Detroit Free Press

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 6:18 PM EDT Aug 22, 2020 Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia mentioned the “unnormal times” we’re in during his pre-practice video conference Saturday, and the challenges that presents for him and his staff to make thorough evaluations of the players on their 80-man roster. “There’s not as many shots at

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 6:02 PM EDT Aug 22, 2020 Every couple months they come out of the woodwork, trolls who want to hassle Detroit Lions running back Kerryon Johnson about his workout routine. Or lack of one, at least that they see. Johnson, unlike so many modern athletes, does not post rise-and-grind

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 4:01 PM EDT Aug 22, 2020 Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia mentioned the “unnormal times” we’re in during his pre-practice video conference Saturday, and the challenges that presents for him and his staff to make thorough evaluations of the players on their 80-man roster. “There’s not as many shots at

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 11:06 AM EDT Aug 22, 2020 Rookie running back D’Andre Swift will miss his second straight practice Saturday with a leg injury. Swift appeared to tweak a muscle in his left leg early in practice Thursday. He finished the workout, but sat out practice Friday and Lions coach Matt

Carlos Monarrez Detroit Free Press Published 8:01 PM EDT Aug 21, 2020 Maybe the tips Detroit Lions receivers Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones have been giving Jeff Okudah are a little too good. The Lions’ rookie cornerback was impressive in practice Friday, when he made several big plays and came up with his first interception

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 7:40 PM EDT Aug 21, 2020 Nothing that has happened so far in training camp has made me reconsider my position that the Detroit Lions this year will go only as far as their offense takes them. Between Matthew Stafford, Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones and a host of other

Nate Davis USA TODAY Published 6:21 PM EDT Aug 21, 2020 Since May, when I projected what promises to be a unique NFL regular season during a coronavirus-curtailed 2020 offseason, training camp gears around the league have slowly started turning – only now are teams able to strap on pads. But after predicting my first-ever 14-team playoff field and

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 6:21 PM EDT Aug 21, 2020 Matthew Stafford has tried hard to avoid the spotlight in his 11 seasons in Detroit. He’s not on social media, rarely makes headlines off the field (even for the good he quietly does in the community) and has mastered the art of dodging

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 1:35 PM EDT Aug 21, 2020 The Detroit Lions practiced without two of their top running backs Friday as both D’Andre Swift and Bo Scarbrough sat out for injury reasons. Swift, the rookie second-round pick out of Georgia, appeared to tweak his left leg early in Thursday’s practice but

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 11:14 AM EDT Aug 21, 2020 The Detroit Lions will open the 2020 season without fans at their home games, but the organization still is holding out hope it can host spectators at Ford Field later this year.  The Lions announced Friday that fans will not be allowed to

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 6:19 PM EDT Aug 20, 2020 Four more players came off the reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday, bringing the number of players on the list down to five league-wide. But even as the number of infections continues to shrink, Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia said teams must remain vigilant about their coronavirus protocols.

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press Published 6:14 PM EDT Aug 20, 2020 Amani Oruwariye learned plenty in the nine games he played as a rookie, on the field and, apparently, off it, too. When asked Thursday if he considers himself one of the Detroit Lions’ starting cornerbacks, Oruwariye, who has taken first-team reps at right cornerback

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