Lions re-sign Levi Onwuzurike - 1yr/5.5m

The Den
41

Give his injury history 1 year deals are smart by the team

42

Because Alim is firmly locked in as our 3T of the future. Itā€™s what made the situation complicated. This is the best solution for us. Adding someone in the draft, for instance, didnā€™t make a lot of sense going forward (plus we have Wingo too).

And yes, he may have only wanted a 1-year deal as well

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43

You were right about the back.
I think teams looked at it (had him send them his x-rays and imaging) and didnā€™t feel comfortable with what they saw.
I think he not only didnā€™t get a big deal.
This deal may be less than the one offered by Holmes before the season.
I canā€™t imagine Holmes offering 1 yr at $5.5M prior to the season thinking he would sign.

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44

Iā€™m not sure thatā€™s allowed. And what would those images even show?

45

5.5 for someone that is going to see a lot of reps to start the year. I am down with that.

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46

Other teams will be put off by the spinal fusion surgery, heā€™s one snap away from retirement in that sense.

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47

Now that makes sense.

48

Sure. I think youā€™re like right that he knew that his market wasnā€™t going to materialize. But Iā€™m saying if Levi knows that scans of his back are going to look like a Rorschach then why go through that now. Just put more good tape out there and another healthy year and try your luck at it again. Then when the medicals are flagged your counter argument is much more compelling.

49

Levi had a spinal fusion.
Teams doctors would want to know the type of procedure done and have opinion on his durability and longevity.

50

Yeah, but scans arenā€™t going to show anything more than the repair. And they wouldnā€™t have seen those, right, because until after today they canā€™t ask him to come in for a medical.

Agree that the surgery itself would be enough to scare teams away.

51

Added bonus: one more year of denim puns.

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52

Who knows what the rules are exactly? He WAS a UDFA so he was eligible to be wooed during the legal tampering period. But I can guarantee teams WOULD want to see the scans, even if they didnā€™t show anything more than the repair.

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53

Great deal if he matches what he did last year.

54

Okay, but you said they would have already had the images etc. All good.

55

He should get this t-shirt.

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56

Guys used to carry around their x-rays during free agency so they wouldnā€™t have to do it at each stop.
Now they can send digital images instantly.
No one has done well long term in the NFL with this procedure.
I thought the last 2 years would be enough evidence that he could be the first.
Team doctors are probably still reluctant to trust that it will hold up over time.
Leviā€™s performance definitely deserved more, but they donā€™t trust the back.

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57

Great deal, great contract for Levi and this is his best opportunity here to play 3T for a year and then try and cash in next year.

Great resigning. Happy him & Barnes are back and Iffy is gone.

Oh, and you are both promising me future comp beansā€¦?
Can we get some comp beans from Roy G Biv Lopez too if that is the caseā€¦?

58

My guess:

  1. People arenā€™t believing in the health of his back just yet.
  2. He was good, not great.
  3. Heā€™s really betting on himself.

Any multiyear offer he got was for very modest $$$. His one healthy year happened in the middle of chaos on the DL. If he can stay healthy, and injury disaster doesnā€™t strike the D again, I think heā€™ll absolutely ball out this year - and earn a bigger, multi-year deal elsewhere.

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59

I was told he was getting north of $10M AAV on a multi year deal? This canā€™t be right.

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60

Go OZ !