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Full list of the 2024 Detroit Lions free agents

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Full list of the 2024 Detroit Lions free agents


After a deep run through the postseason, the Detroit Lions’ tremendous 2023 season finally came to a close, and the organization is shifting to the 2024 offseason.

While the Lions have already signed 12 players to futures contracts, they still have 39 players who finished the season on the roster—on either the 53-man roster, practice squad, or injured reserve—that are not currently under contract with the organization.

Let’s take a look at the four different groups those 39 players can fall into, as well as which players land in those groups.

20 unrestricted free agents (UFA)

Unrestricted free agents are players on expiring contracts who have at least four accrued seasons of NFL experience. While they do not currently hold a contract with the Lions, Detroit can negotiate a potential new deal at any time. If they have not reached an agreement with the Lions by March 11, 2024—when the free agent tampering period begins—these players below can begin negotiations with other NFL franchises.

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  • QB Teddy Bridgewater — Retiring, accepted job as a high school coach
  • QB Nate Sudfeld
  • WR Josh Reynolds
  • WR Donovan Peoples-Jones
  • TE Anthony Firkser
  • OL Dan Skipper
  • OT Matt Nelson
  • OG Jonah Jackson
  • OG/C Graham Glasgow
  • OG Halapoulivaati Vaitai
  • DL Tyson Alualu
  • EDGE Romeo Okwara
  • EDGE Charles Harris
  • LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin
  • CB Emmanuel Moseley
  • CB Kindle Vildor
  • DB Will Harris
  • DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson
  • K Michael Badgley
  • LS Jake McQuaide

6 street free agents (SFA)

Street free agents are players who finished the season on the Lions practice squad but were not offered a futures contract. Because practice squad contracts expire seven days after a team’s final game, the Lions practice players are set to become SFAs on Monday, February 5.

The difference between a UFA and an SFA is that SFAs do not have to wait until March to negotiate a contract with another team, as they are immediately eligible to open up contract talks with all 32 teams.

  • QB David Blough
  • RB Mohamed Ibrahim
  • FB Jason Cabinda
  • TE Zach Ertz
  • OL Michael Schofield
  • EDGE Julian Okwara

Of note, OT Max Pircher finished the season on the Lions practice squad but is scheduled to return to the NFL’s international program.

6 restricted free agents (RFA)

Restricted free agents are players on expiring contracts but they only have three accrued seasons in the NFL. Like with UFAs and SFAs, the Lions can enter contract negotiations at any time, but they also have the ability to offer a one-year tender to each of these players.

The one-year tenders fall into three categories—first-round, second-round, and original-round tenders—and their contractual value varies depending on which tender is applied and when the player was or was not drafted.

If these players are offered a tender by the Lions, the player can accept the one-year deal or they can negotiate a contract with another team during the free agency period. Suppose an agreement with another organization is reached. In that case, the Lions have the option to match the offer or allow the player to sign elsewhere and receive the appropriate compensation for the tender.

  • TE Brock Wright
  • DT Benito Jones
  • LB Anthony Pittman
  • CB Jerry Jacobs
  • CB Khalil Dorsey
  • LS Scott Daly

6 exclusive rights free agents (ERFA)

Exclusive rights free agents are players on expiring contracts but they have less than three years of accrued experience in the NFL. Like with RFAs, the Lions can offer these players a qualifying tender, but unlike RFAs, there is only one tender option and the player is not allowed to negotiate with another team unless the Lions opt to release them from that restriction.

That means, if the Lions offer an ERFA a one-year tender, that player can either accept the offer and play for the Lions or sit out the season. If the Lions do not offer the player a tender, that player becomes a UFA and can negotiate a contract with other teams during the March free agency period.

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  • RB Craig Reynolds
  • RB Zonovan Knight
  • TE Shane Zylstra
  • OG Kayode Awosika
  • EDGE James Houston
  • NB Chase Lucas

We have the full overview of the Lions roster and current contract situations in our 2024 Detroit Lions depth chart/contract tracker.



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Detroit, MI

Fired Detroit TV anchor Taryn Asher files sex discrimination lawsuit against old station, claims new GM protected men

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Fired Detroit TV anchor Taryn Asher files sex discrimination lawsuit against old station, claims new GM protected men


A fired Detroit TV news anchor blasted her former station, and their parent company, for letting her male colleagues’ bad behavior slide and then axing her when she complained about the unfair treatment, a new lawsuit claims.

Taryn Asher filed the federal sexual discrimination lawsuit on Wednesday against Fox Television Stations and her former workplace, WJBK TV, known as Fox 2 Detroit, in connection with her sudden termination in November.

Taryn Asher filed a federal lawsuit against her former station, Fox 2 Detroit, for sexual discrimination. Linkedin / Taryn Asher

The station went downhill after Fox 2 hired Paul McGonagle as their general manager —  sparking a slew of female firings, while men, including Asher’s co-anchor Roop Raj, were offered more perks, the 26-page complaint obtained by The Post alleged.

“If Asher had not been female, she would not have been treated in the same discriminatory manner,” the filing, first reported by Deadline Detroit, said.

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Raj was treated “more favorably” and offered “more guest interview segment opportunities on the evening news,” as well as scheduling adjustments, Asher claimed.

In one example, Asher alleged the station refused to let her adjust her schedule to host a show called “Let it Rip,” though Raj was given the leeway to host his show, “The Pulse.”

The suit also alleged that WJBK allowed him to “circumvent and undermine” Asher’s work responsibilities.

She later emailed McGonagle about the situation, writing, “I’m concerned about the lack of balance and equity, particularly compared to my co-anchor who holds the same responsibilities but has a more accommodating schedule.”

Asher alleged her co-anchor, Roop Raj, was offered more guest interview segment opportunities and schedule accommodations. Facebook / Roop Raj¿

McGonagle met with Asher to tell her she would not be adjusting the schedule, and her new program would be put on hold, according to court papers.

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An Emmy award-winning veteran broadcast journalist, Asher claimed that Raj had also been assigned all of the guest interviews they were supposed to split for Election Day, court documents said.

After complaining to management to no avail, Asher decided to speak with the co-anchor about her concerns that he was receiving “preferable treatment.”

The lawsuit denied that Asher had any “outbursts” that warranted her to be fired. Linkedin / Taryn Asher

The next day, Raj contacted human resources and “offensively labeled Asher as ‘jealous,’ and grossly mischaracterized Asher’s complaints of sex-based discrimination as Asher ‘[having] an issue with men vs. women,” court papers claim.

Shortly after, Asher was placed on leave “pending an investigation into alleged complaints of ‘egregious behavior’” with her Fox colleagues — and fired after a two-week probe for “outbursts” in the newsroom, the lawsuit said.

Asher denied having any such “outbursts” that warranted her to be fired, according to court papers.

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Several male employees at the station had also exhibited “unprofessional behavior and misconduct” with lesser consequences, the filing alleged.

Among the examples, Raj was allegedly “merely suspended” for two weeks after being arrested for driving under the influence in 2012, and McGonagle was also allegedly promoted after a DUI arrest at a different Fox station.

Asher is seeking unspecified damages from Fox Television Stations and WJBK TV.

The action followed the longtime Detroit anchor’s complaint with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that was subjected to “less favorable treatment” than male employees.

Neither Fox, McGonagle, nor Raj responded to The Post’s request for comment.

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Detroit Tigers sweep Tampa Bay Rays in win as Dillon Dingler stays hot

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Detroit Tigers sweep Tampa Bay Rays in win as Dillon Dingler stays hot


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ST. PETERSBURG, FL – Almost every Detroit Tigers hitter looks improved through three games in June, but Dillon Dinger continues to go above and beyond. He put the Tigers on his back for a sweep of one of MLB’s best teams.

The Tigers scored in each of the first four innings en route to a 7-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday, June 3, in the finale of the three-game series at Tropicana Field, sweeping the series for a three-game winning streak.

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It’s the first sweep for the Tigers since April 14-16.

Dingler hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning.

Facing the Rays, Dingler hit .462 (6-for-13) with three home runs and nine RBIs across 14 plate appearances. The 27-year-old drove in four runs apiece in Monday’s opener and Wednesday’s finale.

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He is hitting .241 with 14 homers and an .830 OPS in 56 games.

The Tigers improved to 25-38, while the Rays, who entered Wednesday with the best record in the American League, dropped to 36-23. As of Wednesday afternoon, the Tigers are 10½ games behind the first-place Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central.

More importantly, the Tigers experienced a run-scoring breakthrough at Tropicana Field.

The offense scored 81 runs (with 18 home runs) through 28 games in May, only to score 25 runs (with 10 home runs) in the first three games in June.

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On the mound

Right-hander Troy Melton struggled early on.

But he dominated throughout the middle and late innings.

The 25-year-old didn’t throw a first-pitch strike to the first eight batters he faced, and the Rays took advantage of his command issues by scoring one run apiece in a 19-pitch first inning and a 17-pitch second inning.

The result of those runs: The Rays tied the game, 1-1, on Yandy Díaz’s RBI single in the first and tied the game again, 2-2, on Cedric Mullins’ solo home run in the second.

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Melton suddenly threw a first-pitch strike for the first time to Victor Mesa Jr., immediately following Mullins’s homer and Nick Fortes’ single.

He faced the minimum 21 batters after Fortes’ single, needing 14 pitches in the third inning, 10 in the fourth, eight in the fifth, six in the sixth and eight in the seventh and 12 in the eighth.

His only blemish during that stretch came on a leadoff walk to Jonathan Aranda in the third inning, losing a nine-pitch battle. He bounced back by erasing Aranda on the bases with a double play, then he struck out Richie Palacios.

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Melton owns a 1.74 ERA in three starts since returning May 24 from the injured list after suffering right elbow inflammation in spring training.

At the plate

The story continues to be the offense.

It’s a small sample size, but the Tigers keep hitting in June.

The Tigers grabbed the lead in the first inning for the fourth game in a row, courtesy of Gleyber Torres’ leadoff double and Dingler’s RBI single.

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Torres attacked a first-pitch cutter from right-hander Nick Martinez in his second game since returning from the injured list, recovering from a left oblique strain.

Martinez allowed six runs on nine hits and one walk with one strikeout across four innings, throwing 58 pitches. He hadn’t allowed more than two runs in his first 11 starts, entering Wednesday with a 1.62 ERA.

He now has a 2.29 ERA after his 12th start.

After taking a 1-0 lead, the Tigers made it 2-1 in the second on Jake Rogers’ home run and 3-2 in the third on Spencer Torkelson’s sacrifice fly.

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The big swing occurred in the fourth inning.

Singles from Matt Vierling and Torres put two runners on for Dingler with two outs, and, with two strikes, he pulled Martinez’s middle-away cutter for a three-run home run.

It put the Tigers ahead, 6-2.

A sacrifice fly from Kerry Carpenter extended the Tigers’ lead to 7-2 in the ninth inning.

Next up: Comerica Park

The six-game road trip is in the books.

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The Tigers have an off day Thursday – with another off day approaching on Monday – as they return home to Comerica Park for a three-game series against the AL West-leading Seattle Mariners, beginning Friday (6:40 p.m., Detroit SportsNet).

The probable pitchers for the series: left-hander Framber Valdez on Friday, right-hander Keider Montero on Saturday and right-hander Jack Flaherty on Sunday.

For the Mariners, All-Star right-hander Bryan Woo is scheduled to start Friday’s opener.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.





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Another bribery scandal hits Detroit. It involves the People Mover

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Another bribery scandal hits Detroit. It involves the People Mover


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  • A former Detroit People Mover official is accused of accepting $300,000 in bribes.
  • The official allegedly approved phony invoices for IT work that was never performed.
  • The businessman who submitted the invoices owned a home restoration company with no IT experience.

More than a decade ago, a juror in a Detroit public corruption trial that ended with three men getting convicted in a $97 million bribery scheme exclaimed: “Hopefully this is the end of this nightmare … this is a whole new beginning.”

It didn’t quite go that way as the following years saw two city councilmen indictments, a dozen school principal bribery convictions, a towing scandal, as well as a toxic dirt and demolition fiasco.

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And now there’s this.

In a new criminal filing in U.S. District Court, a former city official in charge of the Detroit People Mover shuttle is charged with taking $300,000 in bribes from a businessmen who reportedly billed the city for work that was never performed — all with the help of his connected associate.

According to a criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday, June 2 in U.S. District Court, the alleged scheme involves 55-year-old Michael Anderson, a former director with the Detroit Transportation Corporation, who allegedly helped Detroit businessman Terrence Parker bill the city for nearly $305,000 in information technology work that was never performed.

Moreover, court records show, Parker’s company has no experience with IT work, but rather performs restoration work on homes damaged by storms and natural disasters. Still, the FBI says, Parker managed to submit 22 phony invoices to the DTC for IT work, including fixing computer monitors — and got paid for all of it. That’s because Anderson was approving his phony invoices from the inside, the government says, and getting money in exchange for his help.

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Anderson and Parker both are charged with conspiracy and federal program theft/bribery and face up to 10 years in prison, if convicted. They were released on bond following their initial appearances in U.S. District Court. Their court-appointed lawyer could not be reached for comment.

According to the complaint, Anderson, who was hired by the city in 2022, was in charge of overseeing People Mover operations until he was fired in April for conduct unrelated to the pending criminal case. Parker owns a business called Total Care Restoration (TCR), which performs restoration work on homes damaged by fire, water, windstorms, or other elements.

According to the government, Parker was billing the DTC for information technology services, even though his company has no experience in that field, nor has it ever submitted a bid proposal to the city for such work, or signed any contract with the DTC.

Still, the government alleges, between 2023-25, the DTC paid nearly $305,000 to TCR for 23 invoices it had submitted, 22 of those invoices charged for IT services.

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“Anderson approved the invoices and Parker deposited the checks into TCR’s bank account. TCR did not submit any invoices or receive any payments before Anderson was hired as Procurement Director. Likewise, TCR did not submit any invoices or receive any payments after Anderson was fired as Procurement Director,” the complaint states.

According to the government, Anderson did actually procure and manage IT contracts with a number of companies while he worked for the DTC. But TCR was billing the city for work that those companies had been contracted to do.

“At least six TCR invoices listed work that was actually contracted to (another company),” an FBI agent wrote in his affidavit attached to the criminal complaint.

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Also noteworthy, the FBI agent writes: “Most of TCR’s invoices contained a charge for debris removal. In my experience, debris removal is a common line item for restoration projects but not for IT work.”

According to the complaint, the FBI figured out that Parker was funneling money to Anderson by reviewing their bank records, and noticing that their deposits and withdrawals coincided. For example, on Aug. 16, 2024, Parker deposited a DTC check for $23,934 and withdrew $18,000 cash. That same day and over the next several days, Anderson made cash deposits into his account for $1,500, $1,300, $1,000, $700 and $1,850.

“There is probable cause to believe that Parker paid Anderson a portion of the money from the TCR invoices,” the FBI agent writes.

Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com



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