NFL Player News

The Lions signed quarterback Dan Orlovsky to a one-year deal. He'll replace Shaun Hill as the backup to Matthew Stafford.

The Packers finally have a running back in Eddie Lacy who can take pressure off Aaron Rodgers and the passing game, reports the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Defenses won't be able to let their safeties sit back in coverage.

“You hope they play you two-shell defense all day when Eddie’s in the backfield,” coach Mike McCarthy told the paper. “But there’s more to it than that, too, because you don’t want to be one-dimensional one way or the other. We’ve lived that life where we were heavy one-dimensional throwing it, and you’d like to have balance. It makes it easier, puts a little less stress on your quarterback, your best player.”

Lions coach Jim Caldwell said "all options are open" when it comes to finding a backup quarterback. Shaun Hill signed with the Rams, leaving only Kellen Moore behind Matthew Stafford.

Moore has not appeared in a regular-season game, and it's unclear if he has a legitimate shot at the No. 2 job.

“We keep looking and we could certainly address it a number of different ways, and all options are open at this time,” Caldwell said, per the Detroit Free Press.

Signing Dan Orlovsky is one possibility. He started seven games for the Lions from 2005-08.

The Bengals opened talks on a contract extension with quarterback Andy Dalton, who's entering the final year of his rookie deal.

"There have been talks about it. There have been a couple of proposals sent over and different things," Dalton told SiriusXM NFL Radio. "We're working. Hopefully, we can get something done. I'm not too worried about it. I know in the right timing, everything is going to happen. Obviously, everyone would like to get something done sooner rather than later."

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said quarterback Russell Wilson is still "a young guy figuring it out."

"He needs all the attention that everyone else needs, and he’s gonna get it,” Carroll said. “Russell’s just a young guy figuring it out. Of course, he applies himself so well that you think that he’s okay. I think that would be a tragic mistake. He’s just developing. He’s just coming on. He needs work fundamentally. He needs work on the principles of what we’re doing. He needs repetitions with the guys he plays with. All of that will just continue to add to his play.

"So we’re not going to treat him any differently than anybody else. We’re gonna battle like crazy to make him push his game as far as he can take it."

Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer, who's coming back from October ACL surgery, expects to participate in OTAs. “I’m on track to do some of that stuff, most of it I would think,” Hoyer told CBS Cleveland. “I feel like I’m ready to go.”

Hoyer still must meet with doctors to get medically cleared. The offseason program begins April 7 with weight training and meetings with coaches.

“There’s not going to be any contact that I have to worry about,” Hoyer said. “I’m basically out there throwing now the way I’ll be throwing in a practice, so in my mind I’m ready to go…from my part there’s nothing holding me back.”

Ravens quarterback Tyrod Taylor said he spoke with coach John Harbaugh and understands he'll have to compete for the backup job in 2014.

"Yeah, we talked about it, and there's competition across the league every day," Taylor told the Baltimore Sun. "You've got to compete for your job to stay there. We know where we stand. I'm trying to get better every day. Competition — that's the name of this game."

Taylor has a career 47.2 passer rating, with no touchdowns and two interceptions among 35 pass attempts.

Having lost backup quarterback Shaun Hill to the Rams, the Lions are expected to "turn their sights" to free agent Dan Orlovsky, reports the Detroit Free Press. Orlovsky played for Detroit from 2005-08 and spent the last two years with the Buccaneers.

In 2011 Orlovsky played for the Colts under coach Jim Caldwell, now the head man in Detroit. Orlovsky played reasonably well that season, completing 63.2 percent of his throws for 1,201 yards in eight games. He threw six touchdows and four interceptions while losing three fumbles.

Eagles quarterback Matt Barkley had a realistic shot at backing up Nick Foles -- until the team agreed to terms Thursday with Mark Sanchez. Now Barkley, a fourth-round pick out of USC last year, figures to compete with G.J. Kinne for the third-string job.

Barkley played in four games last year, completing 30 of 49 throws for 300 yards and no touchdowns. He tossed four interceptions and lost a fumble.

Jets coach Rex Ryan told Pro Football Talk that the quarterback competition between Geno Smith and Michael Vick won't be a distraction because "we're not going to let somebody else's agenda get in our way." Ryan presumably referred to the media.

Ryan also reiterated that Smith, who accounted for 18 touchdowns and 25 turnovers as a rookie, will be hard to beat out.