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.

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: ‘Those guys that were in last year’s draft class have a lot of work to do’

The Lions get back to work next Monday for the first day of the offseason training program.

Nick Fairley, Mikel Leshoure and Johnny Culbreath are all expected to be among those participating in the workouts. All three have also made news this offseason for legal troubles involving Marijuana.

Culbreath was arrested in January for possession of Marijuana, Leshoure was cited twice for Marijuana possession in less than a month and Fairley was pulled over and arrested for Marijuana possession last Tuesday.

The Lions issued a statement last week expressing their disappointment with both Fairley and Leshoure, but Lions president Tom Lewand spoke about those incidents in more detail Monday with Mike O’Hara and Ken Brown on WJR.

“We expressed disappointment last week and I continue to express disappointment that guys put themselves in the position where they have to have an unpleasant interaction with law enforcement,” Lewand said. “That is something that should be avoided.

“But as we all know from life’s experiences, it happens, people make mistakes, and you want to give guys opportunities to correct those mistakes, learn from them and move forward.”

Lewand expects that process to begin next week when the team gets together for the training program.

“Those guys that are in last year’s draft class have a lot of work to do and that work starts next week,” he said. “They have to come in and begin to really take on the responsibility as members of the Detroit Lions that we’re expecting them to take to help us get to the next level.”

While disappointed those players put both themselves and the organization in a bad light with their actions, Lewand certainly isn’t ready to give up on them.

“In the case of all of our guys, they are good guys, and we still have to remember at times — and this is not to excuse anyone’s behavior — but guys are young,” Lewand said. “I think when all of us were in our early 20s the feeling of invincibility was a lot higher than maybe it is today.

“But they have to learn from all of their life experiences, and I’m not necessarily referring to any specific incident in Mikel’s case or Fairley’s case, but guys have to learn. They have to grow and they have to mature, whether that’s off the field or on the field.”

Lewand was then asked if last week’s incidents involving Leshoure and Fairley could have been a result of players having too much time on their hands under the new CBA. In years past, the offseason training program began a month earlier.

“It may be a factor, but I’ll tell you this, we’re not the nanny state,” Lewand said. “The fact that guys get another month off, or last year’s rookie class didn’t have the benefit of a full offseason in the program and some of the rookie education that we do, because of the lockout last year, quite frankly, those to me are a lot of excuses.

“Guys have to be responsible for their actions no matter what time of the year those occur and that’s part of the process of growing up as men, growing up as teammates and growing up as members of the National Football League.

“You are held to a high standard. I know that firsthand (referring to his arrest in 2010 for DUI) and I’ve learned that lesson myself. That’s a lesson we all have to learn and we have to take it to heart when that adversity is there and when we make mistakes we’ve got to learn from them and grow as human beings.”

Lewand also commented on a number of other subjects in the interview:

On the NFL’s decision Monday to uphold the suspensions to the Saints involved in the “bounty” program:

“I think the emphasis the commissioner has put on the health and safety of the players has been paramount and there was no doubt in my mind that he was going to uphold what he had originally levied.”

On Cliff Avril and his ability to participate in the training program if he wanted to without a signed franchise tag tender.

“Anybody who is under a tender of any type, whether its restricted free agent or franchise tag can participate (in offseason program). There’s a waiver they can sign that we have that protects both the club and the player so they can participate fully in the offseason program while they continue to pursue any rights under the system they have as a tendered player.”

On the bogus schedule that was released last week and thought to be a leaked version of the real regular season schedule:

“One of my contacts at the league office said exactly one of the games, even though they don’t have the schedule complete, is accurate. I’ll leave it to you guys to speculate.”

On the new four-year partnership with WXYZ-TV Channel 7:

“They did a great job with us last year on the preseason games. We talked a lot during this conversation about the around-the-calendar coverage of the NFL and Channel 7 provides that platform to cover what we’re doing throughout the course of the year, not only on the field, but also off the field and in the community. There’s no better partner to go out in the community with than Channel 7.”

Report: Lions RB Mikel Leshoure cited for Marijuana possession

Lions’ running back Mikel Leshoure is due in court this week on a charge of possession of marijuana, according to ESPN 96.1.

Leshoure was cited in Berrien County on March 12.

This is the second time Leshoure is facing a possession of marijuana charge. On February 18 he was stopped in Benton Township. He plead guilty on March 1 to a reduced charge and paid a $485 fine, WXYZ is reporting.

Leshoure was a passenger in the vehicle stopped March 12.

“We are aware of the reports,” the Lions said in a statement. “We are gathering more information and have no further comment at this time.”

A second round pick by the Lions last year, Leshoure missed his entire rookie season after tearing his Achilles tendon in training camp. Leshoure has been at the Lions’ training facility in Allen Park rehabbing this offseason and is expected to be 100-percent healthy by the beginning of the season.

Back in January, offensive tackle Johnny Culbreath, the team’s seventh-round pick in 2011, was arrested for possession of Marijuana.

The fact that Leshoure was cited twice within a one-month period has to raise a few eye brows. It’s unknown if Leshoure will be subject to any penalties from the Lions or NFL at this point.

Up to this point, it had been nothing but positive news surrounding Leshoure and his rehab.

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.

Leshoure on his surgery: ‘Everything went well’

Hear directly from Mikel Leshoure regarding surgery performed after an Achilles injury suffered on Monday.

Mikel Leshoure’s blog on Sportsbuzz

Johnson on injuries, competing against Lions’ corners

“Losing Leshoure is unfortunate. He was having a good camp. I was looking forward to seeing the one-two punch of him and Jahvid, but it will happen in years to come. It’s unfortunate that we have lost the players we’ve lost. Those guys are great additions to what we already had going on here.

“We’ve still got a great core of guys that are still healthy and ready to play, though, and we learned a lot from last season. I think going into this season, we’ll keep ourselves out of a lot of the bad situations that we were prone to putting ourselves in last year.

“One thing you’ve got to do is keep your guys – the backup guys – in tune with what’s going on because you never know when somebody’s going to go down and somebody’s going to have to step up. If you don’t do that, of course you can’t expect those guys to go out there and perform like the starters would. But if you do keep those guys in tune, that should be an expectation for those guys when they have to step in.

“As for camp, and the players I’m practicing with, I’m glad to have Chris and Eric Wright out there because it’s good to go against good corners. It makes you better. So it’s good for me, good for Nate, good for all of us as a receiving corps to just go up against those guys every day. I’m not going to say who’s doing better against me, though. Let’s just say both of those guys do a good job. It’s good competition – let’s put it like that.

“Eric is definitely a splash corner. He makes big plays. Whenever we played him when he was in Cleveland, maybe almost every game he got a pick. He took some of them back to the house, too. Those are some things I’m looking forward to having out of him this year.

“He is very confident and corners have to be. It’s going to be up and down, but you have to be able to bounce back and that’s been him throughout his career. He’s always been able to make those plays. Of course, if you’re a corner, you’re going to get beat sometimes, but you’ve got to bounce back. It’s all about how you come back.”

Leshoure: ‘After a couple of practices, I’m still getting used to the speed and the tempo.’

“After a couple of practices, I’m still getting used to the speed and the tempo, but that’s all going to come with more repetition and more practices.

“I’m getting more comfortable with my playbook. I’ve been studying every night and I’ve been studying a lot more than when I was in college, as I’m understanding what it’s like to be a professional at this level. I’m definitely getting into the books at night, looking over the script a day ahead, and that’s allowing me to play a little bit faster.

“Going along with the speed (of practice), the defense is definitely faster, more athletic, bigger, stronger – all that – than in college. This is the top level of football, so I think I’m adjusting and getting a feel for everything, but those guys are fast and those holes open and close. I’m learning how to pace and accelerate when I see those holes and run real hard through them, keeping my legs moving.

“There’s really not too much of a difference from this system and Illinois’. We had a pro style offense, a lot of two backs and things like that, most of the stuff that we run here. Our offensive coordinator at Illinois told me that he was pretty good friends with Scott Linehan, so a lot of the things we do here are similar.

“I feel like I get a long with everybody in the locker room, especially the offensive guys, getting to know them and joking around with them. I look for their help if I need anything or have any questions; everybody here is supportive.

“I’ve been getting pretty good rest and eating right, so I haven’t been feeling too exhausted at the end of the day, other than your typical soreness and things like that. So far, I’m doing fine.”

Leshoure: ‘Today was definitely pretty tough for me, but it will get easier from here.’

“My first practice was definitely a little tough for me, especially because I had to do my conditioning test this morning instead of last night, so it kind of lingered over into practice a little bit. My legs were a little tired and the speed is a lot faster (than college), so today was definitely pretty tough for me, but it will get easier from here.

“I definitely think missing the rookie mini-camps put us (rookies) at a disadvantage from the previous years because we weren’t able to get into the playbook and get a feel for the game speed and all of those things before camp.

“It’s kind of all hit us at once, which is definitely a bit of a disadvantage, but this team specifically, has a lot of veterans and a lot of people who know the system, so it’s only the rookies that need to learn the system. As rookies, we have to get on our job a little bit more and get after it.

“I’m learning the playbook. I’ve always been a quick learner, so I don’t think it will take too long for me to feel comfortable in the offense, but it’s definitely a learning process.

“As far as the running backs, everyone is cool. Everyone is helpful. There are no selfish guys in our group; it really seems like everyone is looking forward to working with each other.

“Having a former player, Sam Gash, as my position coach is good because you feel like what he’s preaching, he’s been through it. It’s not like he’s just a guy that’s never played football before. It definitely feels good that he’s an ex-player and knows what we’re going through so that he can handle us a certain way.

“Before coming to Detroit I was training, traveling, visiting family and friends. I’ve never really had a break like that before because in college we would be going through spring ball, summer workouts and stuff like that.

“Basically I’ve just been relaxing, enjoying some time off and staying in shape, so that I’m ready to roll. I’m very, very, very excited for the preseason. I can’t wait.”