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Rogers must repay Lions $8.5 million

NFL team wins grievance against first-round draft bust

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updated 11:20 p.m. ET Oct. 8, 2008

DETROIT - The Detroit Lions didn’t get what they wanted from Charles Rogers on the field, but might recover some money from the first-round bust.

Executive vice president Tom Lewand confirmed in a Booth Newspapers report Wednesday night that an arbitrator ruled Rogers has to give the Lions about $8.5 million of the more than $14 million he received in bonus money.

The Lions filed a grievance late in the 2005 season, claiming Rogers diminished his value to the team by failing a drug test earlier that season.

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The team will get salary-cap relief if it is able to collect money from Rogers, who was cut just before the 2006 season. The No. 2 pick overall in 2003 had 36 career receptions for 440 yards and four touchdowns.

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