| Newsbreakers |
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| Calvin Johnson fully practiced Friday after being limited Wednesday while nursing a quad ailment, according to the Lions' official website. |
Our View: Johnson should be fit to start in Week 12, but has a tough match-up against the Buccaneers' fourth ranked pass defense. He should still be penciled into fantasy lineups as he scored a touchdown in five of his last six games. |
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| Kevin Smith, who is dealing with a groin ailment, fully practiced Friday, according to the Lions' official website. |
Our View: The rookie is averaging 104 rushing yards over his last two games, and looks good to go for Week 12 against the Buccaneers. |
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| MLive.com reports that Lions head coach Rod Marinelli indicated today that it's highly unlikely that receiver Mike Furrey (concussion) will play Sunday against the Bucs but he's hopeful he'll be ready for the Titans game on Thanksgiving. |
Our View: Furrey has 18 catches for 181 yards in nine games this season. He is not worth considering in fantasy once he returns to the Lions. |
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| Dewayne White did not practice Thursday due to his calf injury and is not expected to play in Week 12 against the Buccaneers, according to MLive.com. |
Our View: White has been the Lions' most feared pass rusher this season with 5.5 sacks and three forced fumbles, and Jeff Garcia and the Buccaneers' aerial attack will benefit by his absence. |
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| Mike Furrey, who is recovering from a concussion, participated in individual drills today, but is not likely to return to action Sunday against the Buccaneers, according MLive.com. |
Our View: Furrey won't be missed, as he has been a non-factor as a fantasy receiver with only 18 receptions for 181 yards (no touchdowns) over nine games. |
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| Calvin Johnson returned to practice Thursday after sitting out yesterday while nursing a quad ailment, according to MLive.com. |
Our View: He should be good to go for Sunday's outing against the Buccaneers. The second-year receiver has scored a touchdown in five of his last six games, despite instability at quarterback. |
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| Jared DeVries, who has been recovering from hand surgery, returned to practice Wednesday, according to MLive.com. |
Our View: He may be able to return to his starting spot at defensive end this weekend against Tampa Bay, but has not been productive enough to consider for IDP leagues. |
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| Calvin Johnson sat out Wednesday's practice while nursing a quad ailment, according to MLive.com. |
Our View: He will likely be ready to play Sunday at home against the Buccaneers. The rising star has scored a touchdown in five of his last six games, despite instability at quarterback. |
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| Dwight Smith returned to practice Wednesday following a bout with a sprained foot, according to MLive.com. |
Our View: The Lions are hopeful of getting the hard-hitting safety back this weekend against the Buccaneers. He is a solid strong safety and is capable of favorable production, meaning he is worth a look in IDP leagues if you need help at the position. |
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| Stuart Schweigert has signed with the Lions, according to the Detroit News. |
Our View: The 2004 rookie spent four seasons with the Raiders, but was bounced around between the Redskins and Giants this season prior to landing in Detroit. The club needed depth with Gerald Alexander on IR and with Dwight Smith slowly recovering from a foot injury. |
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| Calvin Johnson could be limited in practice this week while nursing a quad ailment, according to the Detroit News. |
Our View: Barring a setback, he should be good to go for Week 12 against the Buccaneers. Johnson has scored a touchdown in five of his last six games, despite instability at quarterback. |
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| LaMarcus Hicks has been released by the Lions, according to the Detroit News. |
Our View: The Lions' secondary has been thinned out by injuries, but the reserve safety held no fantasy value for IDP leagues. |
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| Dominic Raiola, who is recovering from a broken thumb, hopes to resume practicing Wednesday with the aid of a protective brace on his right hand, according to the Detroit News. |
Our View: He is not going to attempt to snap the ball left-handed and is going to be doubtful for Week 12 against the Buccaneers. |
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| Rookie Kevin Smith commented on his first 100-yard rushing performance, according to the Detroit News. He was displeased the Lions lost another game but said, "I mean, yeah, 100 yards, it was OK, but every back on the field yesterday had 100 yards. I was leading them at halftime and after the half they caught up and blew me out of the water."
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Our View: He bruised his way to 112 rushing yards against a tough Panthers' defense, and is averaging 104 yards over his last two games. He is worth a look this weekend against Tampa Bay. |
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| Safety Dwight Smith sprained his foot and has missed four games, but he is preparing to run at full speed this week and could be back soon, reports the Detroit Free-Press. |
Our View: Smith has 29 tackles on the year, but isn't exactly the missing piece that will turn around the Lions' season. |
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| Lions wideout Calvin Johnson suffered a minor quad injury in the team's loss to the Panthers, according to the Detroit Free-Press. |
Our View: Johnson may be limited in practice, but the team does not expect him to miss any time. |
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| Lions coach Rod Marinelli admitted what everyone who watches football already knows - that nobody is making plays, and that he and the team have failed, according to MLive.com. "Have we failed? Yes. Have I failed? Yes. Am I going to give up? No way. Am I discouraged? No way, I'm not," remarked Marinelli. |
Our View: Good for Marinelli if he truly is not discouraged, but that is little consolation for Lions fans, whose team has a realistic shot of going 0-16. |
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| Quarterback Daunte Culpepper used his arm and his legs in the Week 11 loss to the Panthers. He completed 20-of-35 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown, and he added five rushes for 13 yards and a score. Culpepper also tossed two picks. |
Our View: Just like the glory years, right? We continue to see little reason to believe in Culpepper, but the Lions offense did play decently and fantasy owners alway love quarterback who run. |
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| Wide receiver Calvin Johnson caught six passes for 65 yards and a touchdown in the Week 11 loss to the Panthers. He has scored in five of the last six games. |
Our View: Imagine how good Johnson would be if the Lions had more consistent quarterback play this season. Calvin is obviously a stud, and we can only hope that Daunte Culpepper plays decently down the stretch. |
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| Week 11 inactives: QB Dan Orlovsky, DB Keith Smith, SS Dwight Smith, FB Jerome Felton, C Dominic Raiola, WR Mike Furrey, DE Jared DeVries, DE Dewayne White. |
Our View: Ernie Sims and Cory Redding are active, but the defense will miss Smith, DeVries, and White. With Furrey out, the Lions are very thin behind Calvin Johnson and Shaun McDonald. |
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| Dewayne White did not make the trip to Carolina for Sunday's game, according to the Detroit News. |
Our View: White has been a strong contributor in fantasy so far this season with 5.5 sacks and three forced fumbles so far this year. |
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| Mike Furrey didn't make the trip to Carolina for Sunday's game, according to the Detroit News. |
Our View: Furrey hasn't had any real fantasy value this year, as he hasn't scored a touchdown all season and only has 181 yards receiving in nine games. |
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| Mike Furrey is doubtful for Sunday's game at Carolina while dealing with a concussion, according to the Detroit News. |
Our View: Furrey won't be missed by fantasy owners as he only registered 18 receptions over nine games, with no touchdowns. |
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| Aveion Cason will return kickoffs Sunday at Carolina, according to the Detroit News. Special teams coordinator Stan Kwan said, "We need all the extra yards that we can get. I think he's going to be able to give us a little bit more juice and possibly break some of those arm tackles."
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Our View: Cason holds no value as a reserve running back, but is worth a look in deeper leagues that award points for return yardage. The Lions give up a ton of points, meaning Cason will have plenty of chances to rack up yards on returns. |
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| The Lions' playbook will remain limited as starting quarterback Daunte Culpepper has not yet had enough time to prepare, according to the Detroit News. Offensive coordinator Jim Colletto said, "Everything we're doing is predicated on what we feel Culpepper can do. And he's played before, so the rust starts to wear off and he gets better and better, little by little. We'll ask him today, and we'll ask him after practice Saturday, 'What do you like to do? What do you feel comfortable with?' And we go down every play."
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Our View: Culpepper should not be considered for fantasy lineups this weekend against the Panthers' fourth ranked pass defense. |
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| Drew Henson was re-signed by the Lions on Friday, according to the Associated Press. The Lions cut Henson on Wednesday, but re-signed him to the practice squad after he cleared waivers. |
Our View: Henson has no fantasy value at this time. |
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| Daunte Culpepper will start Week 11 at Carolina, but Drew Stanton could see some action in the game, according to MLive.com. Offensive coordinator Jim Colletto said, "We'll see how the game plays out. This if the first time Daunte's played on the road and the there could be silent count problems and we'll see how he adjusts to that. We'll let the game dictate that. We did the goal-line thing a week ago for a specific reason and we probably won't do that this time."
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Our View: This is favorable news for Stanton, but neither quarterback should make a positive impact against the Panthers' fourth ranked pass defense. |
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| Mike Furrey sat out Thursday's practice while recovering from a concussion, but he is likely to play in Week 11 at Carolina, according to the Detroit Free Press. |
Our View: This is encouraging news for Furrey, but he is yet to score his first touchdown of 2008, and should not be considered for fantasy lineups against a strong Panthers' pass defense. |
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| Coach Rod Marinelli has been pleased with rookie running back Kevin Smith as of late, and noted that he will be the undisputed starter at the position, according to the Detroit News. Marinelli said, "We're putting that pack on his back, and 'Let's go.' He likes that. He's everything we hoped he might be. He's just got to keep doing it."
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Our View: Smith's fantasy value is on the rise, while Rudi Johnson's stock looks to be on the decline. Smith has a tough match-up against the Panthers this weekend, however. |
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| The Lions will start Daunte Culpepper at quarterback this week, according to the Detroit Free-Press. |
Our View: Detroit travels to Carolina to take on the Panthers, who have the fourth-best pass defense in terms of yards allowed per game, so starting him on fantasy teams is not wise, to say the least. |
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| The Lions announced Tuesday that quarterback Drew Henson was released, according to the Lions' official web site. |
Our View: With the signing of Daunte Culpepper, Henson becam very expendable. The former Yankee third baseman has not taken a snap since 2004. |
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| Adam Jennings was released by the Falcons on Tuesday and was only out of a job for about 24 hours. On Wednesday he was signed by the Lions, according to the Lions' official web site. |
Our View: Jennings was primarily used as a kick returner with the Falcons and that is what he will most likely be used for as Lion. |
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| Dan Orlovsky is considering surgery for his broken right thumb, according to the Detroit Free Press. He does not want his season to end but said, "I will be deciding probably today or tomorrow if I'm going to do surgery or not. There's pros and cons to doing surgery and to not doing surgery."
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Our View: If he does opt for surgery, the fantasy value of Daunte Culpepper and Drew Stanton would go up for the stretch run of the season. |
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| John Standeford was re-signed by the Lions after clearing waivers, according to MLive.com. |
Our View: Standeford has not caught any passes in two games and does not have any fantasy value. |
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| Receiver Brandon Middleton was released by the Lions on Tuesday, according to MLive.com. |
Our View: Middleton was released by the Lions to make room for Aveion Cason. |
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| The Lions signed Aveion Cason on Tuesday to bolster their offensive depth, according to MLive.com. |
Our View: Cason will not see much time in the backfield for the Lions but he will be mostly used to help the Lions return game. |
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| Ikaika Alama-Francis is likely to start at defensive end this weekend in place of the injured Jared DeVries (broken hand), according to the Detroit News. |
Our View: He struggled through most of his rookie season in 2007, and is not worth consideration in IDP leagues if he starts this weekend against Carolina. |
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| Cliff Avril is expected to start at defensive end in Week 11 in place of the injured Dewayne White (strained calf), according to the Detroit News. |
Our View: The rookie out of Purdue is a good athlete, but needs work on his technique, and would not merit fantasy consideration for IDP leagues against the Panthers. |
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| Daunte Culpepper is likely to start in Week 11 at Carolina, according to the Detroit News. But coach Rod Marinelli has also been encouraged by the progress of Drew Stanton, and he would likely see some action off the bench. As for Culpepper, Marinelli commented, "His presence is really good, his leadership. He's got the arm. So now it's just about having another week and going out and doing it."
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Our View: Neither quarterback should be considered for fantasy lineups this weekend against the Panthers' 4th ranked pass defense. |
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| Jared DeVries underwent surgery on his broken hand and should be able to return to the gridiron soon, according to MLive.com. |
Our View: He hasn't been ruled out, but it is unlikely he will be able to play Sunday at Carolina. He is a starting defensive end, but holds little to no fantasy value with only 28 tackles (21 solo) and two sacks this season. |
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| Dewayne White is likely to miss Week 11 due to his calf injury sustained Sunday against the Jaguars, according to MLive.com. |
Our View: The team believes he could return in Week 12 against the Buccaneers, his former team. He will be missed this weekend at Carolina, as he contributed 5.5 sacks and three forced fumbles this season. |
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| LaMarcus Hicks has been promoted from the Lions' practice squad, according to the Detroit News. |
Our View: The second-year defensive back out of Iowa State will provide depth to the Lions' secondary, but will not see enough action to merit fantasy attention. |
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| John Standeford has been waived by the Lions, according to the Detroit News. The Lions re-signed safety LaMarcus Hicks from the practice squad as the adjoining move. |
Our View: Standeford failed to register any catches over two appearances this season, and held no fantasy value. |
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| Keith Smith sustained a groin injury during Sunday's loss to Jacksonville, according to the Detroit News. |
Our View: Smith was replacing starter Brian Kelly in nickel packages, and held no value in IDP leagues. The team is yet to determine the severity of his injury. |
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| The Lions are expected to re-sign running back Aveion Cason, according to the Detroit News. |
Our View: He won't be brought back to help in the running game, and will be used to shore up the return game on special teams, meaning he won't hold any fantasy value. |
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| Daunte Culpepper was ineffective in his first start as a member of the Lions Sunday against Jacksonville as he completed 5-of-10 passes for 104 yards and an interception, according to the Detroit News. He was replaced in the fourth quarter by Drew Stanton, who fared better by completing 6-of-8 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown. Culpepper said, "Anything worth having is not easy to get. My momma told me that a long time ago. So I ain't scared of a challenge. I'm going to look in the mirror and say, 'What can I do better to get this team better?' And hopefully everybody's gonna say that."
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Our View: Culpepper is expected to remain the starter for Week 11, but does not merit fantasy consideration in a tough match-up at Carolina. |
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| Lions receiver Mike Furrey suffered a concussion in the team's Wee 10 game against the Jaguars, according to the AP. |
Our View: Furrey will be reevaluated as the week goes along. |
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| Jared DeVries may have a fractured hand that could require surgery, according to NFL.com. Head coach Rod Marinelli said DeVries would have X-rays on the injured hand on Monday. |
Our View: DeVries injured the hand in the Lions loss to the Jaguars on Sunday. His status will depend on the results of the X-rays. |
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| Dewayne White suffered a calf injury during the first half and did not return to the game, according to NFL.com. |
Our View: There was no immediate word after the game of the severity of the injury. |
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| Kevin Smith compiled 23 carries for 96 yards and a touchdown in the Week 10 loss to Jacksonville. |
Our View: Despite being behind for most of the game, the Lions coaching staff called more running (27) than passing plays (18) on the afternoon. Believe it or not, Smith has scored in each of the last three games and in four of the past five contests. |
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| Lions inactives: Drew Henson (3rd QB), QB Dan Orlovsky, S Dwight Smith, FB Jerome Felton, OC Dominic Raiola, TE Casey FitzSimmons, DT Andre Fluellen, DT Landon Cohen. |
Our View: With Dan Orlovsky inactive, quarterback Daunte Culpepper goes from the street to starting in six days. Not exactly a positive development for an already woeful Lions' offense. |
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| Lions center Dominic Raiola is out of Sunday's game, and that ends a streak of over 100 consecutive starts, according to ESPN.com. |
Our View: Raiola has a fractured right thumb, and veteran Andy McCollum will start in his place. |
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| Lions center Dominic Raiola is out of Sunday's game, and that ends a streak of over 100 consecutive starts, according to ESPN.com. |
Our View: Raiola has a fractured right thumb, and veteran Andy McCollum will start in his place. |
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| Daunte Culpepper will be the starting quarterback for the Detroit Lions when they face Jacksonville on Sunday, according to ESPN.com. |
Our View: Culpepper beat out Drew Stanton for the job. This was somewhat expected, as Detroit's coaches don't seem high on Stanton at all. Playing Culpepper on your fantasy squad would be a risk, to say the least, even against the Jaguars' 20th-ranked pass defense. |
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| Kalvin Pearson has been fined $7,500 for his horse-collar tackle of Devin Hester on a punt return late in Week 9 against the Bears, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. |
Our View: Hester could have been seriously hurt on the tackle, and Pearson deserves to be fined. |
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| Ernie Sims was limited in Friday's practice due to a shoulder ailment, according to the Detroit Free Press. |
Our View: He was hindered by the injury last week as he only mustered four tackles against Chicago, and will remain a risky fantasy option in Week 10 against Jacksonville. |
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| Dwight Smith did not practice Friday, according to the Detroit Free Press. |
Our View: He missed the last two contests due to a foot injury, and the team indicated that he won't play Sunday against Jacksonville. |
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| Jordon Dizon returned to the practice field today after missing the last two games with a hamstring injury, according to the Detroit Free Press. |
Our View: Dizon has been getting some work at strongside linebacker, but should continue to be ignored in standard IDP leagues. |
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| It has been revealed that Dan Orlovsky is dealing with two fractures and a torn ligament in his right thumb, according to MLive.com. |
Our View: Surgery may be needed, but he remains hopeful he could return this season. Daunte Culpepper is likely to start in Week 10 against Jacksonville, and his fantasy stock will go up if he performs well, namely with Orlovsky's return this season in question. |
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| The Detroit Free Press reports that Daunte Culpepper is outperforming Drew Stanton in individual drills in practice. He is most notably displaying a stronger arm. |
Our View: Coach Rod Marinelli is yet to name the Lions' starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the Jaguars. Culpepper would be a risky fantasy option in his first game of the season, especially against the Jaguars. |
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| Tom Kowalski of MLive.com isn't ruling out the possibility of Drew Stanton starting over the newly acquired Daunte Culpepper in Week 10 against the Jaguars. |
Our View: The source states that it would make some sense to start Stanton and see how he does, and if he isn't effective, the Lions can always pull him. Culpepper's status could depend on how quickly he learns the Lions' playbook and gels with his new teammates. |
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| The Detroit Lions signed cornerback LaMarcus Hicks to their practice squad, according to NFL.com. |
Our View: Hicks has made three tackles in 2008 and adds depth to the Lions defense. |
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| Dominic Raiola has a fractured right thumb and will likely miss several weeks, although he is not ruling himself out for Sunday's game against the Jaguars, according to MLive.com. |
Our View: Raiola has started 104 straight games at center for the Lions, and their timing and rhythm on offense would be affected while contending with a tough Jaguars' defense. |
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| Dan Orlovsky is slated to visit a hand specialist Thursday in New York to have his sprained thumb examined, according to MLive.com. |
Our View: There is speculation that he can land on season-ending IR if he does not return to Detroit with positive news, which would raise the fantasy stock of Daunte Culpepper. |
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| Daunte Culpepper and Drew Stanton split the reps at quarterback during today's drills in practice, according to MLive.com. |
Our View: Culpepper didn't do much running, but displayed that he still has a strong arm. He is expected to start over Stanton this weekend against Jacksonville with Dan Orlovsky expected to miss the game with his sprained thumb. |
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| Dan Orlovsky was unable to practice Wednesday due to a sprained ligament in his thumb, according to MLive.com. |
Our View: He is expected to miss Sunday's game against the Jaguars, and Drew Stanton and the newly acquired Daunte Culpepper are competing for the starting spot. |
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| Daunte Culpepper's contract has a $1 million incentive that will be paid if he participates in five percent of the snaps and if he or the team improves in one of numerous performance categories, according to ProFootballTalk.com.
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Our View: For 2009, Culpepper is also due to receive a $2.5 million roster bonus in March, and a base salary of $2.5 million. He has a shot to start this weekend against the Jaguars.
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| Newly acquired Daunte Culpepper passed his physical and signed with the Detroit Lions on Tuesday. The word out of Detroit is that the quarterback could be ready to play Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to ESPN.com. |
Our View: Current starter Dan Orlovsky has an injured thumb which is paving the way for Culppeper. |
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| As expected, Daunte Culpepper has inked a two-year deal with the Lions, according to the Detroit Free Press. Financial terms are yet to be disclosed. |
Our View: The 31-year-old may end up starting this weekend against the Jaguars with Dan Orlovsky out with a sprained thumb. |
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| Calvin Johnson has scored a touchdown in four straight games, tying the Lions' franchise mark with Germane Crowell (1999), according to MLive.com. |
Our View: He will have a good chance to break the team record this weekend against a Jaguars' pass defense that surrendered two scores to Chad Johnson in Week 9. Jacksonville has allowed 14 scores through the air overall. |
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| Daunte Culpepper may start for the Lions this Sunday against Jacksonville with Dan Orlovsky out with a sprained thumb, according to the Detroit News. |
Our View: The 31-year-old has struggled during his brief stints with Miami and Oakland, and is not worth targeting in standard-sized leagues if handed the starting job while Orlovsky is out. Drew Stanton will compete with him for the job. |
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| Dan Orlovsky sprained a ligament in his thumb on his throwing hand during Sunday's loss to Chicago, according to FOX Sports. |
Our View: He will miss the next few weeks, and possibly longer. Assuming he passes his physical and signs with the team, Daunte Culpepper would compete with Drew Stanton for the starting role at quarterback while Orlovsky is out. |
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| Drew Henson expects to be waived when Daunte Culpepper officially signs with the Lions, according to the Detroit News. Henson said, "I like it here, and I enjoy working with the guys, it's a great squad. But we'll see. We'll see what the future holds."
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Our View: Culpepper looks to serve as the primary backup to starter Dan Orlovsky, with Drew Stanton as the No. 3 option, likely pushing Henson out the door. |
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| Shaun McDonald contributed six receptions for 65 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 27-23 loss to Chicago. |
Our View: McDonald has been productive as a starter following the departure of Roy Williams to Dallas, as McDonald registered 11 receptions for 133 yards and a score over his last two games. He is worth targeting in deeper leagues if available on the waiver wire. |
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| Calvin Johnson was productive in Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Bears, as he hauled in eight receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown. |
Our View: The Lions did a better job of getting Johnson the ball today, but was not enough to lead them to their first win of 2008. |
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| Daunte Culpepper will reportedly sign a one-year contract with a team option for next year, giving the Lions a chance to analyze him the rest of this season and the flexibility to cut him if things don’t work out, according to the Detroit Free Press. He will receive a prorated veteran’s minimum salary this year and about $7 million next year.
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Our View: The 31-year-old has not fared well during his brief stints with Miami and Oakland, and will be hard-pressed to resurrect his career with a struggling Lions' club. |
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| TE Casey Fitzsimmons, FS Dwight Smith, third QB Drew Henson, FB Jerome Felton, LB Jordon Dizon, G Manny Ramirez, C Andy McCollum, and DT Landon Cohen are all inactive for the Lions today. |
Our View: Casey Fitzsimmons is dealing with pain and discomfort due to his rib injury. None of the other inactives hold any significance. |
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| MLive.com believes Drew Stanton will drop to the No. 3 role at quarterback with Daunte Culpepper serving as Dan Orlovsky's primary backup. |
Our View: Stanton has a good arm and potential to succeed in the NFL, but is still behind the curve in his development as he spent his rookie campaign in 2007 on IR with a knee sprain. |
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