The Jaguars traded wide receiver Mike Thomas to the Lions. (Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

The Jacksonville Jaguars traded wide receiver Mike Thomas to the Detroit Lions for an undisclosed draft pick, according to a source briefed on the deal in a report by Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

The Lions were looking to add depth at receiver after Nate Burleson broke his right leg against the Bears. Burleson is expected to miss up to eight months after surgery. Burleson’s absence leaves the Lions with a struggling Calvin Johnson, Titus Young and rookie Ryan Broyles.

The Jaguars had signed Thomas to a five-year, $19 million deal in October 2011, but he was one of several Jacksonville receivers who have received criticism for inconsistent play and too many drops. Thomas was made more expendable by his play and off-season deals for receivers including the drafting of Justin Blackmon and the signing of free-agent Laurent Robinson.

The Lions need depth at safety after an injury to Louis Delmas. (Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

The Lions’ concern over the health of Louis Delmas has the team looking to add a safety before the NFL’s Thursday trade deadline, according to a source in a report by Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh got called out by Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall for his hit on Jay Cutler on Monday night, according to tweets Marshall sent to Suh following the game.

A Suh. What u did to Jay wasn't cool. Great players don't have to do that.—
Brandon Marshall (@BMarshall) October 23, 2012

A Suh. Something I've learned and now passing down to you. Succeed with character—
Brandon Marshall (@BMarshall) October 23, 2012

The comments came after the Bears’ win over the Lions on Monday night.  At one point in the game,  Suh sacked Cutler in a way that Marshall referred to as “wrestling.” Bears head coach Lovie Smith said he didn’t have a problem with the play, calling the match-up a “tough, hard-nosed game.” Cutler didn’t take issue with Suh’s hit either, but Marshall went so far as to say that Suh can’t be in the conversation for best defensive tackle ever if he doesn’t play the game the right way, according to ESPNChicago.

“Last night the leg whip that Ndamukong Suh placed on our quarterback Jay Cutler, that was dirty. That was dirty,” Marshall said. “He can be one of the best D-tackles that ever done it, but he cannot do that that way. If you look at it, c’mon man, this is not wrestling. You don’t do that. That’s not clean.”

Suh said in response to Marshall’s comments that he cannot control his momentum sometimes:

“Simply a football play,” Suh said. “I can’t control my momentum, especially at that high speed. I’m chasing him. He’s running away from me. My whole goal is just to get the quarterback down and make a play and get us off the field or move on to the next play.”

No penalty was called on the play and Suh, despite his seemingly notorious reputation, does not face a fine or suspension from the NFL.

Cutler underwent X-rays after the game and will be evaluated more today.

Lions running back Jahvid Best will not be permitted to play because of concussions. (Leon Halip/Getty Images)

Detroit Lions running back Jahvid Best will not be permitted to return to play after having suffered multiple brain injuries in the past two seasons, the team announced Monday.

Best hasn’t played since suffering a concussion last Oct. 16 against the San Francisco 49ers. He also suffered a concussion in a preseason game earlier that season.

Best was eligible to come off the physically unable to perform list today on Monday and had hoped to make his debut in next Monday night’s game against the Chicago Bears.

“After today’s consultation with medical experts, including representatives from our medical and training staffs, it has been determined that Jahvid will not be permitted to return to play at this time,” Lions general manager Martin Mayhew said in a statement.

Best has 945 yards rushing and six touchdowns in two seasons with the team. Mayhew said that Best will continue to work with medical and training staffs in hopes that he can make a return to the field.

“The situation I’m in with the way that concussions are being taken right now, it’s taking a long time [to be cleared for contact],” Best said last week. “I guess I’m just kind of the poster boy for [the new concussion protocols], and I have to take it how it is.”

Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is accused of sideswiping a car and leaving the scene of an accident. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is accused on sideswiping a motorist on Thursday, then berating the driver and leaving the scene of an accident, reports Fox 2, a Detroit television station.

Steve Vines said was on his way into work Thursday morning when he and other drivers merged onto a ramp. He says the driver behind him in a black Range Rover sped around him and sideswiped his car.  Vines got out of his Escort and the other driver, whose taillights were damaged, started yelling.

“All three of us got over.  He rode up on my butt,” said Vines. “As we’re going up the ramp, he just punched it, went right around me…. He just sideswiped me.”

Vines said he called the Dearborn, Mich. police, and Vines told the authorities the vehicle that hit him drove inside the Lions facility. The police  instructed Vines to go to the Lions practice facility and wait for them to arrive.  Police reportedly are investigating.

“The fact that you hit me, you got to stop, and then just to be as arrogant and say, well, I’m going to take off, they can come find me over here,” said Vines. “I don’t know who this guy is at first and tell you the truth, I still didn’t realize it was Ndamukong Suh until I was told that’s who it was.”

Suh is already facing a lawsuit for injuries allegedly suffered by a motorist when Suh wrecked a car in Portland, Oregon earlier this year.

Jahvid Best may be cleared to return to the Lions on Friday after suffering two concussions last season. (Leon Halip/Getty Images)

Lions running back Jahvid Best will find out if he’s cleared to return to football on Friday, according to a report from the Detroit Free Press on Thursday afternoon. Best suffered two concussions last year and has not played since Oct. 16, 2011. He went through several neurological evaluations earlier in the week.

“When you take the concussion test, it’s a lot of stuff that goes on,” Best said. “I took it Monday, and so they don’t know how it went until Friday. It’s a lot of, I don’t know if you’d call it grading or not, but there’s a lot of stuff that goes on, so I can’t give you my opinion on how it went. But I’m just hopeful for the best… I know I can get back out there and make a difference.”

Lions coach Jim Schwartz said a team of outside specialists across the country have been consulted during the latest round of tests rather than team trainers.

“That’s a sign of the times, and I think it’s good that way,” Schwartz said. “Hopefully, we get good news, and when he’s eligible to come off PUP [physically unable to perform], he’s able to do that. But we can’t force that issue, we can’t have anything to do with that issue.”

If he is cleared to play, Best could be activated for the team’s Monday night game against the Bears on Oct. 22 or start a 21-day practice window. Before the injury, Best accumulated 390 rushing yards and three total touchdowns in six games.

Lions receiver Calvin Johnson shrugs off concussions, saying it’s “part of football.” (Dave Reginek/Getty Images)

Despite mounting controversy about concussions in the NFL, not all players are too concerned about head injuries. Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson spoke on the Stoney and Bill show on 97.1 The Ticket Thursday morning about his helmet-to-helmet collision with Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway two weeks ago. Johnson admitted to being shaken up, but said it was all a part of the game.

“He rung my bell pretty good, he got me, he caught me around the chin, that was a good hit,” Johnson said. “It’s a part of football, you get concussed, you gotta keep on playing. You can’t get afraid to go across the middle any more than you were at the beginning.”

Quarterbacks Robert Griffin III and Matt Cassel took hard hits and left their games on Sunday; both were diagnosed with concussions. And former Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras, one of the more than 3,000 players suing the league for concealment of the risks associated with concussions, died on Wednesday at the age of 77. Karras reportedly died of kidney failure and suffered from dementia for years.

Johnson said he was given a concussion test on the sideline after the hit and then returned to the game.

“They come and do the little test with the finger …ask you what day, what game it is, stuff like that,” Johnson said.

The medical staff has the authority to keep a player off the field if he can’t pass the test.

Roy Williams has retired from the NFL. (Jonanthan Daniel/Getty Images)

Former Pro Bowl wide receiver Roy Williams, who played for the Chicago Bears last season, announced that he has retired from the NFL, according to NFL.com:

“There was no need for me to go back,” Williams told the newspaper after announcing his retirement on Facebook. “It’s hard to quit when you have been doing something the third grade. I’m in good shape. … I can still play. But when I declined to workout in Miami, I knew I was done.”

Williams had gone through a workout with the Houston Texans this offseason but the team didn’t end up offering him a contract. The Miami Dolphins asked him to workout but he declined the offer and decided it was time to retire from the game.

He was drafted No. 7 overall in the 2004 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions and went on to have his best season in 2006 when he was named to the Pro-Bowl and led the NFC with 1,310 yards.

Last season with the Bears, Williams had 37 catches, 507 yards and two touchdowns:

“Put up good numbers my first few years, went to a Pro Bowl then I got to Dallas and it stopped,” Williams said. “It is what it is. God had a plan for me. The grass ain’t always greener on the other side.”

Lions safety, Louis Delmas, may miss the season opener against the St. Louis Rams after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery. (Doug Pensinger, Getty Images)

Safety Louis Delmas and cornerback Chris Houston may miss Detroit’s season opener against the Rams this Sunday, according to the Detroit Free Press. Neither player took part in the open portion of Wednesday’s practice.

Houston sprained his ankle in a preseason game against the Raiders on Aug. 25, and Delmas has been out for the past four weeks after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery.

The Lions were hoping for a Week 1 return [for Delmas], but coach Jim Schwartz said last week it was imperative for him to practice this week if he is going to play against the St. Louis Rams.

John Welding, who replaced Delmas during the preseason, will start on Sunday if Delmas can’t play. The team will likely use some combination Bill Bentley, Jacob Lacey and recent signee Drayton Florence as Houston’s replacement.

Houston recorded 54 tackles and 5 interceptions in 14 games last season. Delmas had 51 tackles and 5 pass deflections in 11 games.

Former Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore, the NCAA’s alltime leader in wins by a QB but an unheralded NFL prospect because of his size and weak arm, has made the Detroit Lions’ 53-man roster, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.

Moore went 50-3 over four seasons for the Broncos but was undrafted in April, signing a free-agent deal with the Lions immediately after the selection meeting.

With Matthew Stafford and Shaun Hill as Detroit’s top two signal-callers, Moore figures to be inactive for most games. He beat out R.J. Archer for the Lions’ No. 3 QB slot.

Lions running back Jahvid Best is still not able to participate because of lingering concussion issues. (Leon Halip/Getty Images)

Detroit Lions running back Jahvid Best continues to work his way back from a brain injury, but if he is not healthy he may end up on the physically unable to perform list.

Best has not played in a game since Oct. 16, when he suffered his second concussion of the year in a loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

If Best starts the season on PUP, he will be required to miss at least the first six weeks and after that he can be activated. The earliest Best could play would be Oct. 22. The Lions play the Chicago Bears on Monday night.

“Particularly with concussions, time is always beneficial,” Lions head coach Jim Schwartz told the Detroit Free Press. “We’ve seen that with a lot of other guys that have come back and that would buy us time if we had to cross that hurdle.He’s working out hard, he’s just not cleared (for contact) yet.”

Lions currently have running backs Kevin Smith, Keiland Williams and Joique Bell on the roster. Mikel Leshoure, who did not play last season with a torn Achilles, has battled a hamstring injury this preseason.

Lions safety Louis Delmas had knee surgery. (Leon Halip/Getty Images)

Detroit Lions safety Louis Delmas had surgery on his left knee, the team confirmed Wednesday.

Delmas has started 41 games for the Lions in his three-year career. The 25-year-old had two interceptions as a rookie in 2009, including one that he returned 101 yards for a touchdown.

Last season, Delmas started 11 games. He suffered an MCL sprain in the team’s Thanksgiving Day game with the Packers, needed surgery and missed Detroit’s final five regular season games. (The Lions’ news release says his current injury is unrelated to the injury from last season).

Delmas was back for Detroit’s playoff game with the Saints, but the Lions’ season ended in a 45-28 loss.

Detroit’s secondary has already taken a hit this offseason. Cornerback Aaron Berry was released after two arrests. Berry had been expected to start.

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is being sued for more than $1 million. (Leon Halip/Getty Images)

A passenger in a car Detroit Lions star Ndamukong Suh was driving when he got into a one-car accident is suing the defensive tackle for more than $1 million, reports the Detroit Free Press‘ Dave Birkett.

Saadia Van Winkle filed the lawsuit in Oregon on Thursday, alleging negligence, reckless driving and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The complaint stems from a December 3 accident when Suh crashed his car into a curb, light pole, drinking fountain and tree.

At the time, Suh said that everyone was fine, but Van Winkle, a friend of Suh’s then girlfriend, who was also in the car, later disputed Suh’s claims.

Van Winkle’s attorney said that her client had immediately received medical treatment, and that she had suffered suffered neck and back injuries in the crash. She also claims that Van Winkle received a laceration above her eye that required stitches.

Suh was not charged in the accident. Neither Suh nor his representatives had responded to requests for comment by the time Birkett’s story was published.

Aaron Berry was the seventh member of the Lions to get arrested in seven months. (Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

Two arrests in one offseason meant a pink slip for Aaron Berry on Monday.

Tom Leyden of WXYZ-Detroit reports the Detroit Lions cut the cornerback after he was arrested Saturday morning on three charges of simple assault.

On June 23, Berry was arrested on suspicion of DUI, failure to stop and render aid from an accident and other counts.

His arrest marked the seventh for a member of the Lions in the past seven months. Defensive tackle Nick Fairley was arrested twice in two months.

Detroit Free-Press reporter Dave Birkett tweeted a statement from team president Tom Lewand shortly after Berry’s cut was confirmed.

Statement from Tom Lewand on Berry's release: "We have repeatedly stressed to everyone in our organization that there will be ...

—
Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) July 23, 2012

"appropriate consequences when an expected standard of behavior is not upheld."

—
Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) July 23, 2012

Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is telling fantasy football players to choose Detroit’s Calvin Johnson over him. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Attention Fantasy Football players: when picking your teams this season, especially at wide receiver, one All-Pro wants you to know that you shouldn’t choose him because of the instability of the quarterbacks on his roster.

Arizona Cardinals wideout Larry Fitzgerald said to ESPN that if it were left up to him, he would pick Detroit’s Calvin Johnson over him in a fantasy football league.

“I think Megatron and Matthew Stafford have a great connection up there in Detroit,” Fitzgerald said. “They put together a phenomenal year — 5,000 yards by Matthew Stafford. So I would definitely take Megatron and Matthew Stafford. They have it going. We have some questions right now in Arizona. We have training camp to figure out who our starting quarterback is, so as of today I think that’s a smart choice.”

As bad as the Cardinals’ quarterbacks were last season, Fitzgerald somehow managed to catch 80 balls for 1,411 yards and eight touchdowns.

The quarterback competition will be between John Skelton and Kevin Kolb once training camp opens next week.

“If it was up to me, I’d prefer we had a quarterback resolution two years ago,” Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “You got to let this competition play out honestly.”

Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley says he is a great guy despite two off-season arrests. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The Detroit Lions have made headlines this offseason for nothing that has to do with football.  The majority of the headlines have come when their players have run afoul of the law.

One of those players, defensive tackle Nick Fairley, was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana in April after police say they found two partially smoked joints in his vehicle.  He was arrested again the next month on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol while driving 100 m.p.h. Fairley was charged with reckless driving and attempting to elude police.

Fairley was at a kickball tournament for kids ages 8-12 in Detroit when he was asked by the Detroit Free Press if he was still worthy of being trusted with influencing children.

“Because I’m a great guy,” Fairley said. “Simple as that.”

Fairley had 15 tackles and one sack in his rookie season with the Lions. Fairley attended the rookie symposium in Cleveland last month and said he wanted to hear from former players to get perspective on how they handled different situations.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Eric Wright was arrested in Los Angeles on suspicion of felony DUI. (Scott Boehm/Getty Images)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Eric Wright was arrested early Monday morning in downtown Los Angeles on suspicion of felony driving under the influence after he was involved in an accident that injured the driver of another vehicle, reports the Los Angeles Times in a blog post.

Wright, who signed a five-year, $37.5 million contract with Tampa Bay this offseason, reportedly told police officers that he had been drinking at a friend’s house earlier in the evening. Wright also reportedly refused to take a field sobriety test or a Breathalyzer.

The driver of the other vehicle was injured but refused medical attention, the Times reports.

Wright, who intercepted four passes last season with the Detroit Lions, was arrested on suspicion of rape in 2005 while playing at USC, but prosecutors declined to charge him, citing insufficient evidence.

Wright is one of a number of NFL players to be arrested this offseason for allegedly driving under the influence. Detroit, his former team, has received attention for its string of arrests in recent weeks, including those of Nick Fairley and Aaron Berry for DUI.

NFL.com‘s Albert Breer reported in June that the NFL would push for increased player discipline for DUIs. That move came after the arrest of New York Giants lineman David Diehl.

The Detroit Lions gave head coach Jim Schwartz a new multi-year deal after he led the team to the their first playoff berth in 11 years. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The Detroit Lions are putting their faith in head coach Jim Schwartz, agreeing on a new multi-year deal, according to a league source and detroitlions.com. No financial terms or the length of the contract were disclosed.

“The next time I comment on my contract will be the first time,” Schwartz has said a number of times.

Schwartz, 46, will be entering his fourth season with the Lions taking over a team that went 0-16 the year before he got the job.  The Lions went 2-14 his first year, then 6-10 and 10-6 last season, losing to the New Orleans Saints in the Wild Card Round. It was the Lions’ first playoff berth in 11 seasons.

Schwartz was entering the final year of his deal that he signed in 2009.

Aaron Berry became the sixth Detroit Lion to be arrested this year (Hannah Foslien, Getty Images)

The Detroit Lions have another off-the-field problem on their roster. WXYZ’s Tom Leyden reports that cornerback Aaron Berry was arrested in the early hours of Saturday morning in his hometown of Harrisburg, Pa. for driving under the influence, causing damage to an unattended vehicle, and failure to give information to police.

Leyden reports that the vehicle driven by Berry struck other parked vehicles near the Hilton Harrisburg Hotel, after which Berry exited the vehicle and walked away from the scene. A witness followed Berry and informed police. Berry was arrested at 4:45 a.m., after which he refused to submit to a breathalyzer test and refused to cooperate with police when asked for personal information.

Berry, 24, is entering his third season with the Lions. he joined the team as an undrafted free agent in 2010 after playing at the University of Pittsburgh. Berry appeared in 11 games with the Lions last season, starting three and recording 31 tackles.

This is the sixth occasion this offseason a Detroit Lions player has been in the news for the wrong reasons. The most recent instances came from defensive tackle Nick Fairley, who was arrested in Mobile, Ala. for marijuana possession and aggravated DUI in separate instances in April and May, respectively. Fairley, like Berry, was also cited for not cooperating with police officers in his DUI arrest.

Offensive tackle Johnny Culbreath and running back Mikel Leshoure were also arrested for marijuana possession earlier in 2012.

UPDATE [12:57 p.m. ET]: Berry, via Paradigm Sports Management Group, and the Detroit Lions have released statements about this weekend’s incident.

Here is Berry’s, posted on Paradigm’s Facebook page:

“I want to offer a sincere apology to the Lions organization, Lions fans, the coaches and all my teammates for my actions this past weekend. This is not the example I want to set for young people and it’s certainly not what my team and coaches expect from me. I promise to do everything in my power to make sure this never happens again. I understand these are just words and it will be my future actions that ultimately will speak for me.”

The Lions’s statement is as follows:

“We are extremely disappointed in the reports involving Aaron Berry and the incident in Pennsylvania this past weekend. This is not the standard of behavior we expect from any member of our organization. We have strongly and repeatedly emphasized the need to be accountable on and off the field, which makes this incident with Aaron all the more disappointing. We will have further comments regarding this situation when appropriate.”

Cliff Avril is not participating in the Detroit Lions’ offseason program while he hopes for a long-term deal from the team. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Detroit Lions defensive end Cliff Avril, who the team placed its franchise tender on earlier this offseason, remained optimistic about the possibility of agreeing with the team on a long-term deal before the July 16 deadline.

“You have to ask him (if Avril will show up next week),” Lewand said from The 22nd annual Detroit Lions Invitational golf outing at TPC Michigan. “Obviously, we have the tender on Cliff, and he’s welcome to sign that anytime he wants. We’ll continue discussion on whether we can convert that into something on a long-term basis, but really in many ways of the tender, the ball is in his court.”

Avril, who is not participating in the Lions’ offseason program, joked that he and Lewand were “passing back and forth.”

Avril and the Lions have a July 16 deadline to work out a long-term deal. If they don’t, Avril could only sign with Detroit — no other NFL teams — for the next year. He would then become a free agent again next year. That means if he wants to play this season, he would likely have to sign the one-year, $10.6 million franchise tender.

“It’s up to Tom,” Avril told the Free Press. “It’s up to Tom, and see where we can go with that.”

Running back Mikel Leshoure is one of three Detroit Lions players arrested this off-season. (Leon Halip/Getty Images)

The Detroit Lions can take solace that no player has been arrested in the last week and a half.

But according to a study by U-T San Diego of NFL player arrests and citations, almost a quarter of the arrests this year belong to the Lions.

Defensive tackle Nick Fairley and running back Mikel Leshoure have been arrested twice each for various violations, and offensive lineman Johnny Culbreath was also arrested and charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession in South Carolina. He later paid a $412 fine.

The database study features 601 web pages of player arrests since 2000, with the most recent one being Jacksonville Jaguars rookie wide receiver Justin Blackmon being arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.  Reports say Blackmon’s breathalyzer test blew three times the legal limit for the state of Oklahoma where he was arrested.

Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley faces sanctions from the NFL because of multiple arrests. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The Detroit Lions are making headlines for all the wrong reasons this offseason and their team president says he has been in contact with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to discuss it.

“We’ve been active in our participation with the league,” Tom Lewand told the Detroit Free Press. “We’ve handled matters internally, we’ve made our thoughts known publicly about our expectations and the need for accountability and responsibility and, beyond that, I don’t think it makes a lot of sense for us to comment on the details.”

The Lions have had three players get in trouble with the law.

Over the past couple of months, running back Mikel Leshoure was cited twice for marijuana possession Michigan, defensive tackle Nick Fairley was arrested on a possession charge in April and was busted again for driving under the influence of alcohol last month, and offensive lineman Johnny Culbreath was arrested on marijuana charges in January.

All three players are subject to discipline under the league’s substance abuse policy and Fairley and Leshoure could face suspension for being repeat offenders.

The Lions went 10-6 last year and made the playoffs for the first time since the 1999 season.

Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz said Tuesday that he is unhappy with the actions of some members of his team in recent weeks.

There have been five arrests this year of members of the team’s 2011 draft class, according to Pro Football Talk.

Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press detailed some of Schwartz’s comments about the offseason in a series of tweets Tuesday morning.

Schwartz on Fairley incident/this offseason: "I think what we have here is a case of a few guys tainting the reputations of a lot of others"

—
Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) May 29, 2012

Schwartz: "What we have here is a situation that it appears that a couple guys haven’t learned and that is a concern but ...

—
Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) May 29, 2012

Schwart cont: "they are still young and there's still a lot in front of them and we are hopeful that they can ... put this behind them."

—
Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) May 29, 2012

Former first-round pick Nick Fairley was arrested Sunday morning for driving under the influence and trying to elude police. Fairley was also arrested April 3 for possession of marijuana. Another member of the 2011 draft class, running back Mikel Leshoure, plead guilty this offseason for marijuana possession.

Another recent incident to receive attention featured wide receiver Titus Young allegedly sucker punching teammate Louis Delmas during voluntary workouts earlier this month.

Neither Fairley nor Young spoke with the media after practice. Veteran receiver Nate Burleson said that Young had apologized for his actions during a meeting, according to Birkett.

Nick Fairley, defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions, was charged with a DUI Monday morning after being clocked at 100 mph by Alabama State Troopers (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Nick Fairley, the Detroit Lions defensive tackle, was clocked at 100 miles per hour in Alabama in Sunday’s early morning hours, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. According to the report, Alabama State Troopers pulled him over at 1:14 a.m. and charged him with driving under the influence, attempting to elude police,  reckless driving, no proof of insurance and having an open container.

Birkett reported that Fairley posted a bail of $1,750 and was released at 9 a.m. Sunday morning. He also said that Fairley’s agent, Brian Overstreet, would not return calls and attempts to reach Fairley on his cell phone resulted in an automated message saying that the number has been disconnected.  Birkett said that the Lions acknowledged the incident but would not make a comment until all of the information has been made available:

“We are aware of the reports and are in the process of gathering more information,” the Lions said in a statement today.

This is not Fairley’s first run-in with the law. He’s been arrested twice now in the last two months; Fairley is due to appear in court in July after being charged in April with a misdemeanor for possession of marijuana.

Jason McIntyre of TheBigLead.com tweeted a photo of his mugshot, along with the nugget that Fairley was around the corner from his mothers house.

ICYMI: Nick Fairley arrested for DUI, here's his grinning mugshot is.gd/WFdjr5—
Jason McIntyre (@TheBigLead) May 28, 2012

Lions DT Nick Fairley was arrested for driving under the influence Sunday morning. It is his second arrest in seven weeks. (Dave Reginek, Getty Images)

For the second time since the conclusion of the NFL season, Nick Fairley is in trouble with the law. A defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions, Fairley was arrested in his hometown of Mobile, Al. early Sunday morning according to FOX 10 of Mobile.

According to the report, Fairley was pulled over after passing an officer’s car at a speed of 100 miles per hour. Fairley did not have proof of insurance at the time, but did have an open container in the vehicle, according to the report. Fairley was also charged with evading police, as he initially did not yield to officers when he was asked to pull over.

Fairley was arrested in Mobile earlier this year for possession of marijuana.

Detroit Lions running back Javhid Best has been cleared for contact in June, according to the team’s official site.

 “He’s been doing everything in the offseason program and we expect he’ll be cleared sometime probably in June,” Lions general manager Martin Mayhew told Mike O’Hara and Ken Brown on WJR Monday night. “We look forward to having him on the field.”

“Those doctors felt like it just made sense to do that in June,” Mayhew said. “It gives him the most time. “We are not doing anything that involves any contact and he’s been cleared to do everything that we’re doing right now and he’ll be officially cleared for contact in June.”

Best missed the final 10 games of the Lions regular season after suffering a concussion in a 19-25 Week 6 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. The 23-year-old suffered through post-concussion symptoms through the remainder of the year, it was reported that some close to him urged him to consider retirement.

The concussion was Best’s second of the year, the 23-year old had previously suffered one after a blow to the head in the NFL’s shortened pre-season. The versatile back also had a history of concussions during his college career at the University of California.

For a moment, it looked like the winningest quarterback in college football history would wind up homeless in the NFL — but now, according to a report from ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, undrafted Boise State QB Kellen Moore has caught on with the Detroit Lions.

Great landing spot for Kellen Moore - Boise St QB agrees to terms with #Lions after going undrafted, per sources.

—
Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) April 29, 2012

Moore went 50-3 as the Broncos’ starter over his four years in Boise, shattering the all-time NCAA Div. I FBS wins record. He also finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2010.

Moore had another impressive season in 2011 — he threw for 3,800 yards with 43 touchdowns, then capped off his career with a victory in the MAACO Las Vegas Bowl over Arizona State, 56-24.

Moore’s role in Detroit will likely be that of backup to Matthew Stafford, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft out of Georgia.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson has received either a high honor or a terrible curse, depending on how you look at it: Johnson will appear on the cover of Madden NFL 2013, according to NFL.com.

On one hand, it’s a tremendous honor, as Johnson received the support of America’s fans. In winning the popularity contest, he narrowly edged Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, winning the election with 52 percent of the vote to Newton’s 48.

On the other hand? He’s opening himself up to the infamous “Madden curse” — Garrison Hearst, Marshall Faulk, Donovan McNabb and Shaun Alexander are among the athletes who have suffered debilitating injuries shortly after appearing on the cover. Johnson will try to avoid that fate.

This is the second consecutive year that the cover-featured player has been chosen by fan vote — last year, Peyton Hillis won the privelege of headlining Madden 2012.

Madden ’13 comes out on August 28.

Charles Rogers, former wide receiver for the Detroit Lions, turned himself in yesterday afternoon in Michigan on two warrants seeking his arrest, reports Andy Hoag of MLive.com.

Rogers is charged with five misdemeanors, including making a malicious phone call and conspiring to commit that crime. He is also accused of possessing marijuana, possessing an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle and operating a motor vehicle on a suspended or revoked license.

Rogers, 30, appeared before Saginaw County District Judge A.T. Frank about 4:30 p.m. yesterday and pleaded not guilty to all five charges. Outside the courtroom, he had “no comment” regarding the charges.

The Michgan lifer was a standout receiver at Saginaw High School and at Michigan State. He was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2003 NFL draft; his career with the Lions lasted just three years.

Detroit Lions running back Mikel Leshoure appeared in Berrien County Trial Court this morning for arraignment on a charge of second-offense marijuana possession, according to The Detroit Free Press.

Leshoure pleaded down a possession charge to use of marijuana after a February traffic stop in Benton Township. He was cited for this misdemeanor on March 12^th in Bridgman for possession/second offense.

His hearing is scheduled May 15 with a pre-exam conference on May 11.

Leshoure was drafted to the Lions in the second round and was the 57^th pick overall. However, he missed his entire rookie season with a torn Achilles Tendon.

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley has been arrested on marijuana possession charges, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

One day after Lions 2nd-rd pick Mikel Leshoure was arrested for marijuana possession, 1st-rd pick Nick Fairley was arrested for same offense

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Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 03, 2012

Mobile police arrested Nick Fairley, charged him with 2nd-degree marijuana possession, and took him to jail before he posted $1.000 bond.

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Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 03, 2012

According to Schefter, Fairley was charged with 2^nd-degree marijuana possession and posted $1,000 bond. According to Al.com, police were called after a car was spotted speeding through several neighborhoods and police found marijuana in Fairley’s car.

Fairley, 24, recorded 15 tackles and one sack in his rookie season in Detroit.

Detroit Lions running back, Mikel Leshoure has not rescheduled his arraignment for marijuana charges, after he failed to show up in Berrien County District Court yesterday, according to Profootballtalk.

Leshoure missed the original arraignment yesterday for reasons unbeknown to the public, but reports said that he had spoken with the Lions and rescheduled it for Wednesday. However, that is not the case and Leshoure still has not made any arrangements to show up in Berrien County District Court.

Leshoure is being charged with a Felony and could be facing potential jail time and suspension from the NFL.

Leshoure missed all of his NFL rookie with a torn Achilles’ tendon.  He was drafted to the Lions in the second round and was the 57^th pick overall.

Detroit Lions running back Mikel Leshoure was arraigned today after allegedly attempting to eat marijuana in his possession in order to avoid a citation, according to USA Today.

The citation was issued on March 12 when Leshoure was a passenger in a rented 2012 Mitsubishi SUV that was pulled over while driving westbound on I-94 in the southwestern part of Michigan. This was Leshoure’s second run in with the police in regards to a substance related citation.

“My guy stops him, he’s a passenger in the car, you’ll read the report, and when my guy’s approaching the car Mr. Leshoure’s trying to eat it,” Baroda Lake Twp. chief Gary Ruhl said. “It was just enough for personal use.”

Leshoure missed all of his NFL rookie with a torn Achilles tendon.  He was drafted to the Lions in the second round and was the 57^th pick overall. He won the 2011 CFPA Running Back trophy at Illinois and was also second-team All-American.

The Detroit Lions have re-signed running back Kevin Smith to a one-year deal, according to a tweet from Profootballtalk.

Kevin Smith returns to the Lions on a one-year deal, per league source.

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  (@ProFootballTalk) March 27, 2012

Smith was picked by the Lions in the 2008 NFL Draft, and has contributed 16 touchdowns for 2,212 yards with 113 receptions during his time with the Lions. Last season he recorded four touchdowns for 356 yards and had 22 receptions.

The Detroit Lions have agreed to terms on a one-year deal with free agent cornerback Jacob Lacey and resign defensive tackle Andre Fluellen to a one-year deal, according to a tweet form Lions beat writer Tim Twentyman.

Lions agree to terms with CB Jacob Lacey; re-sign DT Andre Fluellen wp.me/pBLTq-Ja

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Tim Twentyman (@ttwentyman) March 20, 2012

Lacey spent the past three seasons with the Colts where he played in 43 games. Last season he recorded 72 tackles, three forced fumbles, and one interception. He is most likely to fill the starting cornerback void now that Eric White has joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Fluellen, appeared in 11 games last season for the Lions, recording 11 tackles and one forced fumble. He has proven to be a valuable asset to the Lions because of his versatility in the defensive line.