It's the wrong era for a star LB like Connor
The draft day downward spiral of the most productive player ever from "Linebacker U" shows Alex Marvez how times have changed. [Link]
Best Available NFL Free Agents-Defense
With the NFL draft behind us, here's an updated look at the best available free agents from the defensive side of the ball. [Link]
Best Available NFL Free Agents-Offense
Here's a post-draft look at the best available NFL free agents from the offensive side of the ball. [Link]
Ken Simonton: Inducted into Pittsburg high's Hall of Fame
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This NFL offseason has been anything but uneventful
Who says nothing happens in the NFL offseason? Peter Schrager hands out some awards after a seriously hectic couple of months. [Link]
This NFL off-season has been anything but uneventful
Who says nothing happens in the NFL off-season? Peter Schrager hands out some awards after a seriously hectic couple of months. [Link]
Don't give up on Benson, unless he pouts
That's what Cedric Benson is doing about the police and what fans are doing about him. Our NFL Czar says he shouldn't be cut … yet. [Link]
Forte can help Bears regain a punishing ground game (SportingNews.com)
The Chicago Bears haven't had much luck finding a consistent feature back over the past two decades. Rookie Matt Forte is their best bet to reestablish a strong running game. [Link]
Porcher gets community service (PA SportsTicker)
Former Detroit Lions defensive end Robert Porcher on Monday was sentenced to 50 hours of community service and a year of probation after pleading no contest to assaulting his former wife. [Link]
Forte could help Bears regain a punishing ground game (SportingNews.com)
The Chicago Bears haven't had much luck finding a consistent feature back over the past two decades. Rookie Matt Forte is their best bet to reestablish a strong running game. [Link]
Ketchman: Draft and Mini-Camp Cap Impact
Salary cap guru George Ketchman explains how the draft, the undrafted, the mini-camp and other transactions recently concluded by the team (including the signing of running back Artose Pinner, left) will affect the Detroit Lions salary cap situation. [Link]
Road Is Tough For Detroit's Undrafted
The work of GMs and team scouts doesn't end with the NFL draft, writes Mike Mady. The team's pursuit of undrafted free-agents is just as meticulous, and as history has shown us, isn't always "training camp fodder." More inside on Detroit's undrafted free-agents, and potential impact on the team. [Link]
Cameron Craig: Training with Lions
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Lions Take Army Man
Caleb Campbell, a safety from West Point, was selected in the seventh round by Detroit. The Lions' secondary can certainly use the help, and has a chance to get it immediately because a new rule implemented at the United States Military Academy will allow Campbell to play football now instead of serving in the military. Campbell is the first player from a service academy to be drafted since 1999. He will probably play linebacker in the N.F.L. And his new head coach, Rod Marinelli, is a Vietnam … [Link]
Top 10: Worst franchises in pro sports
They're rarely in the playoffs and their best moment came in a movie. The Cards have surely earned their spot on this dubious list. [Link]
Pressing needs for every NFL team
The draft can't fix everything (see the Jets' and 49ers' QB quandaries). Alex Marvez runs down every team's pressing needs. [Link]
Lions sign free agent RB Pinner to 1-year deal
The Detroit Lions signed free agent running back Artose Pinner to a one-year deal Thursday, reacquiring a player they drafted in 2003. The 5-foot-10, 232-pound Pinner rejoins the Lions entering his sixth NFL season. Pinner was picked by Detroit in the fourth round, and played for the Lions through the 2005 season. Pinner has played in 47 regular-season games and totaled 250 rushes for 858 yards and eight touchdowns. He also has 39 receptions for 308 yards. [Link]
Lions sign RB Pinner (PA SportsTicker)
The Detroit Lions on Thursday signed free agent running back Artose Pinner, who spent last season with the Atlanta Falcons, to a one-year contract. [Link]
Lions sign free agent RB Pinner to 1-year deal (AP)
The Detroit Lions signed free agent running back Artose Pinner to a one-year deal Thursday, reacquiring a player they drafted in 2003. The 5-foot-10, 232-pound Pinner rejoins the Lions entering his sixth NFL season. Pinner was picked by Detroit in the fourth round, and played for the Lions through the 2005 season. [Link]
Eight rookies who can make a difference in '08
Chad Henne is walking into a great opportunity in Miami. Alex Marvez has found one player per round who can make an early impact. [Link]
Cook: Undrafted Free-Agents Swarm Detroit
James Cook shares the undrafted free-agents that have reportedly signed with Detroit, including a breakdown of each in addition to a realistic "Projection" with regards to their status with the ball club. [Link]
A different kind of NFL recruit (AP)
Nearly 15 minutes pass before the first question about football and the Detroit Lions gets asked. Like every other player drafted by the NFL last weekend, Caleb Campbell has been poked, probed, weighed, timed and tested to exhaustion. None, though, have had their motives so thoroughly scrutinized. "I know they're rebuilding their defense," cadet Capt. [Link]
An Officer and a Linebacker for the N.F.L.
Instead of going to Iraq after graduating from West Point, Caleb Campbell will be allowed to play professional football for the Detroit Lions while remaining on active duty. [Link]
On the Clock: 15 prospects for '09 NFL Draft
With the '08 draft in the books, who's ready for next year? Peter Schrager gives you his draft wrap, complete with names for '09. [Link]
Retired DT sees McFadden as good fit (Yahoo! Sports)
Even though Oakland's run D was so bad in '07, Warren Sapp says Darren McFadden was the way to go. [Link]
10-pack: Booty could challenge Jackson in Minnesota (SportingNews.com)
Pro Football Talk.com's Mike Florio offers postdraft coverage. [Link]
NFL Post-Draft Insider 1.0
Scout.com's NFL insider Adam Caplan gives you the inside skinny in what went behind the selections of eight teams in this post-draft update. Caplan also breaks down how some of drafted players will fit in with their new teams. [Link]
Campbell talks about being drafted
Caleb Campbell, Welcome to the NFL. The Detroit Lions selected Campbell in the seventh round (218th overall) in yesterday's NFL draft. Campbell, a strong safety, is the first Army player to be taken in the draft since the Green Bay Packers took quarterback Ronnie McAda with the final pick in the seventh round. [Link]
Lions Take Army Man
Caleb Campbell, a safety from West Point, was selected in the seventh round by Detroit. [Link]
NFC grades: Redskins, Panthers earn high marks (Yahoo! Sports)
The two teams combined for 19 picks with plenty of potential starters on offense and defense. [Link]
Handing out draft grades for NFC teams
Atlanta got its franchise QB in Matt Ryan. But did the Falcons earn a high grade from our NFL Czar? See how the entire NFC fared. [Link]
Adams: Grading the Lions Draft
Resident draft expert and college football analyst Jordan Adams reviews and grades Detroit's draft. [Link]
Draft Analysis: RB Kevin Smith
If there was an award for "Best Nickname in NFL Draft," that honor belongs to the University of Central Florida's Kevin Smith. Complete analysis and YouTube clip inside. [Link]
Draft Analysis: DT Andre Fluellen
The Seminoles have a rich history of talented defensive lineman, and Andre Fluellen is no exception. [Link]
Army's Campbell drafted by Lions, not headed to Iraq (AP)
In full cadet uniform, Army's Caleb Campbell sat upright in one of Radio City Music Hall's plush seats. On his head was a Detroit Lions ballcap. Cupped in his left hand was his ticket out of Iraq. It was the card the Lions turned in to take Campbell 218th overall on Sunday at the NFL draft, changing his post-graduation plans to lead a platoon, one that may well have seen combat. [Link]
Handing out draft grades for NFC teams
Atlanta got its franchise QB in Matt Ryan. But did the Falcons earn a high grade from our NFL Czar? See how the entire NFC fared. [Link]
Lions Trade Up and Take Leading Rusher in 3rd Round
Kevin Smith, the Central Florida running back and nation’s leading rusher in 2007, was chosen atop the third round of the N.F.L. draft Sunday. [Link]
Draft Analysis: DE Cliff Avril
Many of the picks in this draft have Rod Marinelli's name written all over them. While they aren't sexy or popular, they are guys that show up on "tape" and have a solid reputation. Cliff Avril (or Jordon Dizon, take your pick) embodies this process. [Link]
Draft Analysis: WR Kenny Moore
With the first pick in the fifth round, the Lions (who traded up to nab the selection) added Wake Forest's Kenny Moore to their stable of receivers. Much more inside. [Link]
Draft Analysis: FB Jerome Felton
We review the pick of Jerome Felton, with a YouTube clip and analysis from scout Tom Marino. [Link]
Some well-known names in third round (AP)
After threatening Barry Sanders' single-season rushing record in college, Kevin Smith now can concentrate — or at least dream about — Sanders' marks with the Detroit Lions. The Central Florida running back and nation's leading rusher in 2007 was chosen atop the third round of the NFL draft Sunday. The Lions even traded up two spots with Miami for the privilege of beginning the second day by…
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Falcons pass on Dorsey, take big risk on Matt Ryan (SportingNews.com)
The Falcons have put the future of their franchise in the hands of Matt Ryan. Glenn Dorsey would have been the wiser selection with the No. 2 overall pick. [Link]
Don't expect these names to last long on Sunday
Saturday's draft wasn't so great for everyone. Alex Marvez says there are still some big names available who won't last much longer. [Link]
NFL Draft Dish: Round 1 analysis (SportingNews.com)
A pick-by-pick analysis of the 2008 NFL draft's first round. [Link]
2008 NFL Draft pick-by-pick analysis: Round 2
Pick-by-pick analysis: Round 2 Pick Team Player Pos. Height Weight School 32. Dolphins Phillip Merling DE 6-4 282 Clemson Two words scared everyone about Merling: sports hernia. At Top 15? Not worth the risk. Here? An absolute steal. Parcells addresses O-Line and D-Line with Miami's first two picks. No shocks there. 33. Rams Donnie Avery WR 5-11 186 Houston If you polled a hundred draft "experts" before the Draft and asked them who the first wideout off the board would be, absolutely none would have said Avery. He's a speedster, though, and can stretch the field for the Rams. DeSean Jackson keeps slip slidin' away. 34. Redskins Devin Thomas WR 6-2 215 Michigan State Washington's patience pays off, trading back and getting the top wideout on most teams' boards at 34th overall. Thomas has size, a rarity for Redskins wideouts, and can likely play right away. At 6'2, he's a great target for Jason Campbell. 35. Chiefs Brandon Flowers CB 5-10 189 Virginia Tech Brandon Flowers slips to 35, where the Chiefs scoop him up. A star at Virginia Tech, a few subpar workouts turned the cornerback into a second-round selection. DB is a need for K.C. and Flowers makes perfect sense. 36. Packers Jordy Nelson WR 6-2 217 Kansas State I love this pick. Nelson, one of my "sleepers" all pre-draft season, is a giant target with hands of glue. The Kansas State kid caught 122 balls last season, saving his best for the Wildcats' biggest games. Another target for Aaron Rodgers to grow with in Green Bay. 37. Falcons Curtis Lofton LB 6-0 238 Oklahoma The Falcons' linebacker corps are pretty solid: Boley, Brooking and now Lofton. The Big Twelve Defensive Player of the Year may be a bit short for the NFL, but he's a tackle machine. … [Link]
NFL Draft First-Round Selections (AP)
The first-round picks in Saturday NFL draft: 1) Miami Dolphins — JAKE LONG, 6-7, 315, Michigan, OT: Bulldozer of a tackle in the run game who can also be a solid insurance policy for any franchise QB. Has the strength to move the pile and aggressiveness and smarts to clear out second-level blockers. [Link]
Round 1: Detroit Selects OT Gosder Cherilus
With Selection 17 in Round 1, Detroit selects OT Gosder Cherilus, Boston College. Learn more about this pick from Scout.com team and draft experts! [Link]
Lions player arrested on domestic violence charges
Detroit Lions safety Kalvin Pearson was arrested Saturday in southwest Florida on domestic violence charges. Pearson was charged with aggravated battery on a pregnant woman and domestic battery by strangulation, both felonies, according to an arrest report from the Hillsborough County sheriff's office. He also was charged with obstructing or opposing an officer without force, a misdemeanor, and was being held without bail in a Tampa jail. [Link]
Lions player arrested on domestic violence charges (AP)
Detroit Lions safety Kalvin Pearson was arrested Saturday in southwest Florida on domestic violence charges. Pearson was charged with aggravated battery on a pregnant woman and domestic battery by strangulation, both felonies, according to an arrest report from the Hillsborough County sheriff's office. [Link]
Lions draft T Cherilus with 17th pick (PA SportsTicker)
The Detroit Lions selected offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus with the 17th overall pick in Saturday's NFL draft. [Link]
