Detroit Lions Podcast: Bish and Brown on Lions first week of free agency

Detroit Lions Podcast: Bish and Brown on Lions first week of free agency, draft prospect fits and more

On another episode of the Detroit Lions Podcast with Bish and Brown, the guys are back to talk about the Lions first week of free agency! Join Russ and Scott as they are talking about the players the Lions signed and traded for during the start of free agency. Here’s some of the things the guys discussed:

  • Lions sign Marcus Davenport, Amik Robertson and traded for Carlton Davis!
  • Player Fit at Pick 29 of the 2024 NFL Draft: Zach Frazier, IOL, West Virginia
  • Prospect of the Week | Powered by Restore!

2024 NFL Mock Draft: Trades for QBs shake up Round 1; Ravens retool offensive line

We’re looking at an updated three round NFL mock draft for all 32 teams after the first wave of free agency

The Ravens are still in the crux of a potential Super Bowl window. Still, they’ll look drastically different on both sides of the football after undergoing massive changes to player personnel and the coaching staff. Eric DeCosta started the off-season with urgency, signing Justin Madubuike, one of the league’s best defensive linemen, to an extension. After inking Madubuike to a deal, Baltimore seemed to win the first wave of the free agency period after getting Derrick Henry for two years and $16 million. The talented running back could earn $20 million throughout the deal. All wasn’t perfect, as the Ravens suffered significant free-agent losses. Patrick Queen (Steelers), Geno Stone (Bengals), and Gus Edwards (Chargers) were among eight free agents to sign elsewhere. Baltimore also traded Morgan Moses to the Jets and released Tyus Bowser in a cost-cutting move. With the second wave of free agency set to begin, we’re looking at an updated three-round mock draft.

Why 49ers adding QB Josh Dobbs makes sense

Here’s why the #49ers signed another veteran quarterback:

The 49ers are set to sign veteran signal caller Josh Dobbs to a one-year contract. Dobbs’ agent announced the agreement on Twitter Monday afternoon.

Dobbs is the second quarterback the 49ers have signed this offseason. He’ll join Brandon Allen and Brock Purdy in San Francisco’s QB room.

It looked like the 49ers might be content with Allen as their QB2 and a draft pick sitting as the emergency third signal caller. Instead they brought in Dobbs to presumably compete for the backup QB job, leaving Allen to potentially work in as the emergency third QB on game days. That opens the door for a rookie to work out with the practice squad assuming he doesn’t pull a Purdy and beat out one of the veterans for a roster spot out of camp.

Dobbs is an intriguing addition though with plenty of upside. His Cinderella run with the Vikings fell flat after just a couple of weeks, but Dobbs showed during his 12 starts last year with the Cardinals and Vikings that he’s a capable starting QB in the NFL.

There are warts to his game, to be sure. Sometimes he has too much faith in his arm and his accuracy can be erratic, but he’s a mobile QB with enough upside that he’s a viable backup for a team like the 49ers. And backup QB is an extremely important position in San Francisco.

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Dobbs will earn $2.25 million fully guaranteed with up to $750,000 in playing time incentives.

Purdy made it easy to forget the 49ers’ recent history with injuries under center. His healthy 2023 campaign though will unlikely erase the scars left by all the previous seasons the 49ers saw derailed because of an injury to the starting QB. They may have confidence that Allen can go win a few games if he’s pushed into a starting role, but he’s hardly done enough as a pro to warrant that level of confidence out of camp.

Now instead of competing with a rookie, he’ll be competing with a bonafide NFL QB who’ll either be better or force Allen to earn the all-important QB2 job.

Adding another quarterback didn’t appear to be super high on the 49ers’ list of offseason needs, but they were able to find a third at an affordable price that should ultimately improve their QB room regardless of whether he winds up as QB2 or QB3.

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Report: Lions to sign free agent guard Kevin Zeitler

The Lions are set to sign veteran guard Kevin Zeitler, per Adam Schefter

Brad Holmes was not done in free agency. The Lions GM has been working to bring in more help, and it’s coming on the offensive line.

Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Lions are signing veteran guard Kevin Zeitler. The 34-year-old Zeitler has been the starting right guard for the Baltimore Ravens for the last three seasons. He’s also played for the Giants, Browns and Bengals, starting 181 games in his 12-year career.

Schefter indicates it will be a one-year deal for Zeitler and the deal is pending the vet passing a physical during a visit to Detroit on Tuesday.

Former Ravens offensive guard Kevin Zeitler to sign a 1-year deal with the Lions

Former Baltimore Ravens offensive guard Kevin Zeitler is signing a one-year deal with offensive guard Kevin Zeitler

Kevin Zeitler is taking his talents to Motown, as the former Ravens offensive guard is set to sign a one-year deal with the Detroit Lions.

Zeitler played over 1,000 snaps played in every year with Baltimore.

The Pro Bwol honoree is still going strong at 33 years old, earning a pass-blocking grade above 80.0 for the second consecutive season in 2023.

Zeitler improved as last season went on, and from Week 4 on to the playoffs, he logged 428 passing blocking snaps, allowing 12 pressures, 0 hits and 0 sacks.

He’ll replace Jonah Jackson, who departed Detroit for the Los Angeles Rams in free agency.

Former Vikings RB Alexander Mattison signs on with Raiders

Raiders are adding former Vikings RB Alexander Mattison

Considered the best running back still yet to be signed, Alexander Mattison visited the Raiders facility today. And they didn’t let him leave.

Mattison wasn’t as highly touted as the many of the backs that went in the first wave, but at just 25 years old, his arrow is pointing up.

The five-year veteran is coming off his best season, with career highs in starts (13), carries (180), rushing yards (700), receptions (30), and yards from scrimmage (892).

Though he hasn’t cracked four yards per carry the past three seasons, he has shown steady improvement in that area, going from 3.7 ypc to 3.8 ypc to 3.9 ypc over the past three seasons.

Mattison teams up with Zamir White to give the Raiders their 1-2 punch out of the backfield which they were looking for. And assuming his deal is a far cry from the $14.8 million Josh Jacobs got from the Packers, and with White on his rookie contract, the Raiders should get good value from their backfield this season.

49ers sign former Raiders T Brandon Parker

After six years Brandon Parker’s time with the Raiders might actually be over

After six years with the Raiders, Brandon Parker’s time with the team might actually, finally be over. The former third round pick has signed on with the 49ers, the team announced Monday.

The Raiders were so nervous they could miss out on Parker in the 2018 draft, that they traded three picks to jump up ten spots in the third round.

The North Carolina A&T product was seen as the answer to start at right tackle with first round pick Kolton Miller at left tackle. Miller developed into a solid starting tackle. Parker…did not.

It was not for lack of chances. He was thrust into the starting lineup as a rookie when Donald Penn was injured. He started a disastrouns 12 games that season.

He would start a handful of games over the next two seasons before, in the final year of his rookie contract, he was given another chance at being the starting right tackle, replacing draft bust Alex Leatherwood. Parker would give up eight sacks in 12 starts.

Somewhat surprisingly at that point, he was brought back the next season and suffered an injury that cost him all of 2022. Then he was brought back *again* last season, appearing in five games with one start.

After that run, it wouldn’t have surprised anyone if the Raiders brought him back for yet another go round. But this time, they actually let him walk. And for now he is a member of the San Francisco 49ers.

Cardinals bringing former Rams DL Jonah Williams for visit

This Jonah Williams played on the Rams defensive line the last three seasons.

The Arizona Cardinals have one Jonah Williams added to the team, having signed the veteran offensive lineman to a two-year deal. They could add a second Jonah Williams.

According to Aaron Wilson, the Cardinals are scheduled to have free agent defensive lineman Jonah Williams, formerly of the Los Angeles Rams, in for a visit on Tuesday.

Williams spent the last four years with the Rams after signing as a rookie free agent out of Weber State. He spent all of 2020 on the practice squad.

In three seasons since then, he appeared in 41 games, starting 22 of them, and collected 77 total tackles, four tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, eight quarterback hits and a tipped pass.

Last season, he was a starter for the Rams, playing in 598 total defensive snaps. Last season alone, he started 16 of 17 games and had 49 tackles and two sacks.

He was non-tendered as a restricted free agent.

He is 28 years old and listed at 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds.

The Cardinals have done a lot on the defensive line this offseason, re-signing L.J. Collier and adding Justin Jones, Bilal Nichols and Khyiris Tonga thus far since the start of free agency.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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Best photos of new Dolphins DB Siran Neal

Best photos of new Dolphins DB Siran Neal

The Miami Dolphins, with both Justin Bethel and Keion Crossen on the market, needed to add a special teams ace and depth cornerback this offseason, and they did so by signing Siran Neal.

Neal lands in South Florida on a one-year deal after playing collegiately at Jacksonville State before being drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL draft and playing six seasons for Sean MxDermott’s team.

As Dolphins fans familiarize themselves with the team’s newest ace, we’ve put together a gallery of photos from his time in Buffalo.

Take a look:

Ex-Titans edge rusher Trevis Gipson signs with Jaguars

Former Titans edge rusher Trevis Gipson has signed with the Jaguars.

Another one of the Tennessee Titans’ free agents has signed with a division rival.

The Jacksonville Jaguars announced on Monday that they have signed edge rusher Trevis Gipson, who spent the 2023 campaign with the Titans. The contract details have yet to be revealed.

Gipson is the third Titans free agent to sign with a division rival, along with defensive end Denico Autry and linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, both of whom landed with the Houston Texans.

The 26-year-old played sparingly last season, seeing just 76 defensive snaps over eight contests. His lack of playing time was one of the more puzzling things to take place last season.

I had Gipson on the radar as someone the Titans could bring back, especially after Autry, who worked at both defensive end and outside linebacker during his time in Tennessee, left for the Texans.

The Titans have yet to address either position in free agency, leaving the team very weak at defensive line, and dangerously thin at outside linebacker.

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