Latest news with #Lions:AnIllustratedTimeline
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
LB Zach Cunningham signs with Detroit Lions as Alex Anzalone awaits new contract
With Organized Team Activities set to begin this week, the Detroit Lions are adding some veteran insurance at linebacker. The Lions signed journeyman free agent Zach Cunningham and waived linebacker Abraham Beauplan. NFL Network first reported the Cunningham signing. Advertisement Cunningham played for four teams in his first eight NFL seasons and appeared in seven games with the Denver Broncos last year, mostly on special teams. He was a full-time starter with the Houston Texans early in his career and also played for the Tennessee Titans and Philadelphia Eagles. The Lions are shorthanded at linebacker this spring with Alex Anzalone skipping voluntary workouts in hopes of landing a new contract and Malcolm Rodriguez recovering from a torn ACL. Nov 20, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (10) runs the ball as Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zach Cunningham (52) defends during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports Anzalone, Jack Campbell and Derrick Barnes are penciled into starting spots this fall, with Rodriguez and Grant Stuard as the top backups. Advertisement Cunningham, 30, could compete for a backup job with Zeke Turner, Anthony Pittman and Trevor Nowaske. The Lions have three OTA practices this week and three in June, then break for the summer. They open the preseason in the Hall of Fame game July 31 and report for training camp in mid-July. Dave Birkett is the author of the book, "Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline." Order your copy here. Contact him at dbirkett@ Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions add LB depth, sign Zach Cunningham
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dan Campbell: Detroit Lions 2025 schedule is 'the right kind of brutal'
The Detroit Lions have one of the toughest schedules in the NFL this fall, and that's just fine by coach Dan Campbell. Campbell said before the Lions' third practice of organized team activities that he welcomes the Lions' grueling 2025 schedule as a way to prepare the team for the playoffs. Advertisement The Lions went a franchise-record 15-2 last season and lost their playoff opener to the Washington Commanders. "I love the schedule we have this year because this is the type of schedule that builds you for the postseason," Campbell said. "Like, man, you better be on it. And we're going to get tested early and often and all year long, and it's fricking awesome. It's really how you want it. So we'll be ready to go when the time's right." ANALYSIS: Lions open OTAs as position battles loom Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell watches practice during rookie mini camp at Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park on Friday, May 9, 2025. The Lions are tied with the Chicago Bears for the second-toughest strength of schedule, based on last year's win percentage. Advertisement They play 11 games against 2025 playoff teams, including home-and-away series with division rivals the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings. The Lions, like all NFC teams, play nine road and eight home games this fall, and all of their road games are against playoff contenders and in national television windows. The Lions visit the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals, along with the Packers, Bears and Vikings. ANALYSIS: Lions 2025 schedule predictions: Game-by-game picks, final record "It's awesome, man," Campbell said. "I mean, to me, by the end of the year we ought to be just scarred up. We should be scarred up and ready to go, hardened for battle and ready for the playoffs. And there'll be nothing easy about it. You still, just to get through our own division is going to be brutal, but it's the right kind of brutal." Advertisement Dave Birkett is the author of the book, "Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline." Order your copy here. Contact him at dbirkett@ Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dan Campbell: Detroit Lions schedule 'the right kind of brutal'
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Detroit Lions sign Day 3 draft picks Frazier, Hassanein, Jackson, Lovett
The Detroit Lions signed all four of their Day 3 draft picks before the start of rookie minicamp. The Lions announced the signing of fifth-round pick Miles Frazier, sixth-rounder Ahmed Hassanein and seventh-rounders Dan Jackson and Dominic Lovett. Advertisement First-round pick Tyleik Williams, second-rounder Tate Ratledge and third-rounder Issac TeSlaa remain unsigned for now. All rookie draft picks receive slotted four-year contracts under the NFL's collective bargaining agreement, and the Lions' will have a fifth-year team option on Williams once his deal is finalized later this spring. Lions general manager and executive vice president Brad Holmes, new first-round defensive lineman Tyleik Williams and coach Dan Campbell on Friday, April 25, 2025 at the Lions' headquarters in Allen Park. Frazier's four-year deal is worth a total of $4.52 million and includes a signing bonus of $320,216, according to Hassanein's deal is worth $4.429 million and includes a signing bonus of $229,892. Jackson's deal is worth $4.332 million with a singing bonus of $131,624. And Lovett's deal is worth $4.037 million and has a signing bonus of $106,772. Advertisement More: Boise State coach breaks down what Detroit Lions are getting in DE Ahmed Hassanein All four are expected to compete for backup jobs this fall. The Lions also announced their 10-man undrafted free agent class that includes three Michigan-born players, Grand Valley State safety Ian Kennelly (Macomb), Ohio running back Anthony Tyus (Portage) and Ole Miss tight end Caden Prieskorn (Lake Orion), and have four first-year players and 19 tryout players in rookie camp this weekend. First-year players safety Erick Hallett, linebacker DaRon Gilbert, edge rusher Isaac Ukwu and center Kingsley Eguakun spent time on the Lions practice squad last season. Ex-Michigan cornerback Aamir Hall, former Michigan State defensive lineman Raequan Williams, ex-Eastern Michigan quarterback Cole Snyder and former Ferris State receiver Malik Taylor are among the tryout players in camp. Advertisement Rookie camp runs Friday-Sunday at the Lions' Allen Park practice facility. Dave Birkett is the author of the book, "Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline." Order your copy here. Contact him at dbirkett@ Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions sign 4 draft picks, kick off rookie minicamp
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Report: Detroit Lions will play Green Bay Packers Week 1 at Lambeau Field
The Detroit Lions will open the season on the road against one of their NFC North rivals. The Lions play the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in a 4:25 p.m. game on the first Sunday of the regular season, according to Fox Sports. Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) leaps into Lions fans as they celebrate 24-14 win over Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. The schedule leak lines up with other Week 1 games in the NFL this fall, where the league appears to favoring division games. The NFL previously announced the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles will open the season Sept. 4 against their NFC East rival Dallas Cowboys, and the Los Angeles Chargers reportedly will play their AFC West rival Kansas City Chiefs in Brazil on Sept. 5. Advertisement The Lions went 15-2 in the regular season last year and a perfect 6-0 in the division. They finished with the best regular season record in the NFC, but lost to the Washington Commanders in the divisional round of the playoffs. The Lions beat the Packers, 24-14, at Lambeau Field last November and 34-31 in a Thursday night game at Ford Field in December. More: Lions assistant David Shaw back in NFL after college layover: 'Always in the back of my mind' The Packers are coming off an 11-6 season that was good for third place in the NFC North and lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Eagles. Advertisement Lions president Rod Wood at the league's annual meeting in March he expects the team to max out on primetime games this season. The Lions have the third most difficult schedule in the NFL this fall as judged by Las Vegas win total predictions, according to Sharp Football. Their road schedule includes games against all three division opponents the Packers, Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears, plus trips to 2024 playoff teams the Eagles, Washington Commanders, Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams. They also play Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals on the road. "You're always looking for these nuggets, man, of motivation and that's it," Lions coach Dan Campbell said in March. "This is a challenge. We're competitive, I'm competitive and so, yeah, I love the thought of (playing that road schedule). These are going to be outdoor grass. I hope it rains, it's mud, it's everything, right? The whole deal. And it is, we're in a meat grinder. This is going to be a meat grinder and I've said this before, we could be a better team than we were last year and have more losses. There is a chance that could happen. That's OK. It's OK. As long as we learn from what those are and we get better coming out of them, we'll be good." Dave Birkett is the author of the book, "Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline." Order your copy here. Contact him at dbirkett@ Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Report: Detroit Lions will open 2025 season at Green Bay Packers
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
In drafting DE Ahmed Hassanein, Detroit Lions gained extra roster spot
The Detroit Lions have an extra spot on their roster this spring. Sixth-round pick Ahmed Hassanein, who was born in the United States but spent most of his youth in Egypt, qualifies for a roster exemption under the NFL's International Pathways Program. Advertisement Hassanein had 22 sacks in his final two seasons at Boise State after relocating to California as a sophomore in high school. Detroit Lions defensive lineman Ahmed Hassanein (61) practices during rookie mini camp at Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park on Friday, May 9, 2025. SHAWN WINDSOR: Did Detroit Lions draft their center of the future? Tate Ratledge has that potential According to players qualify for the IPP program so long as their citizenship and principal place of residence are outside the United States and Canada and they have no more than two years of U.S. high school experience. Hassanein moved to Egypt with his mother and father when he was 6. He returned to live with his brother as a sophomore in high school, but played only two high school seasons because of the coronavirus pandemic. Advertisement The Lions were granted an exemption on their 90-man roster when Hassanein signed before rookie camp last week. The exemption will carry over to training camp. In the regular season, players who qualify for IPP exemptions are eligible to fill a 17th spot on a team's practice squad. If they make the 53-man roster, the team does not get an extra practice squad spot. Hassanein is expected to compete for a rotational spot at defensive end for the Lions this fall. The Lions currently have two open spots on their offseason roster. Dave Birkett is the author of the book, "Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline." Advertisement Order your copy here. Contact him at dbirkett@ Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions gain roster spot for selection of DE Ahmed Hassanein
