Lions place RB Jerome Harrison on Reserve/Non-Football Illness list

The Lions have placed running back Jerome Harrison on the Reserve/Non-Football Illness list to make room on their 90-man roster for safety Sam Proctor and receiver Wallace Miles, whom the team signed after their tryouts at this weekend’s rookie mini-camp.

The Lions had to declare that Harrison would not be eligible to participate in the 2012 regular season or postseason for him not to count toward the 90-man roster while on the Reserve/Non-Football Illness list.

Eagles doctors discovered a brain tumor in Harrison that nullified a trade that would have sent him and an undisclosed draft pick to the Eagles for running back Ronnie Brown last season. The trade might have actually saved Harrison’s life. He’s currently recovering from surgery to remove the tumor and is “progressing” according to his agent Mitch Frankel.

Harrison signed with the Lions as an unrestricted free agent before last season after playing his first five seasons in the NFL with the Browns and Eagles.

Source: Lions set to sign WR Wallace Miles

The Lions plan to sign North Carolina A&T receiver Wallace Miles to a free agent contract, Miles’ agent Derrick Fox confirmed.

Miles (6-0, 191) participated in Lions rookie mini-camp this weekend as a tryout player.

Miles became the first player in North Carolina A&T history to record more than 1,000 yards in a season last year, finishing with 70 receptions for 1,048 yards and six touchdowns. He also returned punts.

According to agent, Lions sign Oklahoma S Sam Proctor after weekend tryout

The Lions signed Oklahoma safety Sam Proctor to a free agent contract following his tryout this weekend, according to his agent Bill Parise.

Proctor (6-2, 222) obviously did enough to impress Lions coaches this weekend and will transition right into the offseason training program with the other rookie draft picks and free agents.

Proctor was a mostly a backup at Oklahoma with 13 starts in 53 games. He ended his career with 103 tackles.

The Lions have brought in veteran free agent safeties O.J. Atogwe, Chris Crocker and Sean Jones this offseason. The Lions are certainly trying to bolster the talent and depth on that unit.

The Lions still have room for one more signing before they get to the maximum 90 allowed on the roster.

Lions agree to terms with third-round pick Bill Bentley

Seven down and one to go.

The Lions and third-round pick Bill Bentley agreed to terms on a four-year deal Friday, according to league sources.

Bentley (5-10, 182) and the Lions agreed on his rookie deal just hours before the team begins a three-day rookie minicamp Friday afternoon.

Bentley recorded 232 career tackles, 13 for losses, 1.5 sacks, seven interceptions and 20 pass deflections at Louisiana-Lafayette.

That leaves first-round pick Riley Reiff as the only unsigned draft pick from the 2012 draft class for the Lions. Under the new collective bargaining agreement, all rookies get four-year deals and first-round picks receive a team option for a fifth year.

Lions have invited 19 rookies to tryout at this weekends mini-camp

The Lions have invited 19 rookies to their mini-camp for a tryout this weekend:

RJ Archer, QB, William & Mary
Fabian Connor, CB, Purdue
Gary Gray, CB, Notre Dame
Maurice Hampton, DT, Maryland
Michael Hoag, G, Wake Forest
Armauni Johnson, WR, Idaho
Wallace Miles, WR, North Carolina A&T
Brad Ohrman, DE, Eastern Michigan
Ayanga Okpowuruk, DE, Duke
Aaron Oliver, LB, Arizona State
Phillip Price, T, Clemson
Sam Proctor, FS, Oklahoma
Brandon Rankin, DT, Washington State
Greg Shaw, T, LSU
Todd Storm, DE, Michigan Tech
A.J. Strum, T, Ohio
Jacquis Terry, RB, Kent State
Kris Cavitt, C, Louisiana Tech
Troy Woolfolk, CB, Michigan

The Lions signed the following 17 undrafted free agents who are participating:

Rodney Austin, G, Elon
Samuel Barham, T, Penn State
Pat Boyle, G, Temple
Troy Burrell, WR, Wayne State
Michael Cosgrove, DT, Idaho
Derek Dimke, K, Illinois
Patrick Edwards, WR, Houston
Alex Gottlieb, TE, William & Mary
Stephfon Green, RB, Penn State
Jared Karstetter, WR, Washington State
Alonzo Lawrence, DS, Mississippi Gulf Coast CC
Edmon McClam, DE, Old Dominion
Carmen Messina, LB, New Mexico
Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State
Joseph Oram, G, Weber State
Ronnie Sneed, LB, Kentucky
Austin Wells, TE, Northern Iowa

First-year players participating (players who haven’t accrued a season credit toward free agency):

James Bryant, FB
Marcus Harris, WR
Terrence Tolliver, WR

2012 Draft picks:

Bill Bentley, CB, Louisiana Lafayette
Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma
Jonte Green, CB, New Mexico State
Chris Greenwood, CB, Albion
Ronnell Lewis, DE, Oklahoma
Travis Lewis, LB, Oklahoma
Riley Reiff, T, Iowa
Tahir Whitehead, LB, Temple

Report: Leshoure pleads guilty to lesser charge in marijuana case

Lions running back Mikel Leshoure was in a Berrien County courtroom Friday and plead guilty to possession of marijuana and paid a $575 fine, according to Julie Mack of Mlive.com.

Leshoure was originally charged with possession of marijuana, second offense, but a plea bargain reduced the charge to possession of marijuana, first offense. Leshoure’s sentence was $575 in fines and costs.

Leshoure’s lawyer, Joseph Lavigne, told the judge Leshoure is in a 24-month program that initially requires him to be tested two or three times a week for drug use, according to the article.

It’s unclear if Leshoure will face a suspension from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

Fairley named one of the 10 most pivotal players in NFL this season

ESPN NFL Insider Bill Polian’s list of 10 pivotal players in the NFL this season includes Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley.

Fairley showed flashes of brilliance as a rookie last year, but dealt with a broken foot all season. Fairley suffered the injury the second day of training camp and missed the entire preseason and the first four games of the regular season. He missed six regular-season games in all and was never 100-percent.

“Fairley could be the missing piece in making the Detroit defense dominant,” Polian wrote. “If the big Auburn alum can reach his potential, a trio of him, Ndamukong Suh and the emerging Corey Williams could make the Lions’ D-line extremely hard to handle up the middle and wreak havoc on the pocket (which will help an improving secondary).

“I still think the Lions need more from the running back position to be legitimate title contenders, but if Fairley steps up, an already improved defense will be taken to another level.”

Fairley has been participating fully in the offseason training program and the Lions have huge expectations for their first-round pick last year.

Lions agree to terms with rookie linebacker Travis Lewis to four-year deal

The Lions have agreed to terms with seventh-round pick Travis Lewis on a four-year contract, according to league sources.

Lewis’ deal is worth $2.16 million.

Under the new rules of the collective bargaining agreement, all draft picks get four-year deals, with first-round picks receiving a fifth-year option.

Lewis (6-2, 227) was the 223rd-overall pick in the draft and is the first of the team’s eight draft picks to agree to terms on a rookie deal. He finished with 446 career tackles at Oklahoma.

Detroit’s rookie mini-camp begins Friday at the team’s Allen Park facility and all eight picks will be in attendance.

Lions host free agent S Chris Crocker

The Lions hosted free agent safety Chris Crocker for a visit on Tuesday.

Crocker, 32, is a 10-year veteran, who spent the last four seasons with the Bengals. He started all 16 games for the Bengals last season with 61 tackles, 3.5 sacks and five passes defended.

Jason La Canfora of NFL Network reported that Crocker is scheduled to visit the Cardinals on Wednesday.

For his career, Crocker has 476 tackles and 10 interceptions.

Backus is on schedule recovering from bicep surgery

Lions left tackle Jeff Backus says he’s right on schedule in his recovery from offseason bicep surgery he had four months ago.

Backus injured his right bicep in the second half of the team’s playoff loss to the Saints and had surgery shortly afterward in January.

“It’s just building back the strength and getting back into the football stuff,” Backus told Detroitlions.com.

He’s been rehabbing at the Lions’ training facility the entire offseason and has been participating in the offseason training program the last three weeks.

Backus, who was drafted by the Lions in the first round of the 2001 draft and has started 177 consecutive games at left tackle, signed a two-year contract with the team this offseason.

Backus says his workouts have been adjusted a bit because of injures and his age (34), but says physically he’s feeling great.

“I’m not in there doing some of the things the younger guys are doing, but I think at this point in anyone’s career 12 years in, they’re workout is a little bit different.”

When the Lions start organized team activities later this month, Backus will be on the field but said he doesn’t know how much he’ll participate, knowing that being 100-percent for training camp is the real goal.

“The goal is to just get stronger, get my peck stronger and my bicep stronger and once I get into OTAs be smart about things and see how it goes,” he said.

“Coming off surgery, it’s about working myself in. I feel great right now. There hasn’t been any setbacks or limitations, it’s just about getting stronger.”