Tracking former Lions

[Futureshock]

Jets To Sign Josh Johnson


August 4th, 2021 at 9:50am CST by Zachary Links

The Jets have signed veteran quarterback Josh Johnson, per his agent (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Johnson could provide depth behind No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson, who finally put pen to paper last week.


[RELATED: Jets Sign Zach Wilson]

Johnson, pictured here in one of his many NFL jerseys, has now signed deals with roughly half of the league. The 35-year-old spent November 2020 — May 2021 with the 49ers but didn’t take a snap during his time there. His last live action came with the Los Angeles Wildcats of the XFL and he hasn’t attempted an NFL pass since 2018, when he started in three games for Washington.

Despite the stop-and-go nature of it all, Johnson always seems to be in demand as a backup arm. Neither of New York’s other QB2 candidates — 2020 fourth-round pick James Morgan and former UDFA Mike White — have taken a regular-season snap.

[edindetroit]

Former Lions, Michigan quarterback Jake Rudock retires

Former Detroit Lions quarterback Jake Rudock has retired from the NFL after five seasons in the league.

Rudock was drafted out of the University of Michigan in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft but failed to beat out Dan Orlovsky for the backup quarterback role and was waived before the regular season began.

He then found himself bouncing between the practice squad and active roster from 2016 to 2018. In 2017, he competed once again for the backup role against rookie Brad Kaaya and ultimately won the job after a very heated training camp and preseason. That same season, Rudock appeared in three games, where he completed three of five passes for 24 yards and threw one interception.

Following his time in Detroit, Rudock spent two seasons with the Miami Dolphins.

At Michigan, he took the pre-med track, majoring in microbiology. Now that he is retired from football, a career in medicine may be the next chapter in Rudock’s life.

https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2021/...-from-nfl/amp/

[Futureshock]

I didn't know he was still in the league.

[Futureshock]

Report: Kenny Golladay is expected to miss 2-3 weeks with hamstring pull

Posted by Myles Simmons on August 5, 2021, 11:48 AM EDT

USA TODAY Sports

Reporting from the Giants beat on Wednesday indicated that receiver Kenny Golladay‘s hamstring injury was not considered significant.

Now there’s a potential timeline for his return.

According to Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News, Golladay is expected to miss 2-3 weeks with a hamstring pull.

Golladay was injured in a 7-on-7 drill earlier this week and could be seen on video grabbing the back of his leg after a play.

The receiver is in his first year with the Giants after signing with the club as a free agent in March. Golladay played only five games last season with the Lions, missing the first two weeks with a hamstring injury. A groin injury caused him to miss the back half of the season.

Golladay is entering his fifth pro season. A 2017 third-round pick out of Northern Illinois, he’s caught 183 passes for 3,068 yards with 21 touchdowns in his career.

If Golladay is back in 2-3 weeks, that would give him plenty of time to get ready for the Giants’ season opener against the Broncos.

[edindetroit]

Former Detroit Lions OL saved Giants QB Daniel Jones during brawl

In case you have not heard by now, there was a huge brawl this past Monday at New York Giants training camp. During the brawl, Giants starting QB Daniel Jones ended up right smack in the middle of the pile and a former Detroit Lions offensive lineman came to his rescue.

That offensive lineman was Kenny Wiggins.

“I’m a little too old to fight so I wanted to make sure I get the quarterback out of the bottom of the pile. I just heard somebody say he was in there so I just went and looked for a red jersey,” Wiggins told Zack Rosenblatt of NJ Advance Media.

“I was with Matt Patricia the last few years, so …” Wiggins added.

Smart move by Wiggins.

https://detroitsportsnation.com/form...RBQP2UcCf08U3I

[CGVT]

Report: Kenny Golladay is expected to miss 2-3 weeks with hamstring pull

Posted by Myles Simmons on August 5, 2021, 11:48 AM EDT

USA TODAY Sports

Reporting from the Giants beat on Wednesday indicated that receiver Kenny Golladay‘s hamstring injury was not considered significant.

Now there’s a potential timeline for his return.

According to Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News, Golladay is expected to miss 2-3 weeks with a hamstring pull.

Golladay was injured in a 7-on-7 drill earlier this week and could be seen on video grabbing the back of his leg after a play.

The receiver is in his first year with the Giants after signing with the club as a free agent in March. Golladay played only five games last season with the Lions, missing the first two weeks with a hamstring injury. A groin injury caused him to miss the back half of the season.

Golladay is entering his fifth pro season. A 2017 third-round pick out of Northern Illinois, he’s caught 183 passes for 3,068 yards with 21 touchdowns in his career.

If Golladay is back in 2-3 weeks, that would give him plenty of time to get ready for the Giants’ season opener against the Broncos.

What!? Golladay is hurt? No fucking way!

He will have a nagging hamstring injury all fucking year now.

Better in NY than Detroit

[edindetroit]

Ex-Lions DE Anthony Zettel has retired from the NFL

Anthony Zettel was once the feel-good story of the Detroit Lions defense. The high-energy defensive end has decided to hang up his cleats and retired from the NFL.
Zettel was a sixth-round pick by the Lions out of Penn State in the 2016 NFL draft. He quickly proved he belonged in Detroit. After a capable rookie season, Zettel exploded in his second year with the Lions. Zettel started all 16 games for Detroit in 2017 and bagged 6.5 sacks and 11 total tackles-for-loss.


His fan-friendly tenure in Detroit ended in the 2018 preseason when he was unpopularly waived by new head coach Matt Patricia. Zettel never really matched that 2017 level, bouncing between four different teams, most recently the 49ers (for the second time). He recorded just seven tackles and zero sacks in the last three seasons.

He decided that he just didn’t have the love for the game anymore. From Zettel’s Instagram page on Thursday:
E8DbVr4UYAEhmXm.jpg

Thanks for the memories and enjoy the post-football career, Anthony!

[dpatnod]

He should become a tree doctor.

[edindetroit]

Former Detroit Lions TE lands with New York Giants

On Friday , the Detroit Lions announced they were waiving TE Jake Hausmann.
It did not take long for Hausmann to find a new home as he has been claimed by the New York Giants.

Hausmann, who played his college ball at Ohio State before going undrafted, was signed by the Detroit Lions following to the 2021 NFL Draft.

https://detroitsportsnation.com/former-detroit-lions-te-lands-with-new-york-giants/wgbrady/nfl/detroit-lions-news/08/07/2021/255330/?fbclid=IwAR0x2lS4TUAdASdd9ENjle9bBTtmF73vonFcqLVXZt7R8gJhA7LSQVvUaIE

LOL the url is longer than the article.

[TheLondonLion]

Former Detroit Lions OL saved Giants QB Daniel Jones during brawl

In case you have not heard by now, there was a huge brawl this past Monday at New York Giants training camp. During the brawl, Giants starting QB Daniel Jones ended up right smack in the middle of the pile and a former Detroit Lions offensive lineman came to his rescue.

That offensive lineman was Kenny Wiggins.

“I’m a little too old to fight so I wanted to make sure I get the quarterback out of the bottom of the pile. I just heard somebody say he was in there so I just went and looked for a red jersey,” Wiggins told Zack Rosenblatt of NJ Advance Media.

“I was with Matt Patricia the last few years, so …” Wiggins added.

Smart move by Wiggins.

https://detroitsportsnation.com/form...RBQP2UcCf08U3I

what does the Patricia comment mean?

[edindetroit]

what does the Patricia comment mean?

You will have to ask Wiggins.

[jaadam4]

How is he going to juggle the schedules of three teams? What if two of the teams play each other?

He can change uniforms but the problem is if the QB throws an interception or if there’s a fumble. Which team would he play for in the moment?

[Futureshock]

Deb:

Lions unfazed by Calvin Johnson’s Hall of Fame diss

Posted by Mike Florio on August 9, 2021, 9:44 AM EDT

Getty Images

As expected, Hall of Fame receiver Calvin Johnson didn’t thank the Lions organization during his induction speech. Before the event, Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp was asked about the likely diss.

“We love Calvin, the organization loves Calvin, my family loves Calvin and we are hoping we can work this all out with him,” Hamp told Jennifer Hammond of Fox 2 in Detroit. “We think he’s terrific and we’re so excited for him.”

The Lions made Johnson the second overall pick in the 2007 draft. He became a rare bright spot on a team that struggled for relevance, going winless in his second season. In 2012, when Johnson generated a league-record 1,964 receiving yards, the Lions won only four games.

But Johnson signed a long-term big-money deal to stay in Detroit, and he never tried to force his way out. Indeed, most of his rancor seems to come not from anything that occurred during his career but from the franchise’s misguided decision to insist on the partial repayment of unearned signing bonus money at a time when it actually helped the Lions from a cap standpoint for Johnson to walk away. And then the Lions squatted on his rights, preventing him from continuing his truncated career with another team.

Johnson at all times has seemed like a fair and reasonable person. The fact that he’s so upset with the Lions suggests that the Lions did something to earn his ire. Given that he refused a job offer that would have paid him $500,000 per year for 28 hours of work shows how bad things are.

Johnson himself has said what it will take to make things right — the team needs to give back his money. The fact that the Lions haven’t done so more than five years after his retirement suggests that it’s not going to happen, and that the Lions will continue to be estranged from one of the greatest players in franchise history.

[Futureshock]

So Barry wanted out and wanted to be traded: Lions: NO. Play for us or retire and give us money back. (WCF)
So Calvin wanted out and wanted to be traded: Lions: NO. Play for us or retire and give us money back. (MFF)
So Stafford wanted out and wanted to be traded: Lions: SURE. NO PROBLEM. Where would you like to play? (SHF)

It is funny how these are looked at so differently but the real difference is in the Lions ownership's reaction. And some fans.

[Forsh]

You have to react and comment on the way things happened. Yeah you have a point, but when these guys sign big bonus long contracts and beg out early, that's tough luck. The game is set up how it's set up.

If CJ had retired purely due to injury, I'd think the Lions were scum to ask for bonus money back. He just quit on them part way into a deal. They gave him huge bonus for a long term deal. He kept more than he should have, really