NFL teams
Michael Rothstein, ESPN Staff Writer 8y

GM: Lions have 'red flag' on DT Robert Nkemdiche

NFL, Detroit Lions

ALLEN PARK, Mich. - Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn said Thursday that Ole Miss defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche is a red flag player for the franchise on the team's draft board next week.

That, though, doesn't necessarily mean the team will pull him from the board entirely.

"If you have a red flag, and that's not what we use on our draft card, that's just a generic term that we spoke about, I think it was at the combine," Quinn said. "That's just things that we have to consider the value of the player compared to the risk involved with taking them.

"It's not like these guys are off the board. Just have to manage the risk and reward of taking a guy like that."

Quinn acknowledged the franchise is going through meetings over the next couple of days about red flags, pink flags and other character concerns that could change a player's potential draft status with the franchise.

He didn't have an exact number, but said there are "a fair number of guys that we will not consider for character concerns and off-the-field reasons." At his introductory news conference in January, Quinn said he had zero tolerance policies for gun issues and domestic violence.

As for Nkemdiche, Quinn said he would have to listen to his scouts and the evaluation processes. Nkemdiche fell from a hotel balcony in December and was charged with marijuana possession. At the NFL combine he said he didn't use drugs but was drunk and said the possession charge was given to him because his name was on the hotel room. At the combine, he called the incident "a rash decision." 

That's the draft," Quinn said. "You have to evaluate. You have to listen to what your scouts have found from the school. You have got to interview the prospect. You have to talk to multiple people about their background and incidents that may have happened that we all know about and kind of do your own research.

"So that's part of my job and that's part of the job of the personnel department."

The Lions have the No. 16 pick in the first round and 10 picks overall in next week's draft.

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