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Injury absence frustrates Lions’ defensive coordinator

The Sports Xchange

NFL Team Report – Detroit Lions – INSIDE SLANT

Cornerback Chris Houston, who underwent toe surgery in May, was released by the Detroit Lions one season into a five-year, $25 million deal. His contract was terminated with the designation failed physical.

Houston was cut by the team Friday, but will keep $2 million of his remaining contract, which was guaranteed for injury. He was listed as the starting left cornerback on the depth chart opposite 2013 second-round pick Darius Slay.

Without Houston, 2012 third-round pick Bill Bentley, veteran Rashean Mathis and fourth-round rookie Nevin Lawson are in line as potential starters.

Houston was not seen at the facility during three weeks of organized team activities or minicamp.

“He had surgery, which you know, and he’s been excused,” coach Jim Caldwell said Tuesday.

However, when asked how Houston was keeping up with the defensive playbook under new coordinator Teryl Austin, Caldwell became a bit frustrated.

“I would think that was sort of a trick question,” he said. “He hasn’t been here. How does he keep up when he hasn’t been here? He hasn’t been here; we understand everything. He’s been excused, and when he gets back, whatever happens, we’ll work it out at that time.”

After his release, the Lions said in a statement, “Chris Houston underwent a significant medical procedure this spring. Both parties felt that the best course of action at this time was to release Chris and allow him to rehabilitate away from the Club. The Lions appreciate Chris’ contributions over the years and wish him the best in his recovery.”

He started 54 games for the Lions the past four seasons.

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NFL Team Report – Detroit Lions – NOTES, QUOTES

–When the Lions drafted linebacker Tahir Whitehead in the fifth round in 2012, he barely weighed 225 pounds. The last thing they envisioned was him playing middle linebacker. But with starter Stephen Tulloch tending to a personal matter Wednesday and Thursday, Whitehead played in the middle with the first-team defense.

“I never played the Mike (middle) until last week, but playing it the last couple of weeks I’ve been able to get comfortable with it,” Whitehead said. “I see myself being able to do it if they needed me to.”

Whitehead, one of the team’s most productive special teams players last season, weighs closer to 240 pounds now – which is still on the light side for a middle linebacker. Tulloch weighs 240 pounds, but he’s four inches shorter than Whitehead.

“He’s an explosive guy,” coach Jim Caldwell said. “He’s got punch and can run. He can direct traffic in there. He’s got a real good feel for the game. He’s a good football player. You see his closing speed and the way he makes plays – Tully is bigger in terms of width and girth – but (Whitehead) can function in there.”

–Receiver Golden Tate was held out of the minicamp because of a shoulder injury. “It’s feeling good,” he said. “I’m day to day. It kind of sucks to be out there on the sideline not participating, but I’m trying to make sure I really take some mental reps.”

He said sitting out was mostly precautionary and that if this was the regular season he would probably find a way to play. Asked if he would be ready for training camp, he said, “One hundred percent. No doubts about it.”

–Predictably, head coach Jim Caldwell wouldn’t shed any light on the pending contract negotiations with either defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who is trying to work out an extension, or rookie tight end Eric Ebron, the team’s lone unsigned draft pick.

“I think the way in which this game is, every year is going to be a little bit different,” he said. “Not the first guy that’s gone through a contract negotiation and it won’t be the last. I think those things, Martin (Mayhew, general manager) and Tom (Lewand, president) and those guys and ownership, will do a tremendous job. What I have to do is stay focused on what’s happening out there on the field and get our guys ready to play.”

A point of reference for Suh: Matthew Stafford didn’t sign his extension until July before the 2012 training camp. Ebron has until the start of camp in late July to sign his rookie deal.

–Caldwell wouldn’t single out any individual performances over the three-day minicamp, which concluded Thursday, but he had high praise for the gains made by the offensive line.

“They’re a close-knit group and a highly-competitive group,” he said. “Every one of them is getting a little bit better. (LaAdrian) Waddle’s getting better, Larry’s (Warford) getting better. I mean, across the board — they’re working at it, but it’s a pretty heated competition.”

Caldwell said the players were measured in terms of their weight, body fat and general strength from the beginning of OTAs through Thursday.

“The improvement amongst the group was extraordinary,” he said. “I mean, they did a great job. So you can tell that they’re taking care of their bodies, watching what they eat because our strength gains were great. Guys that needed to gain a little bit more muscle, gained the muscle that they needed, guys that needed to trim down a little bit, did so.”

–Safety James Ihedigbo’s first impression of Matthew Stafford and the Lions’ offense – favorable.

“Wow. That’s all I can say,” he said. “That offense, it’s going to be a force to be reckoned with. They’re learning a new scheme now. This is different than anything they’ve done previously. So the ability that they have to stretch the field and our run game, it’s definitely going to be a force. You’re looking at one of the top offenses in the NFL.”

–Rookie receiver T.J. Jones missed the entire minicamp. Caldwell said his absence was excused but did not say why he missed. Cornerback Chris Houston (toe surgery) missed the camp and middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch (personal) missed the last two days. Running backs Joique Bell (knee) and Mikel Leshoure (unspecified), receivers Golden Tate (shoulder) and Kevin Ogletree (unspecified), defensive end Ziggy Ansah (shoulder) and left guard Rob Sims (shoulder) were present but not participating in drills.

–All eyes are on quarterback Matthew Stafford these days at the Lions’ offseason practices.

To assist coach Jim Caldwell, offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and quarterbacks coach Jim Bob Cooter, the Lions installed an eye-in-the-sky camera that will track every one of Stafford’s passes.

The “ladder cam,” as Caldwell called it after Wednesday’s mandatory minicamp, helps the coaches evaluate the technique of all the quarterbacks and is something he has used since the early 1980s. The camera was on a ladder earlier this offseason, but now it hangs from a contraption during Lions practice.

“The big thing is that we can look at his mechanics — every little detail of it,” Caldwell said. “That’s his camera, and what we do with that is just try to hone in and just try to perfect his craft.”

Stafford, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 draft, said his high school coaching staff would film his passes, but not from the same angle as this camera. In addition to taping the quarterbacks, the video shows what the quarterbacks see over the middle of the field.

“It’s good for a quarterback and a quarterbacks coach to go over just where your feet are, where your head is, where your eyes are, where the ball gets places,” Stafford said.

Thus far this offseason, the new staff is putting an emphasis on improving Stafford’s footwork, a problem far more costly than his occasional sidearm throws.

In Lombardi’s scheme, Stafford will have more autonomy than he had in recent years, which the quarterback is excited about. The Lions will have “kill” plays similar to the those of the New Orleans Saints, who employed Lombardi the past seven seasons, in which Stafford can choose between a couple of called plays.

“A lot of it’s built in as far as the kills, the checks, all the alerts,” Stafford said. “But there’s some freedom for sure to change routes and do things like that.

“It’s fun. It obviously kind of gives you the chalk last, and that’s what you’re looking for when you play quarterback.”

Caldwell said making pre-snap adjustments is part of the duties of the quarterback, and he will encourage Stafford to make the right calls on the field.

“He’s done it before, he has a good understanding of it, and he even does some now,” Caldwell said. “You may be able to call a play, but he’s out there on the field. He can see it happening. He can see the defense, so there’s some times we have some overriding checks and things of that nature that we’ll utilize.”

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NFL Team Report – Detroit Lions – STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

A closer look at the Lions’ picks:

Round 1/10 — Eric Ebron, TE, 6-4, 250, North Carolina

–New offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi is incorporating some concepts of the New Orleans offense into the Lions’ attack, and one of those is the use of a big-bodied, athletic pass catching tight end to attack the middle and down the seams — ala Jimmy Graham. The Lions feel like they drafted that player in Ebron. The Lions feel he’s fast enough (4.6 40) to beat linebackers and strong safeties and big enough to outmuscle cornerbacks.

Round 2/40 — Keith Van Noy, OLB, 6-3, 243, BYU.

–The Lions are going to deploy a closed end and an open end along the defensive front this year. Van Noy, who was a disruptive force both in pass rush and coverage, will play on the open side along with fellow BYU product Ziggy Ansah. The Lions thinks he fits the role so well, they traded up five spots to get him.

Round 3/76 — Travis Swanson, C/G, 6-5, 312, Arkansas.

–Ultimately, the Lions believe this is the eventual replacement for Dominic Raiola, who is 35. In the meantime, he will work at guard and center and be the extra interior lineman dressing out on game day. He made 50 straight starts at Arkansas and has played in pro style offenses under Bobby Petrino, John L. Smith and Bret Bielema.

Round 4/133 — Nevin Lawson, CB, 5-10, 186, Utah State

–The Lions traded their fourth round pick (111) to move up to get Van Noy and then watched eight cornerbacks go off the board before this pick. Still, they like Lawson’s speed (4.5, though he plays faster, according to general manager Martin Mayhew) and his toughness. He is expected to compete with Bill Bentley for the nickel corner spot.

Round 4/136 — Larry Webster, DE, 6-7, 250, Bloomsburg

–Some teams considered Webster as a tight end because of his size, speed (4.6) and athleticism (he’s a former basketball player). But the Lions see him as a developmental pass rusher, a bigger version of Ziggy Ansah and Devin Taylor. This will likely be a redshirt year for him.

Round 5/158 — Caraun Reid, DT, 6-2, 302, Princeton

–The Ivy League defensive player of the year, the Lions see him as another developmental player but one with great upside. They had success drafting a similar defensive tackle from a smaller program a couple of years ago — Sammie Hill. He is going to need a year to gain weight and strength, but his football skill set is NFL ready.

Round 6/189 — T.J. Jones, WR, 6-0, 195, Notre Dame

–He is expected to compete for the slot receiver spot right out of the gate. He ran the 40 in 4.46 at the combine and scouts rave about his strong hands and the way he attacks and plucks the football. He has NFL bloodlines, too. His father, Andre Jones, played for the Lions. His uncle, Phillip Daniels, played 15 seasons in the NFL and his godfather is Rocket Ismail.

Round 7/229 — Nate Freese, K, 5-11, 192, Boston College

–The fact that he kicked outdoors and made all 20 of his field goal attempts last season, not to mention 86.4 percent in his career, intrigued the Lions, who did not re-sign veteran David Akers. Accuracy and consistency were lacking last season. The Lions liked him enough to consider using their sixth-round pick on him.

PERSONNEL TRACKER

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS (not tendered offers)

–K David Akers (not tendered as UFA).

–C/G Dylan Gandy (not tendered as UFA).

–LB Rocky McIntosh (not tendered as UFA).

–S John Wendling (not tendered as UFA).

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: None.

EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS

–CB Chris Greenwood (tendered at $570,000).

DRAFT CHOICES SIGNED

–TE Eric Ebron (1/10): 4 yrs, terms unknown.

–LB Keith Van Noy (2/40): 4 yrs, terms unknown.

–C Travis Swanson (3/76): 4 yrs, terms unknown.

–CB Nevin Lawson (4/133): 4 yrs, terms unknown.

–DE Larry Webster (4/136): 4 yrs, terms unknown.

–DT Caraun Reid (5/158): 4 yrs, terms unknown.

–WR T.J. Jones (6/189): 4 yrs, terms unknown.

–K Nate Freese (7/229): 4 yrs, terms unknown.

PLAYERS RE-SIGNED

–RB Joique Bell: Potential RFA; $9.187M/3 yrs, $4.3M guaranteed.

–WR Kris Durham: Potential ERFA; $570,000/1 yr.

–DT Andre Fluellen: UFA; terms unknown.

–CB Rashean Mathis: UFA; 1 yr, terms unknown.

–WR Kevin Ogletree: UFA; 1 yr, terms unknown.

–TE Brandon Pettigrew: UFA; $16M/4 yrs, $4M SB/$8M guaranteed.

–C Dominic Raiola: Potential UFA; $1.75M/1 yr, $250,000 SB.

–WR/KR Jeremy Ross: ERFA; $570,000/1 yr.

–LB Julian Stanford: ERFA; $570,000/1 yr.

–TE Matt Veldman: ERFA; $420,000/1 yr.

PLAYERS ACQUIRED

–S Isa Abdul-Quddus (waivers Saints).

–FB Jed Collins: Not tendered as RFA by Saints; terms unknown.

–S James Ihedigbo: UFA Ravens; 2 yrs, terms unknown.

–QB Dan Orlovsky: UFA Buccaneers; 1 yr, terms unknown.

–DE Darryl Tapp: UFA Redskins; 1 yr, terms unknown.

–WR Golden Tate: UFA Seahawks; $31.25M/5 yrs, $13.25M guaranteed.

–CB Cassius Vaughn: UFA Colts; terms unknown.

PLAYERS LOST

–WR Nate Burleson (released).

–TE Dorin Dickerson: Not tendered as RFA/Titans; terms unknown.

–S Louis Delmas (released).

–T Jason Fox: UFA Dolphins; $795/1 yr, $65,000 SB.

–G Leroy Harris (released).

–QB Shaun Hill: UFA Rams; $1.75M/1 yr, $500,000 guaranteed.

–DE Israel Idonije: UFA Bears; $955,000/1 yr.

–WR/KR Micheal Spurlock: Not tendered as UFA/Bears; terms unknown.

–DE Willie Young: UFA Bears; $9M/3 yrs, $2M SB/$3.95M guaranteed.

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