Historically, players who are featured on the cover of Madden see significant drops in their offensive production. NFL.com is tracking the performance of Calvin Johnson and the Detroit Lions over the course of the 2012 season because we believe Calvin Johnson will debunk the Madden curse. Detroit Lions superstar and fantasy stud Calvin Johnson will keep the superstitious on edge throughout the season spending every week escaping the Madden Curse. Possible? We’ll find out. Calvin Johnson made his debut as team captain against the St. Louis Rams. The Lions community is fired up. Even Barry Sanders! @DetroitLionsNFL @Bigplaycj – Leading by example – on and off the field. I would follow CJ into battle anyday— Barry Sanders (@BarrySanders) September 09, […]

Wayne State (Mich.) running back Joique Bell is doing everything he can to dispel any negative notion there might be about his NFL potential.

MOBILE Ala. — Some football players prefer to let their play do the talking, and choose the silent approach. Don’t count Missouri’s Sean Weatherspoon among that group.

The Senior Bowl, combine and pro day workouts are perhaps most important for unheralded players from non-BCS schools. It is their chance to establish themselves as legitimate pro prospects, and make up ground on the more famous players they are competing against for draft position. Wayne State’s Joique Bell is one such player.