SB Nation - Jared DeVries

Official Vikings/Lions Injury Reports

Gonzo — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 04:54:02 -0000

Good evening/morning, campers! Glad to see that things have been relatively normal here, with the exception of some of the more creative FanPosts (all of which have been deleted). I would have gotten to these injury reports a bit sooner, but I spent my evening last night in New Orleans at a retirement party for a very good friend of mine that is moving on to the civilian world after putting in his 20 years. Let me tell you. . .Disney World might advertise themselves as the happiest place on Earth, but they've got nothing on Bourbon Street.

And I'll just leave it at that. This is, after all, a family show.

So, let's move on to the injury reports. As is customary here, we'll look at the visiting team first, so his Minnesota's injury report for tomorrow's game.

Minnesota Vikings Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Anthony Herrera	back	09/18/2009
Jim Kleinsasser	hand	09/18/2009

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Heath Farwell	hamstring	09/18/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Erin Henderson	calf	09/18/2009

Henderson is going to be out, we know that already. The big question here is Heath Farwell's status. According to Access Vikings, Henderson was the only member of the team that didn't practice on Friday, so since Farwell practiced, I'm guessing that he'll be a go for tomorrow's game, barring anything surprising. So, the Vikings should basically have their entire complement of players going into Ford Field tomorrow.

And here's the injury report for the Lions:

Detroit Lions Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Grady Jackson	knee	09/18/2009
William James	foot	09/18/2009
Jason Hanson	knee	09/18/2009
Phillip Buchanon	neck	09/18/2009
Daniel Loper	knee	09/18/2009

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Eric King	shoulder	09/18/2009
Andre Fluellen	knee	09/18/2009

Doubtful

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Cliff Avril	hamstring	09/18/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Cody Spencer	knee	08/18/2009
Daniel Bullocks	knee	08/20/2009
Jared DeVries	achilles-tendon	08/11/2009
Chris Roberson	undisclosed	09/05/2009
Damion Cook	triceps	08/07/2009

Grady Jackson is probable despite not having practiced on Friday, and his matchup against Vikings' center John Sullivan will be one of the more interesting ones to watch tomorrow. Sullivan had his difficulties with Shaun Rogers last week in Cleveland, and while Jackson is no longer in the class of guys like Rogers, he's still a big run-stuffing body in the middle of the Detroit defense.

Cliff Avril will likely be inactive for the Lions tomorrow, and I haven't seen anything indicating that anyone else on the Lions' injury report is a definite deactivation for tomorrow.

So there are the bumps and bruises for both teams going into the Week 2 matchup at Ford Field. Not a lot of hugely game-changing injuries for either side. We're about 12 hours away, folks, so make sure you're here for the Game Thread and all the fun that's involved with that. We'll see you here then!

Injury News: DeVries Out for Season, Johnson Wearing a Cast, Bullocks Headed to Alabama

Sean Yuille — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:00:20 -0000

More photos » by Anonymous - AP

4 months ago: FILE -- This is a 2009 file photo showing Detroit Lions football player Jared DeVries. Detroit Lions defensive end Jared DeVries left the practice field on a cart Monday, Aug. 10, 2009, after suffering an apparent ankle injury. (AP Photo/File)

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If you thought the vast amount of injuries in the first week of training camp were bad, then I don't want to know what the rest of the second week has in store for us. I say that because the second week of camp has started with a season-ending injury for Jared DeVries, a thumb injury for Calvin Johnson, and a visit with Dr. James Andrews for Daniel Bullocks.

Starting with what is the most serious injury, defensive end Jared DeVries ruptured an Achilles tendon and will have to have season-ending surgery to fix it. DeVries suffered the injury during a goal line drill and had to be carted off the field. It sounds like the injury is very serious, but Jim Schwartz said he doesn't think it is career-threatening.

The Lions were looking to add depth to the defensive line even before DeVries got hurt, which is why Shaun Smith was in Allen Park today. Smith was released by the Browns over the weekend and was scheduled to get a physical by the Lions today. He plays defensive end for the most part, but he has played some defensive tackle as well. My guess is that with DeVries out, the Lions will try to fill the lack of depth pretty quickly. Considering Smith is already in Allen Park, he could become a Lion very soon if he passes his physical.

One player the Lions can't afford to lose is Calvin Johnson, so you can imagine how scary it was when he left practice on Sunday after jamming his right thumb. Again, you can imagine how much scarier it was to see him with a cast on his right hand. Well, you can probably let out a small sigh of relief, as it doesn't sound like the injury is too serious.

Johnson will undergo more tests to make sure there isn't any significant damage to his thumb.

Initial X-rays on Johnson's thumb were negative, but the Lions are going to have their star receiver undergo a more detail examination.

Lions coach Jim Schwartz told the media the cast is a precautionary move.

Let's hope the cast comes off soon and that is the last time we have to see the word "injury" anywhere near Calvin Johnson.

The last bit of news on the injury front (for now) is that safety Daniel Bullocks was set to visit Dr. James Andrews in Alabama to have his knee looked at. Andrews did surgery on the same knee in the past, and since Bullocks has missed practice recently, Andrews wanted to look at it. It's never usually good news when an athlete has to visit Dr. James Andrews, but let's hope it turns out to be nothing serious for Bullocks.

Thursday Notes: Inconsistency Highlights 7-on-7 Drill

Sean Yuille — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 20:32:15 -0000

More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

4 months ago: Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) throws during at NFL football training camp in Allen Park, Mich., Thursday, Aug. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

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Louis Delmas missed practice again today and is officially day-to-day with a knee injury.
Grady Jackson missed the morning session of practice yesterday, but it wasn't because he was injured. Jackson and Ephraim Salaam both only participated in one practice, as the Lions want to slowly ease them into camp, especially Jackson since he had only practiced once since signing with Detroit.
Jordon Dizon and John Standeford missed the afternoon session of practices yesterday due to injury.
Jared DeVries missed the afternoon session on Wednesday as well, though he was out because of personal reasons.
After struggling in the 7-on-7 drill yesterday, the Lions' quarterbacks performed better today.
Drew Stanton's unit was the only one to score in Wednesday's two-minute drill.
Matthew Stafford threw a no-look pass to Calvin Johnson on Tuesday.
The battle for the third running back spot on the roster will likely be between Aveion Cason and Aaron Brown. Both are also returners and are very similar players in general. Brown has age working for him, as he is younger and hasn't had a chance to prove himself. Cason, on the other hand, has the obvious edge in experience. One area where Brown clearly has Cason beat is speed, so we will have to see how big of a factor that plays when the final round of roster cuts arrives.

(More after the jump)

Philip Zaroo of the Highlight Reel has a recap of how the offense and defense performed during practice yesterday. Also in the defense post is a funny moment with offensive tackle Ephraim Salaam.
Jerome Felton has been getting some carries out of a 2-fullback set that features him and Terrelle Smith.
Gunther Cunningham really likes the Detroit area and its people.
Rich Gannon thinks Matthew Stafford will be the Lions' starter when the season opens.
Ernie Accorsi was invited to practice by Jim Schwartz.
With this whole Twitter-fad going on right now, some teams, including the Lions, have prohibited the media from Tweeting while watching practice. What's funny is that any fan with a cell phone can do just that, yet the media aren't allowed to. Something just doesn't make sense about that policy.
Michael Crabtree is threatening to sit out the 2009 season and re-enter the draft in 2010.

Wednesday Notes: Trade with Jaguars Finalized

Sean Yuille — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:21:20 -0000

My prayers go out to Ricky Sandoval, the Lions director of security who just celebrated his 49th birthday yesterday. Unfortunately Ricky is in the hospital and is "beginning to slip away." He has battled with pancreatic cancer for the last three years.
The Gerald Alexander-Dennis Northcutt trade was finalized on Tuesday. Alexander was surprised by the trade, as were most Lions fans. I'm really only surprised that the Lions dealt him for Northcutt, as him being moved isn't too shocking. As Tom Kowalski explains, the chances of Alexander making the roster weren't all that great, so the team obviously figured it would get something out of him rather than just cut him after training camp.
Patrick Hayes of It's Just Sports recently spoke with Otis Wiley, getting an update on the former Spartan's status with the Lions.

Now, where are you at right now, you're with the Lions right?

Yeah, with the Lions. In July I go back and tryout again and if I get on the roster, it'll be a nice little smooth sail after that.
Wiley would have been on the Lions after the draft if he hadn't failed his physical, so it sounds like he will get another shot at joining the team when training camp begins. Considering he hasn't been able to spend any time on the team so far, I would put his chances of making it past the first round of cuts fairly low. The safety position, as we learned from the above-mentioned trade, is pretty much set in stone barring an injury.
The NFL Network caught up with Matthew Stafford and Brandon Pettigrew at the rookie symposium.
Thousands of people, including Jared DeVries, attended the funeral of Iowa high school coach Ed Thomas.

Wednesday Notes: Lions' Final Minicamp Is Underway

Sean Yuille — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:43:40 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

5 months ago: Detroit Lions quarterback Daunte Culpepper throws during football minicamp, Wednesday, June 24, 2009, in Allen Park, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

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First and foremost, my condolences go out to Jared DeVries, as his high school coach, Ed Thomas, was killed in a shooting this morning. Thomas was not only a great coach, but he also was a great person and friend to his players. After tornadoes tore through Iowa last year, he helped lead the effort to rebuild his city. DeVries went back home to help rebuild as well. He was pulled from practice this morning to be informed of the tragic news.
Daunte Culpepper broke his silence on the battle that is shaping up between him and Matthew Stafford for the starting QB job, but nothing he said was really all that groundbreaking. The only really notable comment Culpepper made was when he talked up Stafford.

"(Stafford's) played a lot of football and he's a hard worker,'' Culpepper said. "He's going to be a great player in this league and I wish him the best in everything he does in his career.''
Aside from that, the other thing worth noting is that Culpepper's goal for this coming season is to win the NFC North. I like that his top goal is team-oriented. Many players would probably be more concerned with playing than anything else, so it's good to see Culpepper's got the right attitude.
Due to a combination of warm temperatures and a couple weeks off, practice got off to a rough start yesterday. Once some of the rust wore off, things got back to normal.
Jon Jansen and Ephraim Salaam are currently practicing as backups to the right and left tackle positions, respectively. Jansen is probably going to practice at guard during training camp, and it is expected that Salaam will move around to right tackle at some point as well. It is important for these types of players to be versatile, so this isn't too surprising.
The Lions could really use Kevin Carter, as Eric Hicks, Jared DeVries, and rookie Ryan Kees are currently the team's only left defensive ends.
Grady Jackson and Derrick Williams didn't participate in practice yesterday. Jackson still is recovering from knee surgery and Williams had a tight hamstring.
Don't expect Jim Schwartz to release a depth chart until the first exhibition game of the preseason.
The main motivation behind the Lions someday moving training camp appears to be to make the players uncomfortable. Another reason is to give more fans a chance to attend practices, but Schwartz seems set on throwing a curveball at his team next summer, and moving the players out of their practice facility is a good way to do just that.
~~Schwartz supposedly now has his own Twitter page~~, as do the Lions.

UPDATE: The Lions confirmed that that isn't Schwartz's Twitter page.
Larry Foote's return to Detroit comes with the goals of making the Lions better and making his hometown better as well.
Don't expect many NFL teams to have any interest in Charles Rogers.
Tom Kowalski seems to think the story about Roy Williams not participating in a lifting program while he was with the Lions is a bit overblown.
Former Lion Fernando Bryant has retired.
Another report is stating that Brett Favre already has an agreement to play for the Vikings and that he will be in Minnesota when training camp begins.
SB Nation recently added its 200th blog.

A Coaching Legend is No More

ChiFan13 — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:09:57 -0000

Blogging is a fun hobby; I enjoy writing about the NFL and the Chicago Bears in particular. However, posts like these are never easy or fun to write.

Aplington-Parkersburg (IA) head football coach Ed Thomas was shot in the head five times at point-blank range this morning while supervising a lifting session at the high school. He died a short time later. Football players were in the weight room when the shooting occured.

You may be wondering why this story is showing up on a Chicago Bears blog. First, the towns of Aplington and Parkersburg are less than twenty minutes from where I live. Second, he's a football coaching legend in Iowa. He's coached four NFL players from a town of 1,900 (Aaron Kampman, Brad Meester, Jared DeVries, and Casey Wiegmann). Even though his house was destroyed in the F-5 tornado last year, he helped rebuild the town and made sure the football team would have a place to play last fall. He knew how much watching the team would mean to the town's residents. I know the last statement seems rather fake and cheesy, but it was something the town could (and did) rally around. For a town still reeling from that devastating tornado, this isn't the best news to hear.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Thomas family and the towns of Aplington and Parkersburg.

Link to the E:60 clip of Parkersburg rebuilding after the tornado last year.

KCCI-TV is reporting the suspect is Mark Becker, 24, from Parkersburg.

Becker was involved in a high-speed chase last Saturday. After he was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, he was taken to the hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.

Friday Notes: Recapping Thursday's OTA

Sean Yuille — Fri, 22 May 2009 15:48:24 -0000

More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

7 months ago: Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, talks with offensive coordinator Scott Linehan during drills at the team's football practice facility in Allen Park, Mich., Friday, May 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Browse more photos »

NFL.com has a minute-long video showing some highlights of Matthew Stafford from yesterday's OTA.
Stafford's performance yesterday was nothing surprising. He made some bad throws but threw the ball like a No. 1 pick at times as well. He took reps with the No. 2 group, so he didn't get to throw the ball to Calvin Johnson. Daunte Culpepper, who was "the sharpest," according to Dave Birkett, had that luxury. Drew Stanton was the QB splitting reps with Stafford in the No. 2 group, and he "had a pretty good day throwing the ball." In the end, though, Birkett came to this conclusion:

But Stafford remains the most talented. Even with the veterans, his passes seem to get on the receiver as soon as they turn around.
My guess is that once Stafford learns the ins and outs of the offense, he will get more and more of the No. 2 reps. Obviously the Lions don't want to just forget about Stanton, but I imagine by training camp Stafford will start to pick up more reps, hopefully to the point where he gets to work out with the No. 1 team every once in a while.
Rookies should expect to hear it from veterans for being a rookie; that's just part of getting acclimated to the NFL. If the rookie is the top overall pick of the draft, though, he should expect to hear about how much money he has, as was the case with Stafford on Thursday.

"A guy couldn't catch me coming out of a bootleg, and he said, 'Sorry, I was just picking up all the money falling out of your pockets,'" Stafford said, laughing. "Just funny stuff like that. But they've all been great, welcoming me."
Eric Hicks later admitted he made the comment after Jared DeVries ratted him out.
Don't expect to find Stafford in any GQ photo shoots like the one Mark Sanchez did.

"No, I haven't had any offers, but my abs aren't as cut as those of Mark Sanchez," Stafford joked after Thursday's OTA workout. "But, yeah, I saw that. I'm gonna have to give him a call about that."

Asked if he thought Sanchez's photos were airbrushed, Stafford laughed and shook his head, "I don't know. We're not THAT good of friends."
That would have been the quote of the day if Hicks hadn't used the "money falling out of your pockets" line during practice.
Newly signed offensive tackle Ephraim Salaam only participated in individual drills during the OTA on Thursday.
Jim Schwartz thinks free agent Roderick Hood "was still in the exploratory range" when he visited the Lions, so don't get your hopes up that he will end up in Detroit.
Defensive end Dewayne White missed Thursday's OTA, which was voluntary, for personal reasons. Fellow defensive lineman Grady Jackson hasn't practiced yet this offseason due to the problems with his brother, but he is now back with the team.
Safeties Stuart Schweigert and Daniel Bullocks and defensive end Jason Hunter also sat out practice on Thursday.
Louis Delmas is serving as the punt team's personal protector, which lines up basically as a fullback and barks out different things relating to blocking and blitzing.
I was pleasantly surprised to find no new FanPosts about Michael Vick considering he was released from prison earlier this week. I've reiterated before that the Lions have no interest in him, but hopefully by letting Jim Schwartz do basically the same thing, there will be little to no mention of Vick on this site in the future.
The Free Press and MLive have photo galleries from Thursday.
The 49ers signed Dre' Bly to a one-year deal, and another former Lions cornerback, Brian Kelly, was brought in for a physical.

Jared DeVries Out for the Season; Other Injuries

Sean Yuille — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:39:08 -0000

Defensive end Jared DeVries is going to be moved to the injured reserve, as his season is over after re-breaking his left hand during yesterday's game. With DeVries going to the IR, a roster spot becomes available for Drew Henson. According to Dave Birkett, Dan Orlovsky thinks he is "probably two weeks away" from being able to play again, so I guess he won't be moved to the IR after all.

Also via Birkett, the Lions will be one injured team going into Thursday's game.

Along with Stanton, Lions coach Rod Marinelli said right end Dewayne White (calf) and center Dominic Raiola (thumb) are doubtful for Thursday, and cornerback Keith Smith (groin) he probably won't be available either. Raiola said he should be back for next week's game against Minnesota.

Can the Lions just forfeit right now?

Week 12 Injury Report

Sean Yuille — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 07:15:47 -0000

DETROIT LIONS
Pos.	Player	Injury	Status
QB	Dan Orlovsky	Hand	Out
RB	Kevin Smith	Groin	Probable
RB	Rudi Johnson	Knee	Probable
FB	Jerome Felton	Ankle	Probable
WR	Calvin Johnson	Quad	Probable
WR	Mike Furrey	Concussion	Out
OG	Edwin Mulitalo	Knee	Questionable
C	Dominic Raiola	Hand	Out
DE	Ikaika Alama-Francis	Concussion	Probable
DE	Jared DeVries	Hand	Probable
DE	Dewayne White	Calf	Out
DT	Cory Redding	Groin	Probable
DT	Chuck Darby	Calf	Probable
CB	Keith Smith	Groin	Out
S	Dwight Smith	Foot	Questionable
S	Kalvin Pearson	Shoulder	Probable

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Pos.	Player	Injury	Status
QB	Brian Griese	Right Elbow	Questionable
RB	Carnell Williams	Hamstring	Questionable
RB	Warrick Dunn	Back	Probable
WR	Ike Hilliard	Shoulder	Probable
TE	Alex Smith	Ankle	Questionable
OG	Arron Sears	Shoulder	Probable
S	Jermaine Phillips	Forearm	Doubtful

NFL INJURY REPORT GUIDE
Status	Definition
Probable	75% chance that the player will play in the game
Questionable	50% chance that the player will play in the game
Doubtful	25% chance that the player will play in the game
Out	0% chance that the player will play in the game

Week 11 Injury Report

Sean Yuille — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 06:11:17 -0000

DETROIT LIONS
Pos.	Player	Injury	Status
QB	Dan Orlovsky	Hand	Doubtful
FB	Jerome Felton	Ankle	Probable
WR	Mike Furrey	Concussion	Doubtful
TE	John Owens	Hamstring	Questionable
TE	Casey FitzSimmons	Ribs	Probable
C	Dominic Raiola	Hand	Out
DE	Jared DeVries	Hand	Out
DE	Dewayne White	Calf	Out
DT	Shaun Cody	Ankle	Probable
DT	Chuck Darby	Calf	Probable
DT	Cory Redding	Groin	Questionable
LB	Ernie Sims	Shoulder	Questionable
CB	Keith Smith	Groin	Out
S	Dwight Smith	Foot	Out

CAROLINA PANTHERS
Pos.	Player	Injury	Status
C	Ryan Kalil	Ankle	Doubtful
DT	Darwin Walker	Neck	Questionable

NFL INJURY REPORT GUIDE
Status	Definition
Probable	75% chance that the player will play in the game
Questionable	50% chance that the player will play in the game
Doubtful	25% chance that the player will play in the game
Out	0% chance that the player will play in the game