Source: Lions interested in RB Ryan Grant

In a move to bolster their running back position, the Lions have extended a contract offer to former Packers running back Ryan Grant, a league source confirmed.

Lions running backs Mikel Leshoure and Jahvid Best are coming off season-ending injuries last year and Grant would add an experienced veteran to a group that also includes Kevin Smith, Joique Bell and Keiland Williams.

Both Leshoure and Best are expected to be fully healthy for the Lions this year, but it’s not a bad idea to add as much depth at the position as possible.

Grant shared running back duties with James Starks last season. Starks carried 133 times for 578 yards (4.3 average) and one touchdown; Grant carried 134 times for 559 yards (4.2 average) and two touchdowns.

Grant, 29, rushed for 4,016 yards and 25 touchdowns during his 63 games with the Packers, adding 92 receptions for 726 yards and two touchdowns.

He rushed for consecutive 1,200-yard seasons with the Packers in 2008 and 2009 before missing all of the 2010 season with an ankle injury.

Grant has yet to accept the Lions’ offer.

Lewand talks overseas football, the 2011 season and free agency in fan forum

Lions president Tom Lewand spent an hour answering questions during a fan forum for season ticket holders on Tuesday.

Lewand touched on a wide variety of subjects including the current situation with the salary cap, the importance of keeping the team’s core players together and the health of running backs Jahvid Best and Mikel Leshoure.

Here are a few other points Lewand touched on:

On playing home games overseas:

“I think the expansion of the NFL into international markets is a great thing, but we don’t look to participate as a home team. We have a commitment here to Detroit, the Ford family has a commitment to Detroit, you guys have started to make Ford Field into one of the best home field advantages and we don’t want to give that up, we want to make it even better.

“It’s not easy to do if one of our home games is in London or Mexico City or Toronto or somewhere else. We would like to be right here at 2000 Brush St., right at Ford Field and have you guys there week-in and week-out supporting us and giving us that huge advantage that you gave us this year.

“If we end up playing a road game in one of the international venues, so be it, we’ll embrace that opportunity like we would some other ones that come our way. But we won’t be putting ourselves up as lone of those teams that would take a home game on the road.”

On how important a season 2011 was for the franchise:

“I think that 2011 was very valuable to us because it taught us a lot. We broke some losing streaks, we set some other records and we did some things that were great on an individual basis, but as a team, we learned how to handle winning. We learned how to handle teams coming into Ford Field aiming for us where they may not have been in the past.

“We learned to handle some adversity when that adversity comes with having a target on your back as opposed to having losses on your record. I think that was important because I think guys need to know how to handle pressure when it comes through success as much as they need to learn how to handle adversity when it comes through losing. Those experiences that we had in handling pressure when it came with success will serve us well going forward.”

On preparing for free agency:

“We’re going to look at good players out there. As a matter of fact, our free agent meetings internally will be this week. We’ll have meetings with all of our coaching staff, all of our scouts, obviously with Martin Mayhew and Jim Schwartz and we’ll go through the offensive and defensive players who are going to be free agents out there.

“(With) the work that Sheldon White and our Pro Personnel Department does throughout the year to keep our boards current, we know how we value all of those guys and how they fit our profiles and whether they fit our profile. Having said that, I don’t foresee us being in a position to go out and make a lot of aggressive, quote-unquote marquee free agent moves. That’s not what we’ve ever been about.”

On any updates he has with negotiations with the Lions’ unrestricted free agents

“Free agency starts two weeks later this year than it has in the past. It’s normally been about March 1 every year, this year it’s a full two weeks later. I think you’ll see some things move a little bit more slowly in February when it comes to signing your own guys.

“I do think that the combine this year in Indianapolis where we normally go down there to scout college players will be one that’s a little bit more focused on free agent signings; and when I say that, I mean guys who are on our own team. I think that’s when you’ll start to see some of those deals get done. I’m optimistic that we can keep a good part of that core together, if not all of it. We’re going to work hard between now and the start of free agency to get that done.”

Lions formulating a contingency plan at running back

The Lions expect to have running backs Jahvid Best and Mikel Leshoure back on the football field when they begin offseason workouts in the spring.

Best missed most of the season because of concussions and Leshoure was lost in training camp to an Achilles tendon tear.

Both players are on schedule with their rehab, but Lions general manager Martin Mayhew says the team is formulating a contingency plan in case things don’t go according to plan.

“Running back is kind of a tricky position for us right now, because we could have an embarrassment of riches there; if Jahvid is back at 100-percent and Mikel is back at 100-percent and we’re hitting on all cylinders, we got a pretty solid group,” Mayhew said.

“On the other hand, neither one of those guys is playing football right now, or able to play football right now, as far as I know, so it could be a situation where we need to address it.”

Best, a first-round pick in 2010, has had health issues in each of his first two seasons (turf-toe injuries as a rookie).

“I think, at some point, Jahvid and a doctor or a group of doctors will say he can come back,” Mayhew said. “And at that point, we’ll be glad to have him.

“He’s still being evaluated by people but we’re very optimistic with the preliminary reports.”

Leshoure, a second-round pick in 2011, is coming off a major injury.

Mayhew expects Best and Leshoure to join the team for offseason workouts, but he’ll also have a plan in place to sign or draft another running back if there’s a hiccup along the road to recovery.

“We’ve got time to make those decisions,” he said.

Backup running backs Kevin Smith and Maurice Morris will be free agents in March when the league season begins. Keiland Williams and Joique Bell are under contract.

Calvin Johnson returns to practice; starters look ready to go

Lions receiver Calvin Johnson (Achilles) returned to the practice field Thursday for the team’s final practice of the week before Saturday’s playoff match-up with the Saints in New Orleans.

Johnson is on the same schedule as last week when he sat out the first two practices of the week before the Packers game and was on the field for the last. He was listed as limited on Thursday’s practice report.

The Lions would certainly take the same game-day results this time around, too.

Johnson had a career-high 244 receiving yards and a touchdown against the Packers last week.

Only safety Chris Harris sat out practice with a back injury.

Safety Louis Delmas practiced for a third straight day. He was officially listed as limited on the injury report but it looks like he’ll start against the Saints.

Other players listed as limited for the Lions Thursday were: CB Aaron Berry (shoulder), DT Nick Fairley (foot), CB Chris Houston (Hand/knee), CB Alphonso Smith (foot) and running back Kevin Smith (ankle/knee).

All 11 players that started the season on defense are expected to start in New Orleans. The Lions should have 21 of their 22 starters on both sides of the ball that started Week 1 against the Buccaneers in the lineup for the start of the playoffs. Running back Jahvid Best (injured reserve) would be the only player missing.

Lions RB Jahvid Best to be placed on season-ending IR

The Lions have pulled the plug on the rest of the 2011 season for Jahvid Best, placing their starting running back on season-ending injured reserve.

Best has missed the team’s last five games since suffering a concussion in the second half of a Week 6 loss to the 49ers.

It was Best’s second concussion of the season. He suffered his first in training camp.

Best had a run of concussion-related issues during his junior season at Cal, so the team has been very cautious and patient in his recovery. The team has described Best’s recovery as week-to-week since the 49ers game.

“From the outset, we have been appropriately cautious and have followed all medical protocol with respect to Jahvid’s injury,” Lions coach Jim Schwartz said Friday. “We look forward to his continued improvement and eventual return to the field.”

The Lions have certainly missed Best’s big-play capabilities over the last five weeks, especially in the pass game.

At the time of his injury, Best ranked third on the team with 27 catches for 287 yards. He was coming off a 163-yard performance in a Monday Night victory over the Bears, which included a 88-yard touchdown run.

Best played through two separate turf-toe injuries during his rookie season in 2010, which severely limited his effectiveness after a Week 3 victory over the Eagles.

It’s been a tough two seasons for Best.

He was averaging 4.6 yards per carry with 390 yards rushing and two touchdowns before suffering the second concussion Oct. 16.

Because of the holiday weekend, Best’s transition to the injured reserve list isn’t expected to become official until next week. The Lions have not announced a subsequent roster move.

The expectation is for Best to be available to speak with the media early next week.

With running back Kevin Smith suffering an ankle injury against the packers, the Lions will start their week of preparations for the Saints next week with just two healthy backs in Maurice Morris and Keiland Williams.

Corey Williams absent from practice

The Lions were missing a few key players at practice Tuesday as they prepare for the Packers on Thanksgiving Day on a short week of prep.

Starting defensive tackle Corey Williams did not participate in practice Tuesday.

Williams injured  his right calf late in Sunday’s Panthers game and did not return.

When asked Monday if Williams could have finished the game if necessary, Lions coach Jim Schwartz said Williams would have been able too finish if they needed him.

Williams was listed as a non-participant on Tuesday’s injury report. He had his right calf heavily wrapped Tuesday as he watched practice from the sideline.

Also out was defensive end Lawrence Jackson, who missed Sunday’s game with a thigh injury.

Running back Jahvid Best (concussion) and punter Ryan Donahue (quad) remain out. It’s highly unlikely Best will play Thursday, making it the fifth-consecutive game he’ll miss.

Receiver Calvin Johnson stretched before practice but did not have a helmet. He later walked off with a trainer and was listed on the injury report with an ankle injury.

He said after practice, though, that’ll he be fine by game time.

Limited in practice were: WR Rashied Davis (hamstring), S Chris Harris (ankle), LB DeAndre Levy (elbow), S Amari Spievey (toe), WR Maurice Stovall (shoulder) and DE Willie Young (ankle).

Young missed the Panthers game with that ankle injury.

It was no surprise to see running back Kevin Smith taking first-team reps on Tuesday. Smith rushed for 140 yards and had 201 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns against the Panthers Sunday.

Safety Amari Spievey was playing with the first-team defense in the early portion of practice.

Best, Donahue out vs. Carolina

Today’s injury report lists running back Jahvid Best (concussion) and punter Ryan Donahue (right quad) as out for this week’s game versus Carolina.

Questionable for Sunday’s game are defensive end Lawrence Jackson (thigh) and defensive end Willie Young (ankle).

Probable are safety Amari Spievey (toe) and quarterback Matthew Stafford (finger).

Read Friday’s full injury report

Schwartz on the Lions run game without Jahvid Best

Head Coach Jim Schwartz was asked following Thursday’s practice if the Lions lack explosiveness in their run game in the absence of Jahvid Best, who has missed the last two games with concussion symptoms.

Schwartz said that, while “we haven’t had anybody break off an 88-yarder”, each running back has different – and valuable – skill sets.

“All our guys have the ability to break long runs,” he said. “Jahvid obviously has more speed than other backs, but all of them have the ability and all of them have broken good runs for us this year.

“We want to be efficient in the run game, but we also want to be explosive in the run game.”

The Lions rushed for 104 and 113 yards, respectively, the last two weeks. Running back Maurice Morris led the team both times. Against Atlanta, Morris finished with 50 yards on 9 carries and at Denver he finished with 58 yards on 13 carries.

Stafford will start at Denver; Morris will start at RB

The Detroit Lions have confirmed that QB Matthew Stafford will start for the Lions at Denver this afternoon.

RB Maurice Morris will start in place of RB Jahvid Best.

Full list of Detroit Lions inactives:

• QB Drew Stanton
• CB Don Carey
• S Chris Harris
• RB Jahvid Best
• T Jason Fox
• WR Rashied Davis
• DT Nick Fairley

Full list of Denver Broncos inactives:

• QB Brady Quinn
• RB Willis McGahee
• S Rafael Bush
• FB Quinn Johnson
• G Manny Ramirez
• T Tony Hills
• DE Derrick Harvey

S Quinton Carter will start in place of S Rahim Moore and RB Knowshon Moreno will start in place of RB Willis McGahee.

Best, Vanden Bosch among players ruled out for Saturday’s game

The Lions have announced which players have been ruled out for Saturday’s preseason game against New England:

• RB Jahvid Best
• DT Nick Fairley
• T Jason Fox
• RB Maurice Morris
• DE Kyle Vanden Bosch
• CB Alphonso Smith

Notable game-time decisions include wide receiver Calvin Johnson and rookie wide receiver Titus Young.