ESPN Adds Ex-Lions Boss Millen

Former Lions GM Matt Millen, who has the distinction of being the GM who helped lead the Detroit Lions to the only 0-16 season, will be joining the ESPN team as a lead NFL and College Football analyst.

Millen, who has worked for CBS and Fox as an analyst in the past will hopefully have more success in the booth, then he did behind the GM's desk. Once touted as the successor to John Madden, Millen will now be the successor to english language challenged Emmitt Smith.

Millen will also be calling college games and making various studio show appearances, his debut with the network will be on ESPN's Draft Coverage this Saturday.Saturday.

Lions Sign Curry and Smith

The Detroit Lions said that they wanted to sign their top draft prospect before the draft began, and in typical Lions fashion they came close but not quite right. Wake Forest's LB Aaron Curry and Baylor's OT Jason Smith are two of the top prosepects but that is not who the Lions signed.

The Detroit Lions have added two more unrestricted free agents, with the announcement of WR Ronald Curry, and FB Terrell Smith signing contracts today, terms were not released on the contracts.

Curry, is listed at 6'2" and 210lbs, he spent the last seven seasons with the Oakland Raiders collecting 193 catches for 2,347 yards and 13 TD's. HE joins the Lions depth chart with Calvin and Bryant Johnson (not related).

Smith, is a 6' 246lbs fullback, he spent the last 2 seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. He has 58 carries for 185 yards, and 67 catches for 354yard and 3 touchdowns, but is a bruising lead blocker.

This maybe be the Lions way of telling everyone they intend to sign Georgia QB Matthew Stafford by getting the Curry and Smith signings out of the way first.

Lions Claim Frankling off Waivers

The Lions claimed wide receiver Will Franklin off waiver from Kansas City Tuesday.

Franklin was a fourth-round pick (105th overall) of the Chiefs in 2008 out of Missouri. In 13 games for Kansas City last season, he had seven catches for 83 yards (11.9-yard average) with no touchdowns.

The Raiders, Rams, Colts, and Eagles all put in claims but the Lions had first dibs because of their 0-16 record.

While a knee injury kept Franklin low on KC's depth chart as a rookie, he has a rare combination of speed (4.37) and size (6'2/205). He should have a strong shot at a roster spot.

Charlie Batch Re-Signs In Pittsburgh

A day after Byron Leftwich signed on to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Pittsburgh Steelers moved quickly to plan B and have retained Charlie Batch.

John Clayton of ESPN.com is reporting that Batch agreed to a one-year, $895,000 deal, according to a source, including a $50,000 signing bonus.
Batch, 34, is entering his 11th season, his seventh with the Steelers.

A native of Pittsburgh, Batch joined the Steelers in 2002, after 4 seasons in Detroit where he a full time starter. Since arriving in Pittsburgh he has played in 22 games, including four starts.

Culpepper Lean and Mean as Team Prepares for Mini-Camp

The Detroit Lions QB Daunte Culpepper has heard the rumors about his team potentially drafting a quarterback with the first overall pick. It doesn't phase him and he has already has made a statement during the team’s voluntary workout program, according to Mlive.com.

Culpepper, who weighed 292 pounds when he was signed in the middle of last season, has dropped more than 30 pounds,

“He came in this year about 260 (pounds), so he’s definitely getting himself in shape and he’s just very upbeat and positive. He’s a veteran guy who brings that veteran leadership, and it’s very noticeable out there,” said Lions WR Bryant Johnson, a free agent signed in the offseason.

“He looks good, and I look forward to working with him.”

Culpepper is preparing himself to be the starter, no matter who he needs to beat out in training camp.

"I've only been here about three days, but the biggest thing I can say is that he's leading by example. The guy looks amazing," recently re-signed George Foster said. "He looks like he's coming out of college, and that takes dedication in itself. He's been working and he made an impression on me. He means business."

Lions Staying Busy, Sign Two Free Agents

While most teams are busy running mini camps, or locked down in war rooms preparing their draft board, the Detroit Lions remain busy scouring for free agents. Their toiling on the free agent market has netted them two offensive lineman.

OT George Foster, who was aquired in 2007 via a trade with the Denver Broncos was resigned, and OG Dylan Gandy, most recently of the Oakland Raiders was added to the roster. Terms of the contracts were not disclosed.

Foster, a former Georgia Bulldog has started 12 games over the last 2 seasons for the Lions, and 57 games in his 7 year career.

Gandy, the 4-year pro and former Red Raider has made several stops in the NFL including Indianapolis, Denver, and Oakland he has appeared in 42 career games and started 14 of them, but none since 2007 when he started in 1 game for the Colts.

Former Notre Dame/Detroit Lions Player Cifelli Dies

Gus Cifelli, a star tackle who helped lead Notre Dame to three national championships and the Detroit Lions to the 1952 NFL title, has died of natural causes at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, according to Terry Desmond, owner of A.J. Desmond & Sons funeral home. He was 84.

Cifelli was born in Philadelphia in 1925 and served in the Marines during World War II. He graduated from Notre Dame in 1950, after which he was drafted by the Detroit Lions. He also played for Green Bay, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

He was elected in 1973 as a judge to the 48th District Court in Bloomfield Hills. He retired from the bench in 2000. Cifelli will be buried Wednesday at Highland Cemetery in South Bend, Ind.

Texans Sign DT Cody

The Houston Texans, have added to their defensive line depth with the signing of former Detroit Lions defensive tackle Shaun Cody. Terms of his contract were not disclosed.

Cody (6-4, 310) spent the first four seasons of his career with the Detroit Lions. He has played in 53 career games with 12 starts and has amassed 92 tackles, including 63 solos, 1.5 sacks, one career interception, four passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.The 26-year old Cody played in all 16 games and tied a career high with five starts in 2008. He finished the year with a career-high 37 tackles, 26 of which were solos, and a career-best three passes defensed.

The fifth-year veteran will be joining another recently signed free agent defensive lineman, DE Antonio Smith, giving the Texans on paper a formidable defensive line next season. Cody is expected to battle former first rounder Travis Johnson for the starter's spot.

Detroit to Retire Corey Smith's Jersey

The Detroit Lions will retire the number 93 for the 2009 football season in memory of player Corey Smith, one of three men lost when their fishing boat capsized off the Florida Gulf Coast three weeks ago.

The announcement was made during a memorial service for Smith. Lions player development director Galen Duncan told several hundred mourners in Smith's hometown church Saturday that Smith's number would be retired for a year in honor of a player of extraordinary heart and competitive drive.

Many of Smith's teammates from the Lions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the San Francisco 49ers where he played his first four NFL seasons attended the memorial service. So did former teammates and coaches from North Carolina State and from Richmond's John Marshall High School.

His high school coach, Kevin Burden, tearfully conceded that he was never impartial about the quiet giant who was the team's undisputed leader.

"You're not supposed to have a favorite player when you are a coach, but he was the one who got under your skin. He was a great football player but he was an even better man," Burden said in a faltering voice. "Tonight, when I say my prayers, I will ask God to assign me a guardian angel and he'll be wearing number 93," Burden concluded, leaving many in the crowd sobbing or wiping their eyes.

L.J. Smith Reunites with Harbaugh in Baltimore

L.J. Smith, the former Philadelphia Eagles franchise player has agrred to terms with the Baltimore Ravens on a one-year $1.5 Million deal, which is pending a physical.

Smith, 28, spent the past six seasons in Philadelphia, where Ravens head coach John Harbaugh spent most of his career as an assistant. Baltimore has been looking for depth at tight end to play alongside current starter Todd Heap, who's had several injuries in recent seasons. He will also provide another recieving threat for the young developping QB Joe Flacco.

Many believed that Smith would end up in Atlanta, with the other young developping QB, and last seasons rookie of the year, QB Matt Ryan. When a deal never materialized, Smith continued his search to Detroit and eventually ended up with the Ravens.

Since becoming a second round choice of the Eagles in 2003, Smith has caught 231 passes for 2,525 yards (10.9 avg.) and 18 TD's. His best season came in 2006 when he caught 50 passes for 611 yards (12.2 avg.) and 5 TD's

Saints Sign Spicer

The New Orleans Saints have announced the signing of veteran defensive end Paul Spicer to a one-year deal. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Spicer, 33, started his career in Detroit, but has spent the last 9 years with the Jaguars. He is following his defensive coordinator Gregg Williams from Jacksonville to New Orleans.

According to NFL.com the 10 year veteran has notched 252 career tackles along with 28.5 sacks (21.5 sacks coming in the last 4 seasons) and 1 interception.

Lions and Seahawks Swap Players

The Detroit Lions have sent DT Corey Redding and a 2009 5th round draft choice to the Seattle Seahawks for LB Julian Peterson. In order to allow this deal to be completed Redding had to agree to restructure a deal he signed in 2007. The deal was a seven-year $49 Million contract, another stipulation in the deal is that both players must pass a physical before everything is finalized.

Peterson and his high cap number became expendable in Seattle because of the seven-year $54 Million contract he signed just 3 seasons ago, as Seattle's other LBs are carrying large contracts as well.

Questions have been raised about this bizarre move, considering Peterson's large contract there was a high probability that he was about to be released and would have been available to Detroit for nothing. Although there is no denying that Peterson will be an upgrade on a defense that really struggled last season.

This move may have hinted towards Detroit's draft plans as some have speculated that they are interested in Wake Forest LB Aaron Curry. Although Curry recently address this situation saying he would relish the opprotunity to play the "Mike" linebacker between Ernie Sims and Peterson.

Patriots Sign Bodden to 1-Year Deal

Cross another one off the list, Leigh Bodden, who ranked #1 on the Alldayfootball.com's List of Forgotten Names, has been signed to a one-year deal with the New England Patriots, financial terms of the deal were not immediately available.

He joins, C Matt Birk, S Sean Jones and CB Jabari Greer as players on the list who have signed with new teams since the list was posted. DT Tank Johnson and LB Angelo Crowell remain unsigned.

Bodden, 27, was arguably the best cover man still available in free agency, according to most pro scouts. He was released by the Detroit Lions after one dissapointing season with the team where he was playing in an unflattering scheme for his skill set.

The six-year veteran is a versatile defender, who can play man-to-man coverage, off-man, but struggled in Detroit's Tampa-2 zone scheme. He is a physical, aggressive cornerback, who can redirect receivers. At one point, earlier in his career, Bodden was regarded as one of the fastest players in the league.

Bodden has played in 75 career games and started 53 of them. In those games he has notched 299 tackles, 13 interceptions, and 52 passes defensed. He joined the Lions last spring as part of a trade that sent defensive tackle Shaun Rogers to the Browns. The Lions quickly signed him to a four-year, $27 million contract.

Grady Jackson Joins Lions

The Detroit Lions signed unrestricted free-agent defensive tackle Grady Jackson to a three-year contract Wednesday. Financial terms on the coontract were not disclosed.

The 6-foot-2, 345-pound Jackson played most of the past three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the sixth round (193rd overall) in 1997 and also has played for New Orleans, Green Bay and Jacksonville.

Jackson, had 23 tackles and two sacks in 15 games last season with Atlanta. He was one of the players named in the StarCaps fiasco last season but was not suspended. Jackson filed suit against StarCaps in Alameda County Superior Court in California in November, seeking restitution for any lost salary and damages for "false advertising and unfair business practices."

Since being drafted by Oakland in 1997, Jackson has toured the NFL with playing stops in New Orleans, Green Bay, Jacksonville Atlanta and now Detroit.

Buchanon Signs With Lions

The Detroit Lions have come to terms with CB Phillip Buchanon, who signed a two year deal worth $8.5 Million contract.

Tampa Bay had been trying to re-sign Buchanon, but Detroit ended up sealing the deal first. Buchanon's career started off a little rocky after being a first-round choice of the Oakland Raiders in 2002, but has revitalized the last two seasons in Tampa where he had 113 combined tackles along with intercepting five passes.

Detroit is hoping that Buchanon at 28 years old is still in his prime and will help solidify a shaky defense.

The Search Continues for Missing Boat

Despite reports that the search for the missing boat in the Gulf of Mexico was called off last night, we awoke this morning to a story in The Tampa Tribune, saying just the opposite.

The original area being searched Sunday, about 750 square miles west of Clearwater, "has about tripled," Coast Guard Petty Officer Sondra Kneen said this morning. "We are continuing to search," she said.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers are expected to join the search of inshore waters today.

Coast Guard Capt. Timothy M. Close said there was no communication with the men even before the weather started to pick up and no SOS call was received.
"That's not to say they didn't send one out," he said. "We didn't receive anything."

The Coast Guard said at a news conference Sunday that it intended to search overnight for the missing boaters. There was no determination of how long searchers will continue looking.

Information from reporter Neil Johnson and The Associated Press was used in this report.

Cutler Asked for Trade First

As the NFL world relaxes from the whirlwind first weekend of free agency, some stories are starting to crop up about the three way trade for QB's Matt Cassel, Jay Cutler, and a third team (Tampa Bay and Detroit).

After the trade fell through and Cassel became the newest Chief in Kansas City, Cutler publicliy displayed his disapproval with the teams actions to trade him, saying as far as he knows he is still on the trade block, and he "liked playing" in Denver.

New information is appearing this morning and according to Sports Illustrated's Peter King, Cutler had demanded a trade from the team shortly after the Broncos lost offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates -- Cutler's confidant -- to USC after the season.

So Cutler got lucky this weekend when it became public that the team was interested in trading him. He publicly played up his anger and went from looking like the villain (if news of his trade demands came out) to a helpless victim of his new coach. The 3-way trade with New England may be dead but that doesn't mean another team can't swoop in and be a hero and save Cutler.

REPORT: Three NFL Players on Missing Boat Continuing Updates

More information regarding the Missing Boat 50 miles off Clearwater Pass, more names have been revealed.

In a previous update we mentioned that 2 of the players on the boat were NFL players. The coast guard has revealed the neames of all four passengers on the missing boat; Victor "Marquis" Cooper, who plays for the Oakland Raiders, Corey Smith of the Detroit Lions, Will Bleakley and Nick Schuyler, former University of South Florida football players, did not return from their fishing trip as expected last night.

Cooper and Smith played together for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004 before bouncing around the league.

"Weather conditions continue to hamper the search and rescue efforts," said Capt. Timothy Close commander of the commander of the St. Petersburg Sector of the Coast Guard.

The St. Petersburg Times asks that anyone with information regarding this case is asked to call Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg at (727) 824-7506, or by marine VHF radio channel 16.

Orlovsky Will Now Be Getting Safety's for Houston

The Houston Texans hosted QB Dan Orlovsky on Saturday, by Sunday they have signed him.

Dan Orlovsky of "Pulling an Orlovsky" fame will join the Houston Texans, who were in the market for a back-up QB after trading Sage Rosenfels to the Vikings on Friday.

Terms of Orlovsky's contract were not disclosed.

Let's hope if Orlovsky gets into a game for the Texans he gets the ball outside of his own 10 yard line.

We realise we are shameless and keep plugging this video, but we still laugh everytime we see it. If only Orlovsky also had a likeded for Scripp Clubz, he would be our favorite NFL player.

BREAKING NEWS: Missing Boat Update

Neil Johnson of TBO.com is reporting that the coast guard has identified 3 ofthe people on board the missing boat.

The Coast Guard say the missing boaters are Victor "Marquis" Cooper (of the Oakland Raiders), Corey Smith (ex-Detroit Lions) and Nick Skyler. Skyler does not appear to be an NFL player, meaning if reports are true and a 4th person is on the boat he may be the 3rd NFL player.

The Coast Guard search team includes a 47-foot boat, a helicopter, airplane and cutter.
The searchers are encountering winds of about 45 mph and waves ranging from 6 to 10 feet high with white caps.

We will continue to keep you updated as more details develop.