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Detroit Lions Sign Tight End Matt Veldman; Perhaps Interested in Eric Winston?

June 19th, 2013 at 10:20 AM
By Max DeMara

Continuing to add bodies in advance of training camp in July, the Detroit Lions signed tight end Matt Veldman, formally of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

'Jacksonville Jaguars' photo (c) 2006, Joe Shlabotnik - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Veldman, an undrafted free agent in 2012 out of South Dakota State, didn't see regular season action for the Jaguars last year due to an MCL injury in the preseason. He worked with Bobby Johnson, current Lions' tight end coach who joined Detroit after serving Jacksonville in the same capacity.

With plenty of bodies at the position, don't expect Veldman to make a big impact or even have an easy time making the roster. Already in the fold are Michael Williams and Joseph Fauria, each of whom might have a better chance of sticking on the roster as young tight ends.  Still, with a former position coach that believes in him, there could be some type of role for Veldman in Detroit, perhaps on special teams.

Winning With Winston?

As the Lions continue their exhaustive search for positional upgrades, don't be surprised if they reach out to other veteran free agents still on the market. One such name they should keep on the radar, according to Nate Davis of USA Today, is offensive tackle Eric Winston.

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Former Detroit Lion Lem Barney Off Base with Comments Critical of Football

June 18th, 2013 at 10:04 AM
By Max DeMara

Recently, Detroit Lions' Hall of Fame cornerback Lem Barney was speaking at a major football clinic luncheon in Detroit, and he delivered a very scathing criticism of the sport which helped make him famous.

"The game is becoming more deadly today." Barney said on Friday. "It's a great game. I think it's the greatest game if you like gladiators. It's the greatest game for yesteryear's gladiators. But I can see in the next 10 to maybe 20 years, society will alleviate football altogether."

'Pro Football Hall of Fame' photo (c) 2010, Matt McGee - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/

Whether Barney is right or not, the Sound Mind Sound Body Academy in Southfield was no place to deliver such a critical message. The goal of camps like that is to promote the game of football, including ways to make it safer for newer generations, and allow younger players to connect with coaches, other players and those who teach the game. Thankfully, Barney had time to realize the big mistake he made and save some face in a later statement.

"I don't want to discourage young men from their love of the game," he said. "I just want the game to be safe. . .I wish all those involved in our great sport a long, healthy and SAFE career."

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Detroit Lions’ Links: Ryan Broyles Recovering Quick, Tight Ends Working for Better Year

June 14th, 2013 at 10:53 AM
By Max DeMara

As the first installment of mini-camp ends and another six week summer break begins prior to the official start of training camp, things are progressing nicely for the Detroit Lions. There has been few bits of bad news, and the team's mindset appears very confident.

'Detroit Lions Rookie Minicamp' photo (c) 2012, davelawrence8 - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/

Today, in Lions' links, we bring you more on the recovery of Ryan Broyles, the work ethic of the tight ends and the contract situation of Matthew Stafford. We're embarking on the final big break of the offseason, which means football is just around the corner.

  • After his second torn ACL in as many years, Ryan Broyles isn't getting discouraged. Instead, he's being patient and working hard, which is leading to another quick recovery and perhaps, no inclusion on the PUP list. —Detroit Free Press
  • A trouble spot last year was Detroit's group of tight ends, who had their problems. Neither Tony Scheffler nor Brandon Pettigrew are thinking about their futures, though, instead remaining focused on improving for 2013. —Detroit News
  • Drew Sharp, normally a curmudgeon with everything Lions, says the team is doing the right thing in playing out contract negotiations for Matthew Stafford. Sharp says that there should be no rush in reworking Stafford's deal because there's time to make things happen. —Detroit Free Press
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Detroit Lions Need to Match Play with Confident Attitude to Have Success in 2013

June 13th, 2013 at 10:34 AM
By Max DeMara

Wednesday, Calvin Johnson talked about how confident his Detroit Lions looked this season during their first installment of mini-camps. Until the team proves something on the field, though, that should only be taken as lip service.

'Detroit Lions vs Minnesota Vikings 2012/09/30' photo (c) 2012, kdoebler@att.net - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

"We feel good," Johnson told Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press. "We've got to right now. We've been playing good out there, playing fast." Johnson went on to cite the fact that the Lions have a nice mix of veterans and rookies as well as players learning from a year's experience in the team's system, leading to all their good feelings.

That's true for many Detroit football teams of the past, though. The 2012 Lions, coming off their first playoff appearance in nearly a decade, felt good as well. They had veterans, and another crop of rookies who had a year under their belt. Things fell apart when an entitled attitude took hold, leading to lawlessness off the field and carelessness on it once the games actually, you know, started to count.

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Darius Slay Could Hold All the Keys to Improving Detroit Lions’ Usual Secondary Woes

June 12th, 2013 at 12:35 PM
By Max DeMara

This April, it was a familiar refrain from draft analysts. "Once he gets on the field and recovers from a meniscus injury, you'll love Darius Slay." Detroit Lions' fans had heard that line before with prospects, so their skepticism was justified.

Following a great day in camp, however, it looks as if everyone was right about the play-making abilities of Slay, a second round selection which turned some heads given his injury. Yesterday, with two interceptions, the tall, recovering rookie from Mississippi State turned in one of the best mini-camp performances by a young cornerback in recent Lions' history. Ring those cowbells, indeed.

'Mississippi-7624' photo (c) 2011, CJ Anderson - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

As Jim Schwartz commented to the media after practice, Schwartz is most impressed with his early ability to take in information and then translate that to success on the football field, which is a big first step for a rookie.

"He hasn't been on the practice field very much for us. He's just now sort of getting into it where he's going through team (drills) and all the other stuff we do. But he's picking it up quickly and athletically, he looks like he has some pretty good skills. You know, we need to see more of it."

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