The Detroit Lions had a need to fill at the linebacker position this offseason after the team parted ways with Jalen Reeves-Maybin, a special teams ace who was released earlier this offseason.
Detroit addressed that need by signing former Indianapolis Colts linebacker Grant Stuard, who will not only provide insurance on defense, but an option to replace Reeves-Maybin on special teams.
The Lions made the signing official recently by holding a press conference for their free-agent addition. And, in that press conference, Stuard appeared to take a few jabs at his former team, the Colts.
Stuard revealed that upon signing with the Lions, family members congratulated him for the deal, and for joining a contender in Detroit. The veteran linebacker noted there aren't a ton of those out there, and Indianapolis isn't on the list.
"I got text messages from family members, from high school coaches and stuff saying like, ‘Hey, congrats on being part of a contender,’ and I think that’s the way it’s widely seen," he said. "There’s only about four or five teams you can say that about confidently and objectively, and I feel like this is definitely one of those places."
Stuard went on to explain what else attracted him to the Lions, and in the process he appeared to throw some shade at the Colts.
"[Detroit] is a place that I think is open to innovation, open to playing the guys who deserve to play, open to putting the best guys on the field and being very transparent about everything," Stuard said.
"It's very hard to find a building full of authenticity from the head coach to the coordinators, and having a lot of former players (on Detroit's staff), they seem to understand that as well," he added.
Stuard's comments seem to suggest that the Colts don't have the same qualities that attracted him to the Lions, which isn't a great look for Indianapolis.
Then again, not many teams operate like the Lions do.
The Detroit Lions had a need to fill at the linebacker position this offseason after the team parted ways with Jalen Reeves-Maybin, a special teams ace who was released earlier this offseason. Detroit addressed that need by signing former Indianapolis Colts ...
The Boston Celtics have a fairly strong core in place and it has allowed them to thrive on the basketball court. But every front office is always looking ahead to the future and how they can get even better. The Celtics ...
The Dallas Mavericks are caught in a pickle on whether to continue to compete and push for a spot in the playoffs or pull the cord on this season in hopes of securing a decent draft pick in the lottery. Fans ...
New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan will soon grab more franchise records. Defensive end Cameron Jordan is one of the greatest players in New Orleans Saints franchise history. Drafted with the 24th choice in the first round of the 2011 NFL ...
The New England Patriots could look towards a recently released center to add to their offensive line. The Vikings announced on Monday that they have released veteran center Garrett Bradbury. And that means New England could fill the need at center after releasing David Andrews, ...