For example if we extend Goff…. I could see 5 years and 200M being the case…… why so long??
Because 2023 and 2024 are already cheap- while Decker is expensive, and then at 33 there is a decent chance we slide Sewell over and get a cheap new RT….
So Goff in 2025 would be 20M and 2026 he’d be 35M…. In 2027 I could 40M and that would likely account for all his new guaranteed money, making 2028 a year where a cut or trade
I know Dead believes we will have a different style, but I don’t.
You don’t like Payne but like Carter ? You need to watch more film
Payne is not happening. This regime doesn’t mortgage the future for the present. Dude is looking to reset the DT market. The 23-25 number people are throwing out is very real.
I’m as leary about shelling out big money for FAs as much a the next fan, but if the player in question is a legit difference maker, fills a void in a position group, and is young enough, then I honestly have no issue. I feel Payne fits all three of those requirements and would be a great fit for us. He’s a true disruptor and has a good track record of production. I have zero issue shelling out for him, especially when we’re likely to get even more cap room when I believe we’ll cut ties with Harris, Vitai, Brockers, etc and likely extend Goff.
Probably right but he sure would look nice next McNiel. It will be interesting to see how they go about that position. Options seem kinda limited.
Like the thought of Dre’Mont Jones.
But I think Holmes does. He’s not a splash signing type. He’s going to use FA to fill positional gaps on reasonable contracts. That’s his M. O.
Constant incremental improvement. I expect our big splash will be coming from our first two picks of the draft. I expect our holes to be filled by value free agents.
The Lions aren’t going to have enough cap space to sign a top free agent, re-sign their own and sign all the draft picks.
Furthermore, Holmes is a build through draft guy. I can’t see him going all in on any top free agent.
Lastly, often times big free agent deals become regrettable fairly quickly because the player is getting for past production, not future production. Payne is young and linemen tend to have a longer football lifespan but I can pretty much guarantee that Holmes won’t be in the Payne sweepstakes, it’s not just not his style.
The Lions impact players will come from the draft especially this one with many high picks. Free agency will fill out the rest of the roster a few support players. I know some people want the big flashy signing but I can’t see it happening.
You are not considering that the cap will go up by 30 mil this year and another 30 mil next year. That is a 15% increase this year alone. Expect contracts to increase at a stupid rate.
I want no part of paying anyone a top market contract that doesnt fit our culture 100%. Payne doesn’t care where he plays he just wants to get paid. That is not a culture fit. It screams “horrible business decision”.
Let’s be SUPER CLEAR… none of us have any idea whether Brad Holmes is a “SPLASH SIGNING” guy…
A) He had to check down 60M in dead and start our with what I’d consider the NFL’s worst roster in February of 2021…
B) He had to choke down another 30M in dead cap in 2022, but he had a little more flexibility… And we saw a tiny big of activity in UFA…
C) I would say that Dan and Brad both fully agree and support the notion that Goff is “OUR QB” for the next few years (at least) and that changes EVERYTHING!
many were hoping for 7-10 to show clear improvement, but instead with went 9-8 with a 5-1 division record (would have been 10-7 and in playoffs had we played defense for one drive in Minny!)
now we have analysts calling us a SB contender, and most calling us the favorite to win the division ,and it’s not just irresponsibly speculation… We were the only team in the division with a positive point differential, and we just finished 8-2- and proved we were about 3 points worse than Philly and Buffalo both, and we have far more resources to improve than either of them this offseason!!!
2023 Salary Cap-
Why is this relevant? Right now it’s a matter of making the cap work with the 58MM or so we’d create for 2023 with the above cuts, but also making sure the cap made sense in the future too right?
This means our top 15 cap hits are $163MM
We would have the 2023 and 2024 draft classes likely costing a combined 25MM in total cap hits or less, and adding 15 more picks and that of course would put us at 34 plus guys totaling about $215MM against a projected cap of 245MM plus!!!
Yes the following year year Sewell will have an expensive 5th year option, and Houston, ASB and McNeill will be up for extensions for 2025 season… Let’s say those four guys cost $45MM in 2025, and thus a pretty sizable $34MM jump
The good news is that Decker’s contract drops off, and I can’t see him getting a big extension at age 32 so that will save us $15MM of the 34MM jump… You also have Tracy Walker’s 11M hit from 23’ and 24’ gone by 25’, and thus it’s really only a $23MM jump…
Also if Goff does sign a big 4 year 160MM extension and it follows suit with others- his year one hit will stay around 30M on the new deal… so that is figured out…
then you figure that guys like Swaggy, Buggs, AA, and whoever we keep internally will have their 2-3 year contract up by then…
People could care less about flashy, your looking for a plug and play player at a position that has been a weak spot of this team, you missed on a guy you were hoping would be that guy, so now if you want a plug and play starter you will have to pay for one. And alot of people think you don’t have 2 or 3 years to develop one. It has nothing to do with flashy it the fact that position is holding the defense back and needs to be addressed. Now not hope one of these guys develop in the next few years.
I think Holmes and Dan are willing to make a move for a higher priced guy if everything lines up in terms of skillset, character fit and positional need. Bonus points if someone on our staff has personal experience with the guy. I will throw out a guy like Chauncey Gardner-Johnson.
Man coverage is where Gonzalez excels, IMO, and why he would fit into AG’s defensive schemes.
This is 100% about watching money, not players. So that’s not even where I’m coming from.
Gonzalez actually looks pretty good in both man and zone IMO. He doesn’t have any major weaknesses pertaining to any specific coverages.
He’s probably not ever going to lock someone down like a Sauce Gardner or Ramsey, but he can definitely cause enough problems to make the QB look for someone else. And if the ball is thrown at him he has a pretty good ability to secure interceptions, which Okudah definitely didn’t in college.
…Unless. you believe them as they have both said multiple times they will continue to build through the draft
But if you watched Daron Payne in college, then watched Jalen Carter in college, Carter’s tape is 1000x better. Payne has improved a lot as a pro.
I think Brocker’s money goes to the younger guys that contributed and improved. Buggs & Cominsky.
Harris & Okwara are harder choices as they actually produced when healthy. I could see trades as possible options with either of these guys.
Payne’s biggest improvement came in his contract year. I am not a fan of that huge red flag.