Lions sign FA G Ross Verba, Release QB Shaun King
ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- The Detroit Lions announced today that they have signed free agent G Ross Verba to a one-year deal with additional club option years. Additional terms of Verba’s contract were not disclosed. The team also released QB Shaun King.
Verba (6-4, 305) comes to Detroit after having spent four seasons with Cleveland and his first four NFL seasons with Green Bay. Verba did not play football in 2005 after leaving the Browns June 9. Throughout his eight-year career he has played in 106 games with 100 starts. Verba was drafted by the Packers in the first round (30th overall) of the 1997 NFL Draft.
In 2004, Verba returned to Cleveland’s starting lineup at left tackle and was the only Browns’ offensive player to start in all 16 regular season games. He missed the 2003 campaign with a bicep injury that he sustained during the final preseason game.
Verba signed with the Browns prior to the 2001 season. He began his first season in Cleveland as the starting left guard (12 games) but moved to left tackle for the final four games (3 starts). Verba missed the final game of the season (at Tennessee, 12/30) due to the flu. In 2002, he remained at left tackles and started all 16 regular season games and helped the Browns to their first playoff appearance since the franchises return to Cleveland.
As a rookie with the Packers in 1997, Verba played in all 16 games (11 starts) and took over as the starting left tackle (due to injuries) in the sixth game. He also started all three playoff games, including Super Bowl XXXII when he became the first rookie ever to start at left tackle in the Super Bowl. Verba received all-rookie honors from the Pro Football Writers of America, Pro Football Weekly and Football News.
Verba was Green Bay’s starting left tackle in 1998 and 1999 before moving to the left guard starting position for the 2000 season. In his final two seasons (1999-2000) with the Packers, he played under current Lions offensive line coach Larry Beightol.
At the University of Iowa, Verba was a four-year starter (1993-96), starting 35 career games for the Hawkeyes after moving from tight end to offensive tackle prior to the start of the 1993 season. He was a first-team All-Big Ten selection as a senior when he started 12 games at left tackle.
Verba was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and played high school football at Dowling H.S. (West Des Moines, Iowa). As a senior, he was selected as Iowa’s Player of the Year by Parade and earned all-state and all-conference honors while serving as a team captain. Verba was also named the team MVP.
King (6-1, 228) is a six-year veteran who has played in 34 career games (24 starts), and has accumulated tallies of 415-for-736 passing (56.2 pct.) for 4,566 yards and 27 touchdowns. On the ground, he has garnered 454 yards on 113 carries (4.0 avg,) and five touchdowns. He most recently spent the 2004 season with the Arizona Cardinals as a backup, and played in three games (two starts) while going 47-84 (56.0 pct.) for 502 yards and one touchdown.
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Lions sign FA G Ross Verba, Release QB Shaun King
Dude needs to retire with some dignity, oh wait too late. LOL
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