Teams Detroit Lions - Honolulu Blue

Sep 6, 2005
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Lions fire top contract negotiator Matt Harriss

Posted by Darin Gantt on January 8, 2019, 7:06 AM EST


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The Lions are making changes, and they’re not limiting them to the coaching staff.

According Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, the Lions have “parted ways” with vice president of football administration Matt Harriss.
Harriss, who was their lead contract negotiator and cap guy, was one of General Manager Bob Quinn‘s first hires when he got to Detroit in 2016.

The Lions aren’t in terrible shape under the cap, and have gotten out from under some bad contracts lately, so it’s unclear the reason for the change.

Harriss spent the 10 years prior to being hired by the Lions with the Giants, working for Ernie Accorsi (who was the consultant who led the G.M. search that led to Quinn’s hiring).

The Lions have also gotten rid of offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, special teams coordinator Joe Marciano, defensive quality control assistant Steve Williams, and offensive assistant Derius Swinton.
 
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Lions hire former Cardinals exec Mike Disner

Posted by Darin Gantt on January 8, 2019, 4:38 PM EST


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The Lions fired their caps-and-contracts guy this week, and didn’t wait long to replace him.

The team announced the hiring of Mike Disner as their vice president of football administration.

Disner spent the last six seasons with the Cardinals as director of football administration, and previously worked for the NFL Management Council. His first NFL job was as a scouting intern with the Patriots in 2005-06 before a one-year stint as a scouting assistant (2007).

Lions G.M. Bob Quinn was a regional scout for the Patriots during those years.

The Lions just fired contract negotiator Matt Harriss, who was one of Quinn’s first hires in 2016.
 
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Lions hired ex-Seahawks OC Darrell Bevell as offensive coordinator.

The Lions were turned down by many other candidates, but they finally found someone to take the job. Bevell was interviewed for the Falcons and Jaguars openings, but those jobs went to Dirk Koetter and John DeFilippo, respectively. Bevell will now call plays for defensive-minded coach Matt Patricia, who ran the offense into the ground in his first year on the job by putting shackles on OC Jim Bob Cooter and Matthew Stafford. As a run-first guy, Bevell fits Patricia's personality. The Lions will be better off once Patricia is out of Detroit.
 
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The comments section, rightfully everyone slamming Calvin for this....

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Calvin Johnson to Lions: If you want me back in the fold, give me my money back

Posted by Mike Florio on June 1, 2019, 3:52 PM EDT


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The Lions want to make peace with receiver Calvin Johnson. There’s only one way to do it.
Make money appear in Johnson’s bank account.

They already know what they got to do,” Johnson told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press on Saturday. “The only way they’re going to get me back is they put that money back in my pocket. Nah, you don’t do that. I don’t care what they say. They can put it back, then they can have me back. That’s the bottom line.”

The Lions required Johnson to reimburse the team for a portion of the signing bonus money that he hadn’t earned before retiring three years ago. The specific amount has been the subject of conflicting reports and accounts, but it’s currently believed that, of the $3.2 million that Johnson had not earned in signing bonus money, he paid back at least $1 million.

Whatever the specific amount on the check written by Johnson to the Lions, Johnson clearly wants that same amount written on a check made out to him before he’ll make nice with the team. Until that happens, Johnson believes there’s nothing to discuss.

“I ain’t talked to [team president] Rod [Wood],” Johnson said. “I don’t even want to talk about that. I don’t have no reason to talk about that. I don’t even talk about the Lions. I mean, I talk to my Lions that came out here to help me out today. . . . I appreciate them so much for that. Just hope to keep those kind of relationships rolling for in the future because these kids, man, they take so much from that.”

Although a signing bonus constitutes advance payment for future services to be rendered, the circumstances surrounding Johnson’s departure from the team suggest that the Lions would have cut Johnson before his cap number spiked to $24 million in March 2016. In hindsight, the smart move for Johnson would have been not to retire but to force the team to choose between carrying the cap number or cutting him. Alternatively, Johnson’s agent to negotiate a deal with the Lions that would have given them the cap relief they needed while also waiving their right to seek bonus money.

Regardless of what happened in the past, it’s now clear what the Lions need to do if they hope to make amends with the best receiver in franchise history. And the easiest way to do that (since there’s no salary cap for non-players) would be to hire him as a team ambassador, and to pay him for the first year the money that was recovered, along with maybe a little more.
 
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Prime Calvin Johnson would cement this team as division winners. They already probably will win the division, but prime CJ would put them well and truly over the top.
Sure, but this is more about CJ's $110m earnings whining about $1m he forfeited by retiring (not earned) that he demands "or else".
 
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Chris Solari of the Detroit Free Press reports former Lions WR Charles Rogers has died at 38.
Rogers was battling cancer and was also in need of a liver transplant. A prolific college performer at Michigan State (his 27 career receiving touchdowns still stands as a school record), Rogers never measured up in the pros, failing to live up to expectations after being drafted second overall in 2003. The Lions let him go two years later citing substance abuse issues. The former Spartan also battled injuries during his short time with the Lions, fracturing his clavicle in each of his first two seasons. Even if his NFL career was largely forgettable, Rogers was still an immense talent during his prime, particularly on the college level. He'll be missed.
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SOURCE: Chris Solari on Twitter
Nov 11, 2019, 9:43 AM ET
 
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The Lions will retain coach Matt Patricia for 2020.
Speaking Tuesday, owner Martha Ford also said GM Bob Quinn would be retained. "We expect to be a playoff contender and those are our expectations, which we’ve expressed to both Bob and to Matt," Ford said. 9-20-1 through nearly two full years on the job, Patricia actually oversaw major strides on offense this season before Matthew Stafford's back injury. The problem has been the utter collapse of the defense, Patricia's side of the ball. The Lions have been an absolute doormat. Patricia's seat will be white hot to begin 2020.
SOURCE: Profootballtalk on NBCSports.com
Dec 17, 2019, 3:13 PM ET
 
Sep 6, 2005
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Lions selected Ohio State CB Jeffrey Okudah with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Okudah (6’1/205) started 15 games in his last two seasons with the Buckeyes, leading the program in pass breakups (21) and yards per target allowed (5.0) as a true lockdown corner in that stretch. A freak athlete who dominated his position with a 41-inch vertical and 135" broad jump at Indy's combine, Okudah permitted just two touchdowns on 113 career targets at Ohio State, holding every wideout he faced to fewer than 50 yards receiving in every contest over the last two seasons. For a singular defining performance, look no further than his showcase against NFL prospect Tee Higgins (4/33) in last year's College Football Playoff semifinals. An elite corner prospect who comps as bigger Stephon Gilmore at the next level, Okudah projects as a three-down starter and future All-Pro. He will slide in as Darius Slay's replacement as the Lions' No. 1 corner, lining up opposite free-agent pickup Desmond Trufant with Justin Coleman in the slot.
Apr 23, 2020, 8:38 PM ET
 
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94-year-old Lions owner Martha Firestone Ford is stepping down in favor of her daughter Sheila Ford Hamp.
Firestone Ford took over after her husband William Ford died at the age of 88 in 2014. The Lions have been in the Ford family since 1963. Ford Hamp has said she will be "very hands on." We would say that is usually a bad thing, but nothing could be worse than the past six decades of Lions football.
SOURCE: Detroit Free Press
Jun 23, 2020, 3:38 PM ET
 
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Lions signed LT Taylor Decker to a six-year, $85 million extension through 2026.
The deal includes $37.5 million "fully" guaranteed. If that number is legitimate, it gives Decker the second most fully guaranteed money amongst left tackles. It's a pretty penny for a player who has never been better than "middle of the road" on Matthew Stafford's blindside. Decker has been reasonably durable, though he missed a 2019 contest with a back issue after missing eight games in 2017. The No. 16 overall pick of the 2016 draft, Decker turned 27 last month. Decker's deal is ultimately a function of how difficult it remains to find a starting-level left tackle.
SOURCE: AMDG Sports on Twitter
Sep 1, 2020, 3:58 PM ET
 
Sep 6, 2005
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The Lions fired coach Matt Patricia and GM Bob Quinn.
The pair have been awful during their time in Detroit, a statement that is only enhanced when considering Jim Caldwell went 36-28 in four seasons as head coach. Quinn was hired as GM back in 2016 after serving as the Patriots' director of pro scouting. He then prioritized Patricia, the Patriots' former defensive coordinator, prior to the 2018 season. From free agent signings to coaches on staff, this was a clear attempt to replicate "The Patriot Way." It failed. In three seasons, the Patricia-led Lions produced a 13-29-1 record, including Thursday's 41-25 Thanksgiving loss to the Texans. Patricia, a highly regarded defensive mind, failed to create a league average defensive unit over the course of three seasons. The Lions join Washington and the Texans as the three clubs (as of now) looking for a new leader ahead of the 2021 season. OC Darrell Bevell will serve as interim head coach.
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Nov 28, 2020, 2:38 PM ET
 
Sep 6, 2005
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The Detroit Free Press reports Lions CB Jeffrey Okudah will undergo groin surgery and is out for the final four games of the season.
He will go under the knife on Tuesday to correct a strain that has "nagged him since his days at Ohio State and slowly gotten worse this season." Okudah was sidelined the past two weeks with a shoulder issue. It's been a rollercoaster rookie year for the No. 3 overall pick, who has started 6-of-9 games and turned in wildly inconsistent performances. The 21-year-old was definitely more bad than good as a rookie. There will be room for growth in 2021 at full health and under a coach who hopefully knows what he is doing more than Matt Patricia.
SOURCE: Detroit Free Press
Dec 12, 2020, 3:43 PM ET
 
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NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports the Lions plan to interview Louis Riddick for their GM job on Friday.
He's also interviewing with the Texans this week. Riddick has been out of the NFL since he left the Eagles' front office in 2013. This isn't the first time he's had GM interest, with Riddick a finalist for the 49ers' GM job back in 2017. Riddick's role at ESPN shifted from analyst to broadcaster this year as part of the Monday Night Football crew. Hiring Riddick would be a pivot from ex-GM Bob Quinn, though it's probably a long shot. Riddick is the first known candidate to be interviewed by Detroit.
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SOURCE: NFL Network
Dec 16, 2020, 11:42 AM
 
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NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports the Lions plan to interview former Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff for its vacant GM job.
Dimitroff is the second former GM to be on Detroit's interview list, along with former Texans GM Rick Smith. The team has also reportedly spoke with three internal candidates and current ESPN Analyst Louis Riddick. Dimitroff, 54, was previously voted as a two-time NFL Executive of the Year with the Falcons, building the team that reached the Super Bowl just four years ago. Detroit's search is expected to continue well into the postseason.
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SOURCE: Tom Pelissero on Twitter
 
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ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the Lions will interview ex-Chiefs GM Scott Pioli for their general manager vacancy next week.
This would have the Lions going right back to the Bill Belichick well after Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia spectacularly flamed out. The Chiefs' GM from 2009-12, Pioli left behind some building blocks for Andy Reid but his four years in charge did not go well, producing a 23-41 record. He rehabilitated his reputation as a longtime lieutenant to Thomas Dimitroff in Atlanta before resigning in May 2019. Pioli would come with more upside than some retreads, but it would still be a middling hire for a franchise searching for its first playoff victory in three decades.

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SOURCE: Adam Schefter on Twitter
Dec 17, 2020, 2:14 PM ET
 
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