The Michigan ladies are a real obstacle to overcome… 
Especially up north.
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So my hug is where!?
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It’s pretty common knowledge, that’s why the released him a day before the contract became guaranteed. They aren’t spending bc they’re going to take care of their own players… Again, this is all common knowledge.
And you’re right… It’s gonna be a rookie and Davenport… Bc they don’t trust Davenport to stay healthy… Otherwise he’d be making more on a long term deal.
The longer this goes, the more I wonder if Z is going to be returning.
We talk about Z’s $11 Mil contract, but I seem to recall there would be an additional $6 Mil void year if we kept him. I might have that wrong, but if we are talking $17 Mil over two years for one year of service, I don’t fault Brad at all for taking the step back.
This doesn’t mean that Z is still not on the radar. And the longer he stays out there, the more I think he is coming back. 1: He has a good situation here. 2: He is able to see exactly what his market is. If someone was going to throw a bag, they already would have.
Ultimately, I see Z and Davenport and a Rookie in rotation and I like it. I could be wrong here, but Z fills out the room nicely and gives Davenport limited snaps and time for the Rook to develop. Guess we will see.
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You’re exactly correct, it made the most sense monetarily to release him and try to negotiate a new deal. I think if it was the straight $11 million, the Lions would have considered it or offered a new 2 year deal with some more guarantees for Z, but a lower cap number. But, adding $5.2 million in dead money in 2026 wasn’t worth it… Especially considering his age. Carlton Davis had a similar structure to his deal when the Lions traded for him, but he’s a legit #1 CB and I believe they believed there was a chance they could’ve resigned him… So that’s a little bit different.
Man I hope so, but he’s a grudge holder. You could hear it in the way he talked about GB and Minny.
Donovan Jackson and Derrick Harmon are the only two real “glove fits” I see with monster upside and pretty high floors. I think we draft one of them in round 1…
Kyle Kennard, Josiah Stewart and Femi are all guys I think are in play in round 2, and maybe a small trade up would clinch it.
Round three I could see us taking a guy like Tory Horton , Pat Bryant, or Tai Felton
Round 4 I believe will be the inverse of round one. A guy like Elijah Roberts or Luke Kandra depending on what we do in round one.
D Jackson
J Stewart
E Roberts
Pat Bryant
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just to clarify for you and @TouchdownMyPants …
There was not an “additional” amount of money beyond $11 million. The “cap hit” in 2026 would have been created by using an option bonus and void years to spread that $11 million over 2 years.
Zadarius had a low base salary due in 2025 ($1.2 million),
and $510,000 total in per game roster bonus.
His $2 million roster bonus for 2025 would have been guaranteed on 3rd day of league year… and would have counted on the 2025 cap.
as well as a $7 million option bonus would have been guaranteed on the same day. The option bonus is treated like a SB and prorated over the 2025 and 4 void years.
If the Lions kept him on that contract……
Zadarius would have been paid $11 million in cash for 2025,
The option bonus — combined with 4 void years — would have had $1.4 million yearly cap charge (spread over 5 years). However, the remaining 4 void years ($5.6 million in prorated cap hits) would accelerate when his deal voided in 2026.
The net result would have been a cap hit of $5.4 million in 2025, and then $5.6 million in 2026.
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I agree with that. But I haven’t heard anything about him saying anything about the Lions. So I feel like the door is still open at this point.
Well, we wouldn’t until he was on another team. Specifically another team that is matching up against his former team, that’s when you get the truth from him. Not while he’s still out on the market looking for work.
Thanks for the clarification. That is really helpful.
That is inaccurate as I understand it… The void year bonus is in addition to the $11 million cap charge for 2025.
The problem was Smith’s contract structure. He was in line to get paid $8.99 million in bonuses on the third day of the new league year, which is next week on March 15.
The bonuses would have jumped Smith’s salary up to $11 million in 2025 had he played for the Lions. But there’s more: If he had not re-signed after 2025 he would have counted $5,242,500 against the cap in 2026 even though he’s not on the team.
You’re confusing “cash paid” vs. “cap charge”.
Za’Darius would have been due $11 million in cash for 2025.
He was due any additional cash beyond 2025.
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His cap hit would have been $5.4 million in 2025….
($1.5 million base, $510k is per game RB, $2 million RB, $1.4 million prorated option bonus)
The $5.6 million cap hit for 2026 is the accelerated hit from the prorated option bonus PAID in 2025.
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It is like a math equation.
2025 cash paid = 2025 cap hit + 2026 cap hit.
Damm you just ruined alot of perfectly good Paragraphs of bullshit.
Thanks for the clarification… So they released him to save cash and void year charges… Still apples and oranges in relation to the dumb argument his release was used for.
If history holds, we’ll trade up in the first, or, second, or both.
Don’t ask me who for. Probably somebody that’s not on our radar. Everyone will lose their minds… until mid season… and the world will be a wonderful place, again.
Well guess they can’t afford anyone else either, and anyone hoping for a big signing at DE is out of luck if you can’t afford 11 million for a 9 sack guy. But no were does it say that his production wasnt worth it. He just says they can’t afford him with what they have coming up. It going to be Davenport and. Rookie because they have to pay Hutch and there going cheap on the other side.
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It’ll be trenches
Jack Sawyer, Donovan Jackson, Walter Nolan. Scourton. Harmon.
Those are my best guesses right now
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