inmate running the asylum Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 Hmm. The Skins were interested in acquiring him last year, although he has had injury problems the last 3 years. Lions Release James Stewart & Two Others -- from FFMastermind.com AP reports the Detroit Lions have released RB James Stewart, DT Luther Elliss, and WR Bill Schroeder in salary-cap moves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Die Hard Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 Lots of big names available this offseason. Lots of names period. Odd turn of events for the NFL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 Will Schroeder go back to playing the piano for Lucy or will he head back to the Frozen Tundra? I can't see us signing Ellis OR Stewart although Stewart seems like a Gibbs-type back in that he runs hard between the tackles. He kinda reminds me of Terry Allen but he was stuck on a crappy team when he got hurt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Mike Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 Something tells me that we may just come out of this with a pretty good D line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TC4 Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 Pass on Ellis Now if you were talking Shaun Rogers, then I might get a big woody Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inmate running the asylum Posted March 3, 2004 Author Share Posted March 3, 2004 Originally posted by TC4 Pass on Ellis Now if you were talking Shaun Rogers, then I might get a big woody Word on the street is that you never had a big woody. :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TankRizzo Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 Originally posted by Die Hard Lots of big names available this offseason. Lots of names period. Odd turn of events for the NFL. Stark contrast from last year. I remember a couple articles written about how teams have "cracked the cap" and are managing to keep their big name guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TK Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 Originally posted by inmate running the asylum Word on the street is that you never had a big woody. :laugh: Brutal. :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bulldog Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 Luther Elliss is older than Luther Vandross :laugh: Seriously, the Lions don't seem to have much to recommend themselves up front except Porcher and he is 33. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inmate running the asylum Posted March 3, 2004 Author Share Posted March 3, 2004 Originally posted by bulldog Luther Elliss is older than Luther Vandross :laugh: Luther Ellis is only the same age as Phillip Daniels, both 31. Although Ellis has been injury prone the last 3 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inmate running the asylum Posted March 3, 2004 Author Share Posted March 3, 2004 Lions cut 3 for poor production Schroeder, Stewart, Elliss waived March 3, 2004 BY CURT SYLVESTER FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER The Lions had no big surprises up their sleeve Tuesday as they positioned themselves for the start of free agency. Just the cold, hard facts of NFL life. LIONS' FREE AGENTS Unrestricted free agents: Guards Eric Beverly, Kerlin Blaise and Ray Brown; running back Shawn Bryson; quarterback Ty Detmer; linebackers Barrett Green, Jeff Gooch and BrianWilliams; defensive end James Hall; punter John Jett; defensive tackle Kelvin Pritchett; safety BracyWalker; cornerbacks Otis Smith and Doug Evans; and receiver Shawn Jefferson. Restricted free agents: Wide receiver Scotty Anderson, linebacker Donte' Curry, punter Nick Harris, quarterback Mike McMahon, wide receiver/kick returner Reggie Swinton and fullback Stephen Trejo. LIONS' NEEDS With possible free agents available: Cornerback: They didn't get Champ Bailey, but there are other good players, including Antoine Winfield of Buffalo and Ahmed Plummer of San Francisco. Others available: Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor (Eagles), Fernando Bryant (Jaguars) and Shawn Springs (Seahawks). Guard: Only a few quality guards are available. The 49ers released Ron Stone Tuesday. And if the Bears don't keep Chris Villarrial the Lions will probably be interested. Running back: The Lions haven't ruled out reworking things to bring James Stewart back. Others available: Antowain Smith (Patriots), Charlie Garner (Raiders), Garrison Hearst (49ers), Duce Staley (Eagles), Thomas Jones (Bucs). The Bengals' Corey Dillon isn't a free agent, but he's available. Tight end: The free agent pool is shallow at tight end. Jim Kleinsasser was the top choice before he resigned with the Vikings Tuesday. Wide receiver: Another shallow pool. Available: Justin McCareins (Titans), Darrell Jackson (Seahawks) Tai Streets (49ers). And the coldest, hardest fact -- for a team that has won 10 of its last 48 games -- is that the old guard just wasn't getting it done. With that in mind, the Lions released defensive tackle Luther Elliss, running back James Stewart and wide receiver Bill Schroeder. The team will continue talks with defensive end Robert Porcher in hopes of reaching agreement on a renegotiated contract that will enable him to play one more year in Detroit. They will try to keep a select few of their own players who became free agents at midnight. Included in that group are defensive end James Hall, linebacker Barrett Green and guard Eric Beverly. And perhaps most significantly, they will move quickly to land one of the prize unrestricted free agents -- probably a cornerback -- who are available to the highest bidder today. The Lions were less than 48 hours into the free-agent signing period a year ago when they landed their prize catch -- Pro Bowl cornerback Dre' Bly -- and president Matt Millen would like to replicate that move this week. "I don't care to make a big splash or make a lot of headlines," Millen said Tuesday. "I want to get us better. If we can do that on the first day, we'll do that on the first day. "If we have to wait till the third week, then we'll wait till the third week. But what I'd like to do right now is just address some of the holes that we have and try to strengthen them. And sometimes that may not be the 'A' player. It may be a guy you have to wait and see what his market is. "We're willing to be patient, and we're also willing to be aggressive. It's just going to be what's available." After the roster moves Tuesday -- including the release of Elliss, Stewart and Schroeder -- the Lions are thought to have $15 million in salary-cap room. Even after making tender offers to their own restricted free agents -- including backup quarterback Mike McMahon -- the Lions have the salary-cap flexibility to take a major step forward in the fourth year of Millen's rebuilding program. After dropping out of the trade talks for Washington cornerback Champ Bailey, the Lions are expected to make a big push for one of the top unrestricted free-agent cornerbacks on the market -- Antoine Winfield of Buffalo or Ahmed Plummer of San Francisco. And although they could not legally contact free agents (except their own) until midnight, they are expected to have one or more of their targeted players visit today at the practice facility in Allen Park. The goal again this year will to make the Lions younger, faster and stronger. That makes players in the Winfield and Plummer mold more appealing than capable -- but older -- cornerbacks like Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor from Philadelphia. Perhaps the toughest decision for Millen and coach Steve Mariucci was to cut Elliss, a popular nine-year veteran whose quickness and strength made him a devastating inside force in back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons in 1999 and 2000. In recent seasons, Elliss had been hampered by injuries and his productivity had fallen, making him expendable. "We've talked about this for a while," Millen said. "He's known about it. We talked about it last year as well. So it's not anything that came out of the blue. He was anticipating it and -- like everything Luther's done -- he's handled it with class." Millen said he has not given up entirely on bringing Stewart back, but he could not justify the $5-million salary Stewart was due on the remaining year of his contract. "We'll still talk to him," Millen said. "I still think he could be productive here, but the reality of football in the new millennium is you have to get everything right. We'll continue to talk to him and see if we can't get something worked out." By releasing Schroeder, Millen will try to undo one of his most widely criticized moves since he became Lions president. Schroeder was not the big-play threat Millen and then-coach Marty Mornhinweg wanted, and he was unpopular with Ford Field fans. In two seasons, Schroeder caught 72 passes for 992 yards and seven touchdowns. The Lions and Porcher agreed to push back the bonus he was due this week in order to continue talks aimed at reducing his contract from the $6.8 million he was due in 2004. Millen and executive vice president Tom Lewand indicated they are making progress in contract talks with Hall, but Green and Beverly apparently will test the free-agent market. Among the restricted free agents who received contract tenders were wide receiver Scotty Anderson, kick returner Reggie Swinton, punter Nick Harris and McMahon, who was tendered at a first-round level. 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2cents Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 Sign Schroeder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vegas-Born Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 To many retreads makes me nervous. I am not thrilled by recycling D-lineman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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