If Mays is a viable starting center then we’ve got him on a below market deal and paying him the full $25 million over three seasons is a no brainer.
The cash payments are $8m in '26, $8m in '27 and $9m in '28. That extra million in 2028 isn’t going to be prohibitive, nor is the dead cap in 2029, the contract has been designed this way for a reason.
If Mays isn’t worth that keeping for year three then we may be in a situation where Brad Holmes isn’t the GM anymore, a teardown is beginning and the dead cap is even more inconsequential.
Success or failure I don’t see how this contract is a problem.
I believe there are a few other possibilities if Mays doesnt work out on this contract than Brad not being GM and the team going full teardown. But we shall see i suppose
Conklin’s contract details are out, vet min with no signing bonus, no guarantees.
Rodriquez qualifies for 4yr veteran salary benefit, Been with the Lions for 4yrs and isn’t paid more than $1.55M more than his min salary (exclude $1.347M).
Don’t get me wrong, I love Brad and Dan and will defend anything they do, but if we miss the playoffs in 2026 and 2027 then I think we’re replacing them.
I’m 99% certain we won’t miss the playoffs the next two seasons, but a year ago I was 99% certain we wouldn’t miss the playoffs in 2025 and look what happened.
If Mays doesn’t work then that could actually be the difference between making the playoffs and missing them. There are less $ to spend in free agency and less draft capital than in the early years, so the moves made this offseason are really important to the medium term future of the team.
Ya we missed it with two new coordinators, insane injury numbers, a very competitive division, 1st place schedule, and trying to rebuild the offensive line on the fly… by 1 game right?
Seems like your 99% conviction wasnt terribly far off of reality all things considered, but this again requires context. Like say Mays sucks but we draft a C in the late rounds that steps in takes the job and never looks back? What if Mays is mediocre, not quite worth the contract, but better than Glasgow and we make the playoffs but decide we want a different guy when the contracts up.
My point is that we are at a strange phase of the regime where everyone thinks every single move may just be the nail in the coffin for this team if it isnt executed perfectly. Things are and will always be more nuanced than that but i also refuse to look around every corner for a boogeyman when we are in the midst of a regime that has had a winning season for 4 straight seasons.
Idk call me crazy for letting it ride and not making bold statements about the downfall of the best lions organization i have seen in my life time.
Its all the bumps in cap on the top end. Goff, ASB, McNeil & Sewell. They could have kicked the can and freed up another $70+m for this year. But they didnt.
But that frees up more cap space for next season.
They will have to restructure Goff at a minimum.
Even if you include this year and next year draft picks.
Thats $60m+ in cap space. With 30+ signed players.
Time to go all in then.
Gap year this year.
10-7 fight for wild card. This year. Go for broke next year
