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DT Michael Cosgrove (Idaho) - Undrafted Free Agent

Idaho's Michael Cosgrove is one of two undrafted defensive linemen who signed with the Detroit Lions this offseason. The other, Edmon McClam, was scouted earlier this week, and now it's time to take a look at Cosgrove.

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Last weekend, there was a report from ESPN Dallas that suggested the Detroit Lions would be interested in trading for Cowboys cornerback Mike Jenkins. The Indianapolis Colts are believed to be interested as well, but there's a problem for both teams: Dallas claims it has no interest in dealing Jenkins right now.

Although the Cowboys have maintained this particular stance on Jenkins, the belief has been that they will change their mind and trade Jenkins later in the offseason. For now, at least, Jerry Jones says that isn't the case and that Jenkins will remain in Dallas.

"There's nothing that I can conceive that would help us more as a football team and help us accomplish where we're going to be next year than having Jenkins on the team," Jones said during the team's Wednesday workout at Cowboys Stadium. "I'm sure not interested in anything in the future. I'm all about what we can do (this) year."

Things could always change, but for now it appears that Jenkins isn't going anywhere.

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Titus Young showed a lot of promise on the field in his rookie season, but so far in the 2012 offseason, he hasn't shown any promise off the field. There have been reports about Young being apathetic during workouts earlier in the offseason, and the big story last week was that he was absent from OTAs due to an alleged sucker punch on Louis Delmas.

This week, Young returned and released a statement to apologize for his actions. The obvious hope is that this will be the last off-field incident we hear about involving Young. He is a promising young talent, but you can't go around hitting a teammate. You also can't take dumb penalties on the field like he did against the New Orleans Saints last season. This and more is discussed in Jerry Mallory's latest video for SB Nation and Pride of Detroit, which you can check out below.

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The Detroit Red Wings put together a video tribute to Nicklas Lidstrom in honor of him retiring on Thursday. The video highlights Lidstrom's career with the Red Wings and does an excellent job of showcasing his best moments in the NHL. You can check it out after the jump.

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Detroit Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom has called it a career. As speculated on Wednesday, Lidstrom announced during a Thursday morning press conference at Joe Louis Arena that he is retiring from the sport of hockey.

Lidstrom is going out on his own terms and as one of the greatest players in the history of the game. He won four Stanley Cups, seven Norris Trophies and a Conn Smythe Trophy -- all with the Red Wings. He also won a gold medal in the 2006 Winter Olympics for Sweden. He is a surefire Hall of Famer and will without a doubt be the final player to wear the No. 5 jersey for the Red Wings.

Lidstrom's career comes to a close after 1,564 games in the regular season and another 263 more in the playoffs. He recorded 264 goals and 878 assists for a total of 1,142 regular-season points. In the playoffs, he had 54 goals and 129 assists for a total of 183 points. Amazingly, he went to the playoffs in all 20 seasons of his career.

As good as Lidstrom was on the ice, he was even better off of it. He has been a role model throughout his career and is somebody all people -- not just hockey players -- can look up to. There's a reason his nickname is "The Perfect Human," as he exemplified what it meant to be a great player and a great person during his 20 seasons with the Red Wings.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

NFL Network's "Top 100 Players of 2012" series continued on Wednesday night with spots 50-41 being revealed. We knew that a Detroit Lions player was set to be on Wednesday's list, and we had to wait until the end of the show to find out who it was. This is because quarterback Matthew Stafford came in at No. 41, the final spot revealed on Wednesday night.

The general theme of the feature the show put together on Stafford is that he performed extremely well in his first full season in the NFL. Although he does have one of the top receivers in the game to throw to (Calvin Johnson), there's no doubting Stafford's talent considering he threw for more than 5,000 yards.

Should Stafford be higher than No. 41 just based on what he accomplished last season? Many think so, but the thing I took away from the feature on the show is that consistency will be key for Stafford. For next year's version of this show, Stafford could rocket up the rankings if he puts together another strong season in 2012. Right now, it seems some players want to see him put up the kinds of numbers he had in 2011 for more than one season, which is fine.

It's not clear right now when the next Lions player will be on the show. Ndamukong Suh was included in the preview highlights for next week's show, but I'd be surprised if he's ranked in the top 40 considering most don't expect him to be on the top 100 list at all. Chances are we'll have to wait for Calvin Johnson, who will probably be in the top 10.

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All offseason there has been speculation about the NFL potentially canceling the Pro Bowl. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell openly discussed the possibility earlier in the offseason after how awful the 2012 edition of the "game" was. As of the 2012 NFL Draft, the future of the game was still being discussed, although it looked like a given that the game would be canceled. Now, a decision has been made:

The Pro Bowl lives on. NFL announces it will be played in Hawaii on NBC the week before the Super Bowl.

— SB Nation (@sbnation) May 30, 2012

In an upset, the Pro Bowl is returning, mainly because the players "made it clear through the NFL Players Association that they would like the opportunity to continue to play the Pro Bowl in Hawaii." The NFL is still working with the players to improve the event, but all I can say is good luck, because I have zero interest in watching the "game" in its current form.

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One of the big questions that will arise after Nicklas Lidstrom officially retires on Thursday is about who will step in his place as the next captain of the Detroit Red Wings. Right now, the Red Wings' three alternate captains are Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Niklas Kronwall. The favorite to become the next team captain is Zetterberg, according to Helene St. James.

Bank on Henrik Zetterberg being named the next captain of the Detroit #RedWings

— Helene St. James (@freepwings) May 30, 2012

Zetterberg is the logical choice to be the next captain of the Red Wings. He has played for the Red Wings since the 2002-03 season, and he is signed to continue playing for the team through the 2020-21 season. He is one of the premier players in the NHL and is one of the Red Wings' leaders.

If Zetterberg is named the next captain of the Red Wings, Datsyuk and Kronwall will continue serving as two of the alternate captains. Should the Red Wings fill the third alternate spot, it will be interesting to see who ends up with it.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

It's all but official at this point that Detroit Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom is going to retire. Already, former teammate Aaron Ward confirmed that Thursday's press conference is for Lidstrom to announce his retirement, and two more reports indicate the same thing.

Hakan Andersson just sent me a text, confirming the rumour that Nick Lidstrom is retiring. #nhl #redwings

— Linus Hugosson (@linushugosson) May 30, 2012

Source just confirmed to me Nicklas Lidstrom is retiring after 20 seasons in NHL.

— Helene St. James (@freepwings) May 30, 2012

Hakan Andersson is the Red Wings' director of European scouting and is from Sweden. Obviously, he would be plugged in to know about Lidstrom's decision, which quickly is making the rounds in the hockey world.

Lidstrom's press conference on Thursday is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

It appears that Thursday's press conference with Nicklas Lidstrom will in fact be for him to announce his retirement. As soon as the announcement was made on Wednesday about a press conference with Lidstrom being held, speculation suggested that he was going to retire. Now, word is starting to leak out that Lidstrom is in fact calling it a career, as evidenced by this tweet from former teammate Aaron Ward:

According to source,Nic Lidstrom will announce his retirement tomorrow in Detroit. #TSN

— Aaron Ward (@aaronward_nhl) May 30, 2012

More signs that Lidstrom is retiring come from comments Ken Holland has made. Holland told Nick Cotsonika that he talked to Lidstrom three or four times in the past week because he "wanted to make sure that he had all the necessary time." What's more, Holland said that Lidstrom has come to a decision and that it's a "major decision." There's also this:

Holland on Lidstrom "I'll let him make his announcement. He's earned that right."

— Tim Wharnsby (@WharnsbyCBC) May 30, 2012

We all knew this day would eventually come, but it's hard to believe it may finally be here.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

The Detroit Red Wings just announced that a press conference will be held on Thursday morning at Joe Louis Arena. The purpose? It's not clear, but the announcement states that general manager Ken Holland and captain Nicklas Lidstrom will be involved in the press conference, which is set to begin at 11 a.m. ET.

In all likelihood, this press conference will be about Lidstrom's future and whether or not he is returning for his 21st season in the NHL. For reference, last year when he announced his return, Lidstrom did so over a conference call. When that particular media event was announced, it was clear he wasn't going to retire over the phone, and he did end up coming back.

With the Red Wings calling an actual press conference at Joe Louis Arena, speculation suggests that it may be for Lidstrom to announce his retirement. That's just speculation, but would Lidstrom hold an in-person presser to simply announce he is returning? I suppose it's possible, but based on what he did last year, it would be a surprise.

At this point, you can bet all Red Wings fans are hoping that the difference in how the announcement is made results in the same announcement in the end -- that Lidstrom is coming back. However, it's a real possibility that this could be the end of the road for Lidstrom, and that is really hard to fathom given what a run it's been.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

• First, some injury news: Stephen Tulloch was once again absent from practice due to his knee injury. Amari Spievey was also absent from practice with an apparent injury (what exactly is wrong is unclear), and Doug Hogue had his right arm wrapped. DeAndre Levy, who had missed practice last week, was back on Tuesday.
• Paula Pasche reports that Ryan Broyles hauled in a deep pass from Kellen Moore with "no apparent difficulty" during Tuesday's OTA session.
• Riley Reiff got some work at right tackle on Tuesday, as did Corey Hilliard, according to Dave Birkett. Jason Fox worked at left tackle, as did Johnny Culbreath, who had gotten time at right tackle last week.

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Yes, this is seriously a picture of Nick Fairley from Tuesday's Lions OTA session, and yes, he's pretending to be an airplane. Give it your best caption and rec your favorites in the comments section.

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Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz met with the media on Tuesday following the team's OTA session. Most of what he discussed was related to the Lions' off-field issues, which we have already sort of covered. Even so, it's worth reading through the full list of quotes, as Schwartz provided a lot of insight on the issues. Via the Lions, here is the quote sheet (you can check out video of Schwartz's comments here):

On DT Nick Fairley's incident this past weekend: "No 1, I'm aware of the incident from this weekend; No. 2, I have addressed it with Nick and I did talk to the team about it this morning. But beyond that, I really don't have any comment.

"I don't want to confuse ‘no comment' with a situation like that which is a pending matter, with, ‘we don't take it serious,' or anything else. We do take it serious, but I don't have a comment on it right now."

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Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz fielded questions on Tuesday about the team's recent off-field issues. Specifically, he was asked several questions about Titus Young and Nick Fairley. A full quote sheet from his press conference will be posted later, but for now, here is the key thing Schwartz said about the recent incidents:

On the issues of personal accountability and personal behavior and how it impacts the franchise: "Well there certainly is accountability, and that's always been the case, and there's a lot of different layers to that. There's a personal conduct policy, which is a league matter; there's team rules, there's team discipline; there's also a substance abuse program which is a league matter. So there's a lot of different layers to that discipline process, but I think what we have here is a case of a few guys tainting the reputations of a lot of others.

"We have 90 guys out here working, most of which are doing a very good job and working with a good goal in mind. But the actions of a few have affected the reputations of not just the other guys in the 90, but also the organization as a whole and that's not a good situation."

Schwartz went on to say that he is concerned, angry and "a lot of different words" over the fact that a select group of players is damaging the team's reputation. The Lions are now being described as the "new" Cincinnati Bengals because of their off-field issues, for example. The Lions actually had a very good off-the-field record before this offseason, but now all of the good they did in the past is being thrown out the window with the arrests and other issues this offseason.

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As mentioned earlier, the Detroit Lions decided to close their locker room to the media following Tuesday's OTA session. Unlike last week, the team decided to not let the media in because the majority of the questions would be about Nick Fairley's arrest and Titus Young's alleged sucker punch since he returned today.

In addition to closing the locker room, the Lions also ensured that the media couldn't ask either player any questions as they left the practice field. Just how bad did the team want them to avoid the media? They actually had team security escort them off the field.

#Lions DT Nick Fairley and WR Titus Young were escorted off the practice field by team security to prevent them from speaking media #NFL

— Anwar Richardson (@AnwarRichardson) May 29, 2012

This isn't a big surprise, and from a PR standpoint, it makes sense for the Lions to not have Fairley and Young being grilled by the media. Even so, it's not like they are going to be able to avoid speaking to the media forever. They obviously aren't going to be forced to answer questions about their off-field incidents and can just offer up a "no comment," but I personally think it would be nice for them to own up to their mistakes and get this out of the way now rather than later. The Lions obviously feel differently about the situation, though.

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During the 2012 NCAA baseball tournament selection show on Monday, Michigan State found out that it is in the field of 64 teams by virtue of an at-large bid. By being selected, Michigan State ended a 33-year streak of missing the tournament, and as you can expect, the team was quite pumped to see its name in the bracket. Michigan State athletics recorded the team's reaction to being selected and posted a pretty cool video of it. Check it out:

Following his arrest early Sunday for driving under the influence and attempting to elude police, it wasn't clear if Detroit Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley would be at the team's OTA session on Tuesday. Like wide receiver Titus Young, who returned from a week-long absence today, it was possible that Fairley could spend some time away from the team for his most recent transgression.

As it turns out, Fairley is in fact at the Lions' facility today. He is taking part in the organized team activity, and he seems to be in good spirits despite what happened over the weekend.

#Lions DT Nick Fairley buzzing across the field with his arms spread like an airplane. He's having fun

— Anwar Richardson (@AnwarRichardson) May 29, 2012

Although Fairley and Young are at the OTA session, don't expect to hear much from them. According to Paula Pasche, Fairley and Young won't be available for comment, and Chris McCosky reports that the Lions have decided to close the locker room to the media following practice. I understand why the Lions are doing this, but players -- Fairley and Young included -- are eventually going to face questions about what has gone on off the field. Why delay the inevitable?

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Titus Young is back in the building. After missing all of last week's OTAs due to his alleged sucker punch on Louis Delmas, Young returned to the team on Tuesday and is taking part in the most recent OTA session, according to Tim Twentyman. This signals that his suspension/hiatus/whatever you want to call it is over.

In conjunction with his return to the Lions, Young released a statement to apologize for his actions and explain why he was away from the team last week. Details of what happened between him and Delmas aren't shared, but the statement does refer to "incidents." Here it is:

"My recent actions have not always been up to the standards the Lions expect or the standards that I expect from myself. I am truly sorry for those times when I didn’t meet those standards.

"My absence from the practice facility and the OTAs last week was necessary for both myself and the team.

"The time away from the team afforded me the opportunity to reflect and come to the realization that by putting those incidents behind me I will be able to focus on becoming the best teammate and player that I can be."

It appears that we can now begin to put this story in the rear-view mirror. Last week, it was unclear just how long Young would be away from the team, but with him back on Tuesday, the absence ended up being only one week.

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Following a break for the holiday weekend, the Detroit Lions will be back at it on Tuesday morning in Allen Park. They are resuming their organized team activities with what promises to be a very interesting day. It's not expected to be interesting because of what will happen on the field, but rather because of what will be discussed off of it after the OTA session comes to a close.

The big story that surely everybody -- from coaches to players -- will be asked about is Nick Fairley's weekend arrest. For those who might have been away for the holiday, Fairley was arrested early Sunday morning for driving under the influence and attempting to elude police. This was Fairley's second offseason arrest and is expected to result in an eventual suspension by the NFL. For now, the big question mark revolves around what the Lions' reaction to the arrest will be, and we should find out on Tuesday.

While Fairley's arrest will headline the OTA, that's not the only off-field issue the Lions will likely face questions about. Questions still remain about Titus Young's status following his absence from last week's OTAs, which was believed to be related to an alleged sucker punch on Louis Delmas a week earlier. If Young is still absent, there will likely be more questions about when he will be back, although they will probably continue to go unanswered. If he happens to be there, though, then there will be just as many questions about what has changed in order for him to return.

To say the least, we should learn quite a bit about some of the Lions' recent off-field problems on Tuesday, either from the perspective provided by the players and coaches or in a symbolic sense by their continued silence. This is a chance for the team to at the very least provide a strong response to Fairley's arrest and clear some things up on the Young situation. If silence and the phrase "no comment" turn out to be the theme of the day, then to me it will be an opportunity missed at a time when leaders are needed to step up and right the ship.

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Let's all stay out of trouble, okay?

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DE Edmon McClam (Old Dominion) - Undrafted Free Agent

Today we shift to the defensive side of the ball in our scouting reports of Detroit Lions undrafted free agents. The first defensive player getting a look is defensive end Edmon McClam, who hails from Old Dominion. McClam is the lone undrafted defensive end to sign with the Lions this year, and he is one of only two defensive linemen on the list of UDFA signings.

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Bad press has been a common theme for the Detroit Lions this offseason. The team finally put together a winning season in 2011 and made the playoffs, and hope is high for the franchise as a whole going forward. However, a lot of the good things the Lions have done both on and off the field have been overshadowed by off-field incidents, most of which involve players from the 2011 draft class being arrested.

What exactly has occurred over the last four months to generate all of this bad press? Let's take a look at the timeline.

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It has not been a good offseason for a select group of Detroit Lions players, at least when it comes to off-field issues. The Lions have had a total of five arrests this offseason involving their players, all of whom belong to the 2011 draft class. This has prompted a lot of talk about the Lions having a discipline problem, so I decided to dive into the San Diego Union-Tribune's NFL arrests database, which goes back to 2000, in hopes of shedding some light on how bad this offseason has really been for the team. After the jump are some interesting stats that I discovered while looking through the database.

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Some of the details have emerged from Detroit Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley's arrest for driving under the influence and attempting to elude police. Specifically, we now know that Fairley was arrested at 1:13 a.m. in Alabama by State Troopers. We also now know that Fairley was pulled over in the first place because he was speeding. Here are more details:

According to the release, Fairley was traveling 100 m.p.h. in his 2010 Cadillac Escalade when he passed a police car patrolling westbound I-10. Fairley initially refused to yield to emergency lights and sirens, and "showed signs of impairment" when he eventually stopped, the release said.

Fairley, who decided to decline a Breathalyzer test, was also cited for the following violations: reckless driving, having an open container and not having proof of insurance.

Following the arrest, the Lions released their usual statement on these kinds of issues. It simply said that the team is "aware of the reports" and is "in the process of gathering more information." You can bet Jim Schwartz and players on the team will be asked about the arrest on Tuesday after the team's next OTA is held.

(By the way, as pointed out by Dave Birkett, Fairley speeding at 100 miles per hour tops Ndamukong Suh's ticket for going 91 miles per hour earlier in the offseason. Fittingly, Suh will be the Grand Marshal of this upcoming weekend's Belle Isle Grand Prix.)

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Detroit Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley has been arrested -- again. Fairley was arrested back in April on a charge of marijuana possession, and he was arrested again early Sunday morning, this time for a much more serious offense. Fairley was charged with driving under the influence, as well as attempting to elude police, according to WALA. He also was ticketed for reckless driving, no proof of insurance and having an open container, according to the report.

Here are more details:

Alabama State Troopers say Fairley was arrested shortly after 1:00 a.m. Sunday on I-10 near the intersection of Highway 90 in Tillman’s Corner. [...]

He posted $1750 bond and was released shortly after 9:00 Sunday morning.

Clearly, Fairley didn't learn from the mistake he made earlier in the offseason. He has now been arrested twice in two months, with the most recent charge involving a DUI and attempting to elude police. At this point, I think it's safe to say he will be facing a suspension. We've been talking about how long Mikel Leshoure will be suspended for being caught with marijuana on two separate occasions, and it seems likely that Fairley's arrests for marijuana possession and a DUI/attempting to elude police will land him in serious trouble with Roger Goodell.

Fairley may have a lot of promise on the field, but he is officially a big concern off of it for the Lions.

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