NFL Player News

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford began learning the team's new offense this week. While the scheme likely won't be as pass-heavy and will include more short crossing routes, Stafford said Detroit won't sacrifice its aggressiveness, reports the Detroit News.

“We were a pretty aggressive offense last year,” Stafford said. “And I am sure with some of the guys we have on the outside to make plays and in the backfield, whether it’s throwing the ball 50 yards in the air or throwing it 5 yards and letting guys run with it, we’re always about trying to make big plays.

“We are trying to be smart with the ball, too, but big plays in this league lead to points which inevitably lead to wins."

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and free agent acquisition Golden Tate are using this week's voluntary minicamp to get accustomed to each other.

"Any time we miss a ball, I'm going straight to him, 'Hey, did I look back? Turn my head late? Did that feel right? What can I do better?'" Tate told MLive.com. "I think that's where it starts, just talking it out. I can't read his mind, he can't read my mind, so we're just talking it out."

Tate, the team's No. 2 receiver, said he's adjusting to Stafford's powerful arm. But he also praised Stafford's accuracy.  

"He's placed some balls on air and seven-on-sevens and I'm like, 'Wow, that's a great ball,'" Tate said. "For instance, I run a basic route, which is a 10-, 12-yard in, and he's put it right there, on the dot, where I can split the safeties and potentially score."

Newly signed running back Chris Johnson said last week that there will be a competition for the Jets' starting quarterback job between Michael Vick and Geno Smith in training camp this summer. According to Johnson, the battle will begin on even ground. 

"They didn't give me no indication," Johnson said when asked by ESPN Radio who had the inside track. "They said those two will battle it out in camp and may the best man win."

Vick is in his first season with the Jets after bottoming out with the Eagles last year. Smith is entering his second NFL season after starting 16 games for the Jets last year, throwing 12 touchdowns and 21 interceptions.

Rams coach Jeff Fisher figures quarterback Sam Bradford will at least throw during OTAs this spring, he told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Bradford is working his way back from a torn ACL. According to Fisher, saying Bradford is ahead of schedule isn't just lip service. 

"You're not gonna hear a head coach say he has a player on his team that's not ahead of schedule coming off an ACL. Everybody says they're all ahead of schedule. But he is realistically way ahead of schedule. He's working hard," Fisher said. 

Fisher predicts Bradford will be ready to go for the start of the season and even progress to the next step of his career, but the Rams are still sniffing around quarterbacks. The Post-Dispatch says "signs point" to the team drafting a quarterback in May, if only for precautionary reasons since Bradford has two years left on his current deal. 

Now that the Giants have signed Josh Freeman to a contract, does it mean that second-year quarterback Ryan Nassib will be off the roster soon? 

The Newark Star-Ledger believes the Giants should assess Nassib's value going into the draft considering the lack of great quarterback talent available. A team looking for a quarterback-of-the-future could make an offer. 

Nassib had 19 pass attempts during the preseason last August and wasn't active for a single regular-season game. 

The Packers have signed free agent quarterback Matt Flynn, reports ESPN.

Flynn started five games in 2013, including four for the Packers (the other start was in Oakland), and completed 62 percent of his passes for 1,392 yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions. He started in Green Bay when Aaron Rodgers was out with a collarbone injury.

He is expected to be No. 2 on the depth chart behind Rodgers again.

CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora floated the idea of the Rams trading quarterback Sam Bradford to several NFL executives, all of whom believe the team could get "a strong return" for him in trade.

La Canfora made it clear he's not reporting the Rams are trying to get something for Bradford, but that he's speculating that they could. The Rams have previously said they're committing to Bradford for this season. Bradford is coming off of a torn ACL. 

Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton recently spent five days with noted quarterback guru Tom House, reports the team's official website. Dalton is trying to improve his throwing motion and accuracy.

"The motion is still mine. It's not like it's completely changed," Dalton said. "We tweaked a few things just to make sure all of your momentum, all your force, everything you have is going toward the target of where you're trying to throw. We tweaked it a little bit. It happens so quickly, I don't think the average person will notice it. There was stuff that was new to me. It’s science-based and applying it. But once I got used to it, it was fine."

House, a former MLB pitcher, has worked with Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Carson Palmer in the past. Dalton is entering a contract year and trying to improve on last year's success when he had 4,296 passing yards, 33 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. He has been to the playoffs each of the past three years but has failed to win a game.

Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill realizes that 2014 has to be the year he improves. Speaking with ESPN during a photo shoot in Los Angeles, Tannehill is confident he'll be a better football player.

"I have to make a big jump, I'm aware of that," Tannehill said. "I'm putting in the work, putting in the time to get myself physically ready, mentally ready and learn this new offense that we're going with this year. So there is still work to be done. But I look for a big jump in myself, both in production and wins. That's what we ultimately play for is wins. So, I'm excited to see what this team does."

The Dolphins not only added left tackle Branden Albert and left guard Shelley Smith to bolster an offensive line dashed by injuries and controversies last year, but they made a switch at offensive coordinator, going with ex-Eagles quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor. 

Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky, who's back with the team after his 2005-08 stint, doesn't like to relive the 0-16 season in 2008. Orlovsky punctuated that debacle by running out the back of his own end zone for a safety.

“There’s not much I can say to unmask the things that happened or erase those things,” Orlovsky told the Detroit Free Press. “My personal aspect of it is I knew I played well. We were just not a good football team. Did I have a part of that? Sure. I wish I played better in certain spaces, but I knew I played well, and I kind of look at it like this: It’s hard to play in this league for four years. It’s really, really hard to play in it for 10 years.

“I get the fears maybe with obviously fans and whatnot, but the organization knows what they’re doing, and I know I’m a good player, and I certainly hope to just be part of changing some of that past, whether it’s directly or indirectly.”

Orlovsky replaced Shaun Hill as Matthew Stafford's backup.