Detroit Free Press

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 3:48 PM EDT Aug 20, 2020 The more I think about it, the more important versatility is going to be when the Detroit Lions begin debating their final few roster spots. Jamal Agnew is a dynamite return man trying his hand at receiver this summer and can play cornerback

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 12:39 PM EDT Aug 20, 2020 Rookie defensive lineman Jashon Cornell’s season is over. The Detroit Lions placed Cornell on injured reserve Thursday, two days after he suffered an Achilles tendon injury in practice. Cornell, a seventh-round pick out of Ohio State, was injured during a one-on-one pass rush drill. His

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 6:06 AM EDT Aug 20, 2020 Barry Sanders wasn’t big on keeping mementos of his football career. He famously handed the football to officials after every touchdown he scored, and at the end of each season he let Detroit Lions staff members take his game-worn equipment either to keep

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 8:27 PM EDT Aug 19, 2020 Major League Baseball’s missteps in handling the coronavirus pandemic have provided a blueprint that the NFL hopes will help it navigate a safe and successful season this fall. NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said in a conference call Wednesday

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 8:06 PM EDT Aug 19, 2020 The Detroit Lions re-signed wide receiver Chris Lacy on Wednesday, 10 days after they waived him to get down to the 80-man roster limit. Lacy caught three passes for 60 yards in limited action last season. He adds depth at a receiver position

Carlos Monarrez Detroit Free Press Published 6:00 AM EDT Aug 19, 2020 Detroit Lions rookie running back D’Andre Swift has a new mentor: quarterback and fellow former Georgia Bulldog Matthew Stafford. Like a lot of rookies, Swift likes to pepper his mentor with questions. He just has one rule about bothering Stafford too late. “I

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 8:19 PM EDT Aug 18, 2020 At the risk of jumping to conclusions two padded practices into training camp, D’Andre Swift’s pass catching ability is going to be a problem for opposing defenses this year. Swift, the Detroit Lions’ second-round pick, was one of the standouts of practice Tuesday,

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 6:18 PM EDT Aug 18, 2020 The Detroit Lions’ already thin defensive line took a hit Tuesday when rookie Jashon Cornell suffered what coach Matt Patricia called a “pretty serious” leg injury. Cornell, a seventh-round pick out of Ohio State, injured his left Achilles tendon during a one-on-one pass-rushing drill

Rainer Sabin Detroit Free Press Published 3:33 PM EDT Aug 18, 2020 As summer turns to fall, the files Jim Nagy compiles on the most promising upperclassmen in college football begin to thicken. There are more games to watch and additional film to pore over as he cobbles together the list of players he plans to invite

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 3:03 PM EDT Aug 18, 2020 When Tracy Walker takes the field for the Detroit Lions’ season opener next month, he’ll have his slain cousin, Ahmaud Arbery, on his mind and heart — literally and figuratively. Walker, the third-year Lions safety, said he plans to wear a decal with Arbery’s

Rainer Sabin Detroit Free Press Published 6:00 AM EDT Aug 18, 2020 As summer turns to fall, the files Jim Nagy compiles on the most promising upperclassmen in college football begin to thicken. There are more games to watch and additional film to pore over as he cobbles together the list of players he plans to invite

Carlos Monarrez Detroit Free Press Published 6:00 AM EDT Aug 18, 2020 Sometimes a picture — even a digitized one on a Zoom chat — is worth a thousand words. And the image of a trimmer but buffer T.J. Hockenson, sporting a backward cap, a scruffy beard and long, curly hair, sure did a lot of talking Monday. The

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 8:24 PM EDT Aug 17, 2020 Finishing was a problem for the Lions last season — a big one. The Lions went 3-12-1, their worst record since Matthew Stafford’s rookie season, and squandered second-half leads in seven of those games. That heartbreak led to an uncomfortable offseason for many in

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 7:25 PM EDT Aug 17, 2020 The highest-drafted cornerback in 23 years was not on the field Monday when his new team’s starting defense played its first snap in the first padded practice of training camp. But Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia said not to read too much into

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 6:34 PM EDT Aug 17, 2020 Matthew Stafford jogged from one field to the other and over to three of his offensive linemen who had finished their pass rush drill. He gave left guard Joe Dahl a fist bump, then left tackle Taylor Decker, then center Frank Ragnow. Contact

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 4:32 PM EDT Aug 17, 2020 He led the NFL in touchdowns last season, and for that Kenny Golladay is about to be handsomely rewarded. Golladay, a wide receiver with year left on his rookie contract, said Monday after the first padded practice of Detroit Lions training camp he’s confident

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 6:02 AM EDT Aug 17, 2020 The Detroit Lions start their first of three weeks of padded practices Monday before they turn their attention to their Week 1 opponent, the Chicago Bears. While fans are not allowed in Allen Park this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, a limited

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 7:58 AM EDT Aug 16, 2020 Calvin Johnson remains estranged from the only NFL team he played for, but five years into retirement, there is a glimmer of hope for a reunion. Johnson, the Detroit Lions’ all-time leading receiver, told the Free Press in an exclusive podcast Saturday that

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 6:00 AM EDT Aug 16, 2020 Disclaimer: Some language in this interview may not be suitable for all audiences.  Listen in on Free Press writer Dave Birkett’s exclusive interview with Calvin Johnson, during which the Detroit Lions legend discusses his Hall of Fame candidacy, his frosty — but possibly repairable —

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 6:11 PM EDT Aug 15, 2020 Three years after she criticized Colin Kaepernick for kneeling during the national anthem, the wife of Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford said she was wrong. “When Kaepernick knelt during the national anthem, I had strong feelings about it,” Kelly Stafford wrote in an