on the field and play with a group of guys. I was happy, and
then to get a contract and be told that you get to do it two more times is just, it’s amazing. I’m
pumped to say the least."


Cominsky, who had 1½ sacks in his first three years with the Falcons, said he will fly back
from a family vacation in Florida on Wednesday to sign a contract he called "the cherry on
top" of an amazing season.




He had interest from several other teams in free agency, but said he choose to stay with the
Lions because it's close to home, he liked the contract and he likes the people he's
surrounded by in the organization.


"There’s a piece of me that I feels like I owe something to Detroit because they gave me that
opportunity to show what I got," Cominsky said. "Gave me eight starts, gave me a chance.


They offered a solid contract. It was two years, it’s close to home. Everything was just –
everything lined up perfectly. Everything about Detroit, I just don’t know how many other
places that exists that guys fight for their coaches the way they do in Detroit."
With Cominsky back, the Lions will return every key member of their front seven from a
defense that ranked last in the NFL in total defense last season but played its best football in
the second half of the year.




Defensive linemen Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill and Josh Paschal and linebackers
Malcolm Rodriguez, Derrick Barnes and James Houston are under contract for 2023 on
rookie deals, and the Lions re-signed nose tackle Isaiah Buggs to a two-year deal, tendered a
contract to exclusive rights free agent Benito Jones and agreed to a new three-year contract
with linebacker Alex Anzalone on Monday.


The Lions have added two potential starters, Cam Sutton and Emmanuel Moseley, at
cornerback in free agency, and Cominsky said he's excited to see the defense this fall.
Free agents can begin signing with new teams at 4 p.m. Wednesday.


"You’re looking at most of that defense being the same guys and we upgraded in a couple
spots," Cominsky said. "It’s awesome. We got chemistry and it’s only going to get better."


Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett

[whatever_gong82]

Lions re-sign defensive lineman John Cominsky

Justin Rogers
The Detroit News

Published 3:44 p.m. ET March 14, 2023 Updated 3:50 p.m. ET March 14, 2023


Allen Park — The Detroit Lions have agreed to terms on a new two-year contract with
defensive lineman John Cominsky, according to a source familiar with the negotiations.


According to the NFL Network, the two-year package is worth $8.5 million with the potential
to earn an additional $1 million in incentives. It includes $4 million in guarantees.


A waiver addition from Atlanta last offseason, the Lions beat out seven other teams who put
in claims. A fourth-round draft pick out of the University of Charleston (West Virginia),
Cominsky spent three years with the Falcons prior to falling out of the new coaching staff's
defensive rotation.


In Detroit, he slowly worked his way up the depth chart during last year's offseason program,
carving out a significant role by the start of the regular season. He ended up being sidelined a
month after needing surgery to repair a broken thumb early in the campaign, finishing out
the year wearing a club on that hand.


For the year, Cominsky tallied 30 tackles and four sacks, both career-highs, finishing second
on the team behind Aidan Hutchinson in total quarterback pressures.






"It's perfect, it's been everything," Cominsky said after the season. "All I needed was an
opportunity, a full opportunity, an opportunity where I can start some games and be on the
field for 40 or 50 plays because I feel that's where I'm at my best. Before I was plugged in 10
or 20 plays and I'm not able to show my full potential. So this opportunity has been perfect."


After the year, Cominsky, who earned the nickname The Commish from the coaching staff,
made it clear he wanted to come back to Detroit.




"Yeah, the plan is definitely to figure something out where I can be here," he said. "There's all
this talk about the culture and myself, it's just a perfect fit. Myself and the Detroit Lions
organization, I think we're on the same page where we want to make something happen that
I can be here next year. I love the guys in my room and this culture. I think this place helps
me be my best, so we definitely want to be here."





Cominsky joins a growing list of pending free agents who have agreed to return to Detroit
ahead of Wednesday's signing period. That group includes defensive tackle Isaiah Buggs,
running back Craig Reynolds and linebacker Alex Anzalone. It's also being reported that
defensive back Will Harris will return in 2023.

jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers

[Mainevent]

Lions resigning Will Harris.

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2023/03/14/detroit-lions-add-emmanuel-moseley-in-secondary-will-harris/70008917007/

[JGSpartan]

Hmm, definitely a more rounded back than Williams and two years younger. I think there's a chance the Lions line if healthy elevates his play from where it was in Chicago.

[Tom]

I thought he looked pretty good early on in Chicago but once Herbert came along they shifted their focus to him.

[jaadam4]

Man this sucks but we all know Williams wasn’t producing another season like that. The sad part is his presence in the locker room. Losing both Staley and Williams is going to be tough from a team chemistry aspect but I get it

Holmes makes decisions with his brain not his heart. That was a tough one right there

[jaadam4]

Holy shit. Honestly I haven't watch many Bears games over the last few years outside of them playing the Lions. Montgomery is really good. He's never finished with less than 800 yards rushing in a season. That run at the :31 mark is really nice

[Futureshock]

Hmm, definitely a more rounded back than Williams and two years younger. I think there's a chance the Lions line if healthy elevates his play from where it was in Chicago.

I thought about him as a possibility, or Miles Sanders, but wow. Montgomery is a better back then Jamaal. Not dissing Jamaal at all, but Montgomery is very versatile.
Report: Lions agree to terms with David Montgomery on three-year deal

Posted by Charean Williams on March 14, 2023, 9:49 PM EDT

Getty Images

The Lions have agreed to terms on a three-year, $18 million deal with free agent running back David Montgomery, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. It includes $11 million guaranteed.

Montgomery ranked 85th on PFT’s list of top-100 free agents.

Montgomery, 25, spent four seasons with the Bears after they made him a second-round pick.

He rushed for 3,609 yards and 26 touchdowns, while catching 155 passes for 1,240 yards and four touchdowns.

His best season came in 2020 when he had 1,508 yards from scrimmage, including 1,070 rushing.

The Lions will team Montgomery with D’Andre Swift, which means Jamaal Williams will find a new home in free agency.

[whatever_gong82]

Don't fret another ho-hum start to free agency, Detroit Lions doing things right

Dave Birkett

Detroit Free Press




Wash, rinse, repeat.

When it comes to free agency, Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes is nothing if not a creature of habit.

On Monday, the Lions agreed to a three-year contract with cornerback Cam Sutton less than 90 minutes into the free agent negotiating period and re-signed two of their top defensive players, nose tackle Isaiah Buggs and linebacker Alex Anzalone.


On Tuesday, Holmes added another cornerback to patch the Lions’ dilapidated defensive backfield, Emmanuel Moseley, and brought back two more of his top defensive free agents, John Cominsky and Will Harris.

Later that night, the Lions added veteran running back David Montgomery on a three-year, $18 million deal; the ex-Chicago Bear presumably slots in as Jamaal Williams' replacement.





The Lions are not done with their free agent shopping. They’ve been public about wanting to add a backup quarterback. And DJ Chark is still waiting for the receiver market to unfold.

But as the Bears throw money at anyone who can pass a physical and the New York Jets try and bring all of Aaron Rodgers’ yogis to town, it’s important to appreciate Holmes’ free agent approach for what it is.


Too many people fall into the FOMO trap when free agency opens every year. Like when your kids' friends show up to school with new kicks and a trendy T-shirt, it’s natural they'd want a wardrobe upgrade, too. The "fear of missing out" is real.





But those clothes will be out of style by fall, just as some free agents will be back in the discount bin next year.

I like the Sutton signing. The Lions were in desperate need of a new No. 1 cornerback, and Sutton was one of the three or four best available — a versatile, upward-trending defensive back who came at a reasonable price.


Moseley seems like a roll of the dice worth taking, too — a solid player throughout his time in San Francisco but one with injury concerns who comes on a one-year deal.


Had defensive lineman Daron Payne made it to free agency, he would have been the rare difference-maker worth shelling out big bucks for, and there are other free agents who would have looked good in Honolulu blue. Cornerback Jamel Dean re-signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for less than I would have guessed. Linebacker David Long will be an impact three-down player with the Miami Dolphins. And Jakobi Meyers could turn out to be a bargain given the way receiver money has exploded.





Most of the top 50 free agents already have deals in place for 2023, and the Lions don’t seem to be in the market for many of those left unsigned.

But no matter where they go from here, free agency won’t go down as a failure this year.


Some teams use free agency to infuse their roster with talent. Others embrace it to keep in compliance with the collective bargaining agreement (because their roster is otherwise devoid of top-shelf talent they want to pay). A few ignore it altogether, often to their detriment.

Good teams use free agency to fill holes, make a splash in it only when the water is deep and otherwise stick to the draft-and-develop (and sometimes trade) route to build themselves into contenders.

The Lions did stray slightly from the path they’ve taken in free agency the past two years, inking Anzalone, Montgomery and Sutton to three-year deals. There’s a mild danger to that; if they underperform or are lost to injury, there will be contractual ramifications to deal with.




But mostly, the Lions have stuck with the same approach Holmes and Dan Campbell fashioned when they came to Detroit (and promised they would stay true to coming off last year’s 9-8 season).

If the Lions re-sign Chark and offensive lineman Evan Brown, or bring in reasonable facsimiles of them — as they did with Montgomery for Williams at running back — they should enter the 2023 season as the favorites to win the NFC North.

The Bears will be the most improved team in the division — and significantly so — but they entered the offseason with the most ground to make up. The Green Bay Packers are a complete unknown with Rodgers on his way out and Jordan Love taking over at quarterback. And the Minnesota Vikings should be competitive again, but they're in the process of turning over their aging roster and don't strike fear in anyone as an elite team.

So, no, the Lions haven’t crushed free agency the way some would like. They didn't overhaul their league-worst defense and they won't be making a run at Lamar Jackson.



But they haven’t been crushed by it, either.

Their most important moves of the offseason will come in next month’s draft, when they have two first-round picks and five of the first 81 choices overall. And if they take care of business there, they’ll be right back in the same boat next year, making ho-hum free agent moves that quietly improve them as a team.

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

[BJK]

Thanks for sharing these articles, whatever_gong82.

[froot loops]

[ghandi]

I was surprised they brought him back...Figured he'd be a cap casualty with Houston basically doing his role from now on.

[froot loops]

Depth