Tracking former Lions

[Futureshock]

Eagles make some sense as possible landing spot for Stephen Tulloch

Posted by Darin Gantt on July 6, 2016, 9:20 AM EDT
APThere aren’t many free agents worth signing on the market this time of year, so when a player of Stephen Tulloch’s caliber becomes available, it’s reasonable to find a spot for him.
And one that makes sense for the former Lions linebacker is Philadelphia.
As noted by Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com, the Eagles have the combination of opportunity and motive to make it a sensible move.
They have little depth at the position behind a passable starting group of Mychal Kendricks, Jordan Hicks and Nigel Bradham, so Tulloch would be a good insurance policy, if not a replacement. There’s also the familiarity that comes with playing for Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. When Schwartz was coaching the Lions, Tulloch topped 100 tackles each season, so there’s some top-of-mind awareness.
Of course, the biggest factor might be Tulloch’s health. He was recovering from arthroscopic ankle surgery, which was stated as the reason the Lions held onto him so long when it was clear he was surplus to requirements.
If he’s well, he could be a clear help to the Eagles defense, and they haven’t been shy about bringing in new guys this offseason.

[Malto Marko]

Mike Sullivan @MikeSullivan [ame="https://twitter.com/MikeSullivan/status/750738136817426432"]6m6 minutes ago[/ame] Mike Sullivan Retweeted E:60
Calvin Johnson: "If we would've been a contender, it would've been harder to let go."

[dpatnod]

Dammit!

[Futureshock]

Mike Sullivan @MikeSullivan 6m6 minutes ago Mike Sullivan Retweeted E:60
Calvin Johnson: "If we would've been a contender, it would've been harder to let go."

There it is. Well, at least it stops the endless debates on if he would have stayed if we had a better team. So in actuality, Maypuke caused us to loose Suh and Megatron. :-x

[FVD]

If Quinn turns out to be a good GM, then the best thing that ever happened to Lions fans was WCF dying.

[Newbomb Turk]

Least surprising news item ever:

Megatron: If Lions were contenders it would have been harder to leave

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/07/06/megatron-if-lions-were-contenders-it-would-have-been-harder-to-leave/

[edindetroit]

If Quinn turns out to be a good GM, then the best thing that ever happened to Lions fans was WCF dying.

Well duh!

[jaadam4]

If Quinn turns out to be a good GM, then the best thing that ever happened to Lions fans was WCF dying.

And we got cheerleaders!

[chemiclord]

I mean, come on, it was a given that if the Lions had shown ANY indication that they were on the cusp of a championship run that Calvin would have given it another shot.

The only thing that surprises me is that he actually acknowledged it publicly so quickly.

[Futureshock]

Calvin Johnson underscores how easy it was to get painkillers

Posted by Mike Florio on July 7, 2016, 9:47 AM EDT
Getty ImagesRetired receiver Calvin Johnson’s revealing interview with ESPN’s E:60 touches on a subject that the league currently would prefer to be concealing: Painkiller use in the NFL.
Johnson’s remarks to Michael Smith of ESPN underscore the fact that, not too long ago, it was very easy — too easy — for players to get their hands on potent narcotics.
“I guess my first half of my career before they really, you know, before they started looking over the whole industry, or the whole NFL, the doctors, the team doctors and trainers, they were giving them out like candy, you know?” Johnson said, via the Washington Post.
“If you were hurting, then you could get them,” Johnson said. “It was nothing. I mean, if you needed Vicodin, call out, ‘My ankle hurt,’ you know. ‘I need, I need it. I can’t, I can’t play without it,’ or something like that. It was simple. That’s how easy it was to get them. So if you were dependent on them, they were readily available.”
The good news is that the ease with which players could get Toradol apparently changed over the second half of Johnson’s career, possibly after a January 2012 report from Andrea Kremer of Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel exposed the prevalence, and dangers, of Toradol — a “magic potion” that “masks pain from head to toe.” According to former Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher, players weren’t informed of potential side effects like gastrointestinal bleeding and kidney problems. (Perhaps Kremer, who was hired by NFL Media later that year, possibly was referring to items like the Toradol story when contrasting NFL Network with Real Sports in a recent interview with Jeff Pearlman.)
By November 2012, the NFL placed significant restrictions on the availability of Toradol. In December 2012, the NFL Players Association filed a grievance over a waiver teams began asking players to sign, which among other things referred them to Wikipedia for information about the drug.
The good news is that, at some point midway through Johnson’s career, which began in 2007 and ended in 2015, it became no longer quite so easy to get painkillers. The bad news for the NFL is that, as to the men who played before the sea change, the potential damage had been done — and a significant award for damages could be coming in the class-action lawsuit claiming that teams deliberately gave painkillers to players without explaining the risks, along with an express or implied threat that, if they don’t take the drugs to allow them to play, they won’t have jobs.

[Futureshock]

Just like Barry, he took some real shots at the end of his career

Retired Lions WR Calvin Johnson says concussions played a role in his retirement.

[Futureshock]

Ex-Lion says ex-Piston owes him money

Jonathan Stewart, Ernie Sims among creditors seeking millions from Christian Laettner

Posted by Josh Alper on July 7, 2016, 11:19 AM EDT
Getty ImagesIn 2011, a court ruled that former Duke basketball star Christian Laettner and his partner/former Duke teammate Brian Davis had to pay former NFL linebacker Shawne Merriman almost $4 million after defaulting on a loan that Merriman had extended to the duo to help finance a real estate project.
The Charlotte Observer reports that two other NFL players are now seeking repayment from Laettner and they?ve joined other creditors to start involuntary bankruptcy proceedings against him. Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart says he is owed $3,629,230 and former Lions, Eagles, Colts and Cowboys linebacker Ernie Sims is seeking $1,482,730 as part of a total of $14.05 million being sought by a group of five creditors.
A company that lists Laettner as a partner received $28.3 million in proceeds from the sale of a mixed-use project in Durham, North Carolina and Laettner?s lawyer Hassan Zavareei said they hope to use some of that money to satisfy his client?s outstanding debts.
?We are optimistic that the funds from the sale of the West Village can be used to reach a global resolution with all of Christian?s creditors,? Zavareei said. ?As such, the negotiations are ongoing.?
Whether those negotiations avoid further bankruptcy proceedings or not, it might be time for NFL players to find different places to invest their money.

[DanO]

"I mean, come on, it was a given that if the Lions had shown ANY indication that they were on the cusp of a championship run that Calvin would have given it another shot."
---------------------------------------Disagree completely. He listed enough health issues and concerns for his future health I believe he would have retired anyway. Concussions among them. He said it would have been harder not he would have. Of course it would have been harder. Don't put words in the guys mouth.

[DanO]

"I mean, come on, it was a given that if the Lions had shown ANY indication that they were on the cusp of a championship run that Calvin would have given it another shot."
---------------------------------------Disagree completely. He listed enough health issues and concerns for his future health I believe he would have retired anyway. Concussions among them. He said it would have been harder not he would have. Of course it would have been harder. Don't put words in the guys mouth.

[CGVT]

DanO is correct. Twice.