Tracking former Lions

[Futureshock]

[Futureshock]

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/20086567/the-nfl-25-best-big-money-contracts-adjusting-position-2017

2. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Dolphins

Three-year compensation: $60M (80.4 percent over baseline)

... I say almost never because of Ndamukong Suh, a future Hall of Famer who hit the free-agent market at 28 by virtue of the Lions' being bad and amassing useful top-five picks at a time when those picks cost an exorbitant sum of money. Suh had grown to be such a burden that the Lions ended up paying $9.7 million in dead money on their 2015 cap, which was Suh's first season in Miami. Even now, Suh makes as much as two star pass-rushers on other teams. You can fit the first three years of the extensions handed to J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus combined under $60 million with room to spare.

If you want to get a sense of what top-tier talent is truly worth in the NFL, though, Suh is the best example we have of how dominant players are underpaid. His deal is ways above even the other members of the big six -- and the Dolphins built the contract knowing they would restructure it in a dangerous way -- but Suh is as good of a bet as anyone in football. Even if Suh has lost some explosiveness, he's still good for 20 quarterback knockdowns and a run at the league lead in run tackles for loss on a near-annual basis. Suh also hasn't missed a game via injury as a pro, having sat out only two games in 2011 for stomping on Evan Dietrich-Smith. This is market value for a superstar.

[jaadam4]

Maybe Calvin should start posting in the Matthew Stafford sucks thread.

lol

[WingsFan]

Deadspin-

What’s your favorite Dan Orlovsky highlight?

Trick question: There’s only the one. Guy who ran out the back of his own end zone gets job before Colin Kaepernick. Orlovsky signed with the Rams today

[Panoptes]

Cowboys re-sign veteran linebacker Durant

7/20/2017 4:26:38 PM

With the potential of seeing Damien Wilson disciplined for a July 4 arrest, Jaylon Smith working back from a serious knee injury and Mark Nzeocha rehabbing from knee surgery, the Dallas Cowboys have agreed to a deal with veteran linebacker Justin Durant, Todd Archer of*ESPN Dallasreports.

Durant played in 13 games last season for the Cowboys after he was signed just before the start of training camp. The coaches credited him with 54 tackles to go along with 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss, 6 quarterback pressures and 4 pass deflections, playing mostly in the defense's sub packages. He missed one game with a hamstring injury and the final two games of the regular season with an elbow strain.

To make room for Durant on the roster, cornerback Jeremiah McKinnon, who spent part of last year on the practice squad, was released.

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter at*http://twitter.com/theredzoneorg*

[Malto Marko]

Heeeeeeeeee's Baaaaaaaaack!

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2017/07/20/barry-sanders-rejoins-lions-brand-ambassador/103880180/

[Panoptes]

Rams add ex-Broncos GM Brian Xanders to front office

7/21/2017 8:58:32 AM


The rebuilding of the Rams? front office and coaching staff is nearly complete. The latest piece is Brian Xanders, the former Denver Broncos general manager who will join the Rams in a personnel role, Rich Hammond reports for the*Los Angeles Daily News.

The Rams are expected to explain Xanders? specific role next week, at the start of training camp at UC Irvine, but Xanders will work with General Manager Les Snead, who is entering his sixth season with the Rams and survived after last season?s firing of Coach Jeff Fisher.

Xanders, 46 and a former college linebacker, worked with the Detroit Lions from 2013-17 as a senior personnel executive, his latest stop in a 23-year career in NFL front offices. Xanders? role with the Lions included work in pro personnel and college scouting.

Xanders started his front-office career with a 13-year run with the Atlanta Falcons, including 10 years alongside Snead, who worked for the team as a pro scout.

Xanders then moved to the Broncos in 2008 as an assistant general manager and took over as general manager the following year. The Broncos won the AFC West each season under Xanders? tenure but won only one playoff game.

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter at*http://twitter.com/theredzoneorg

[Panoptes]

Rams agree to terms with veteran QB Dan Orlovsky

7/21/2017 7:30:05 AM

The Rams announced Thursday that they had agreed to terms with veteran quarterback Dan Orlovsky, giving them three quarterbacks for the start of training camp next week, Gary Klein of theLos Angeles Times*reports.

Second-year pro Jared Goff, the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft, is the starter. Third-year pro Sean Mannion is the backup.

Orlovsky, 33, has been a backup for the Detroit Lions the last three seasons. He has not played in a game since 2015.

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/theredzoneorg

[Malto Marko]

Does this mean the Lions traded Zanders to the Rams but they had to take Orlovsky too?

[edindetroit]

Does this mean the Lions traded Zanders to the Rams but they had to take Orlovsky too?

Yep, and I heard that Dallas has to give the Lions their 2018 #1 pick too.

[Futureshock]

Bills announce Anquan Boldin is visiting on Monday

Posted by Josh Alper on July 24, 2017, 10:42 AM EDT

Getty Images
Word came at the end of last week that veteran wide receiver Anquan Boldin would be visiting with the Bills this week and the team confirmed it by announcing Boldin is in Buffalo to meet with the team on Monday.

As Chris Brown of the team’s website points out in the announcement, the Bills’ depth chart at receiver is “largely a jumble” once you get past Sammy Watkins. Second-round pick Zay Jones dealt with a knee injury during spring work and Andre Holmes, Jeremy Butler and Philly Brown are all new to the team after signing this offseason.

Boldin would give them another new face, albeit one with both more experience — including two years as Tyrod Taylor’s teammate with the Ravens — and more accomplishments at the professional level. He ranks ninth in league history with 1,076 receptions and would have a good chance to move past players like Terrell Owens, Tim Brown, Chris Carter and Marvin Harrison if he finds a home for the 2017 season.

Boldin said earlier in the offseason that he’d like to find that home closer to his offseason one in Florida, although there might be some flexibility there with camps starting and Boldin still out of uniform.

[Futureshock]

Vikings sign a tackle to bring roster to 90 players

Posted by Josh Alper on July 24, 2017, 10:22 AM EDT

Getty Images
The Vikings have brought their roster to the maximum of 90 players with training camp kicking off this week.

The team announced on Monday that they have signed tackle Arturo Uzdavinis to a contract. He will join the rest of the team at Minnesota State University in Mankato for practices.

Uzdavinis spent time on the Lions’ roster this offseason and the Vikings will be his fifth club since entering the league as an undrafted free agent last year. He initially signed with the Texans and then spent time on the practice squads in Chicago and Jacksonville without seeing any regular season action.

He’ll be trying to earn a spot as a backup behind left tackle Riley Reiff and right tackle Mike Remmers, both of whom signed as free agents this offseason as part of the Vikings’ bid to improve their offensive line play.

[Malto Marko]

Interesting.

Vikings mining the Lions for Tackles?

[FVD]

I feel as if we need to limit the definition to someone who at least played a down in a preseason game.

[dpatnod]

Yeah. Who? Never heard of him.