good to see you posting more @CuriousHusker …
This was the main point I was making early in the thread… we got a loaded young roster and these guys are drooling at free agent signings around the league. And they should be.
If only Brad Holmes wasn’t so amazing this would be so much easier… 
Great post above @Slay
I totally agree, and your post is spot on. He’s a great run defender also. I think he could totally reach the next level, but I’m not sure he’s there yet. I should say 20mil per there yet.
No way Alim is allowed to leave. No way.
The poster that noted that Davis will likely walk is right on the $. Carlton Davis buys us time. But he is unlikely to be extended over Alim.
IF the Lions believe in winning through trenches then you don’t let Alim walk. Save $ at CB and LBer. Spend $ in the trenches.
Alim is likely locked down for 5 more years.
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OK, the sentiment is to resign McNeill before free agency at a competitive price.
If in this beautiful world I live in, Levi becomes some semblance of the player Brad drafted, he becomes a chip in the compensatory game. With 2 healthy seasons behind him, other teams might see value in him and pay.
It’s spring. It could happen.
Mixed emotions on this entire scenario. I’m in the camp of signing a fair deal this year, before it becomes a huge deal, both sides can win, give Alim a solid 3 year deal that provides a safety net for long term wealth, but the opportunity to hit the lotto at age 27/28. We get Alim for another 3-4 years at a reasonable cost and both sides win.
Reader was not what he is today after 3 years in the NFL, he grew into the stud he is in year 4 on. Sometimes you have to perceive the future before it actually happens, that’s why we sign Alim now, we gamble he is going to stud out.
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I think just the opposite. I think he’s overrated on here and that the Lions will likely let him go just like they did Jonah Jackson.
A year next to Reader and he will likely get more on the market than the Lions are willing to spend. Like Jonah I think Holmes can find a cheaper solution without loosing much production in the process.
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Fair enough. I disagree that he’s overrated quite a bit, but to each his own.
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I agree it’s interesting. I thought Davis had mentioned in presser that lions had talked with him about extension.
He got that from here! Damn writers are lurking everywhere!
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An awful lot, which I don’t think happens. If there’s a chance with anyone impressing I think its BroMart. McNeil is going to be costly, but it will be good to have Disner in the room to work out a contract that we’ll be able to swallow.
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The Lions are done with extending players this off season, that’s coming from inside the building. This projection is harder than a player like Jonah Jackson, who I knew they’d let walk for the price he was going to get. I feel like Alim is the same kind of situation… I think he’s better than Jackson at their respective positions, but money has to be a factor. If he balls out, he’s getting over $24 million, and the Lions will not pay him that. I think Holmes may consider the franchise tag for the first time in his tenure here. Ultimately, I think they let him walk, especially if they win a SB.
MUCH better. Jackson was borderline bad last year, while Alim was excellent. This makes it a very different proposition imo.
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Another Alim is fairly difficult to find. Another Jonah Jackson far less so. And I happen to think Jackson is a pretty good player. Just not 17M good.
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Jonah and McNeill are totally different situations.
Guards the easiest position to fill on the entire roster. You can usually find a middle round rookie and plug him in to start. Vet free agents are readily available as well.
Pass rushing DT’s are generally 1st rd picks and are often top 10 picks. Most teams don’t let interior pass rushers hit the free agent market. They are paid very well by either their original team or in free agency.
On top of that, McNeill is an excellent run defender, is one of Holmes’ first draft picks and is a great culture fit for this team.
Jackson was not a Holmes guy and was perceived to not want to risk further injury in contract year than strap it up for Super Bowl run.
Most fans undervalue pass rushing DT’s because they don’t produce the sack numbers that people can measure. But interior pressure is devastating to almost all pass plays.
Players that can consistently produce interior pressure & play the run are a super weapon for defenses and have to be taken account of in game plans.
If McNeil progresses as expected this year Holmes won’t let him go.
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Jonah’s play peaked in year 2/3 and he was not very durable and not super consistent. At his peak he is a top 15 guard in the league, but you may get that one week and a bottom 15 guard the next.
He also didn’t seem to fit the mentality here.
Alim 100% does. He was also developed and has consistently grown each year. IMO, he is 100% part of the foundation for this team and is a borderline must resign.
I posted this in another thread, but Barnes, Iffy, Zietler, Davenport, etc, those are the types of guys who are replaceable and you let walk.
Alim is a top 15 DT in the NFL where we stand today. I think he is probably top 8 after this season.
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It’s possible if Alim gets crazy expensive. 1 big difference though Alim is a Holmes draft pick… Jonah was not. Dan Campbell essentially called Jonah soft last year too. I knew he was gone after that.
Both @Thats2 and @CuriousHusker tipped me off eons or maybe longer ago about the depth of the 2025 DTs. Of course it’s a crap shoot when the draft rolls around, but should the bounty of quality DTs in 2025 influence negotiations with Alim to any degree? Here’s PFF’s rankings:
10 interior defensive linemen to know ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft (pff.com)
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I think it shouldn’t have too much of an impact on the Alim negotiations, especially since they have to happen first. Reader will be here two years max, imo, and Martin is more 2-down NT than anything else (hopefully a great one, but tbd). Wingo and Levi are pass-rushing 3Ts (and Levi might be gone anyway). So if we look at our future corps as Alim, Martin and Wingo, there’s definitely room for another guy there. Preferably a stud.
Man Deone Walker would look great on our roster. And he’s a local kid too.
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For sure. You can never have enough good dlinemen. I love when good defenses rotate 7 or 8 guys per game. Exhausting for Olinemen when fresh guys keep rolling in. And it helps keep the dlinemen healthy
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