I think we are not missing Ragnow that much, because of the stellar play of Evan Brown playing for peanuts, not becase of Vaitai, who consistently ranks among our worst performing olineman game after game. Vaitai is our worst starter and 2nd highest paid olineman, and sorry you don’t just continue down that path for continuities sake. You upgrade the position in performance and value and sorry it would not be very hard to do both at RG. Maybe it uses up a magic bean. But then it frees up 7M to pour into another positions starter.
If I’m reading this right, if we keep him in 2022 we take a cap hit of 8.4M, if we designate him a June 1st cut, we save 7M in cap space for 2022. That isn’t peanuts. You can draft a guy who’s better and will be all gelled up come Sept. 22. You can make up the lost bean by spending 7M on another starter somewhere else. I think that’s what Jax paid for MJJr. who would be our #1 WR right now…
I’d feel differently about this if Stenberg was pushing for playing time, but he’s looking like they need to move on from him too. My feeling is with the swing in salary cap fortunes this offseason, teams are going to be throwing some stupid money around just to spend it. It might be better to wait a year
I could be wrong, but I don’t think they would designate him June 1. I think they’re trying to get out from under the bad contracts of the past regime, plus they have their own Goff money to deal with. He either returns or he’s an early cap casualty.
We bitched last year when we weren’t going anywhere and still didn’t get to see the guy play. Well, that’s where I’m at right now. Some guys suck in practice and kill it in games, some guys other way around. And some guys suck at both. About time we found out.
Guard has been an issue for years. Think about it like this. Why did we draft a guard in the 1st round if we didn’t have any issues at guard? And when you see names like Aboushi, Stephen Peterman and Kenny Wiggins…those were not good guards.
Because you still have to replace the player.
A June 1st designation is literally kicking the can down the road. All you are doing at that point is taking on millions of dollars in dead money in 2023 instead of 2022. So whatever you gained in 2022 you lost in 2023 money.
Exactly. It would be one thing if Stenberg got an extended look this year and looked great. Sure, you cut Vaitai, use the savings on a new player at another position, life is good. But when you cut Vaitai you have nobody to fill in. Sure you “save” 4 million but you also have a hole at starting guard and considering how much this franchise wants to have an advantage on the OL - how much now to acquire a starting guard? Did you really “save” anything?
Its not just about just saving something for 2022. It is getting out of his contract while this team is still growing. We are not going anywhere in 2022, so why not make the move then, take the hit, and let someone else develop? I don’t care if you are the Detroit Lions or the freaking Baltimore Ravens, if you have a guy who is not performing to his contract it is bad business to keep paying them.
Cut Vatai, save 4.2mil in 2022 and an additonal 2.8mil guaranteed in 2023 and fill his spot with Evan Brown who will be making less then 1mil or a mid round rookie who would be making less then 1mil. Cash is then saved to spend on a more important position and you are getting rid of a guy who is not part of our future.
You lose both the salary and the dead money in both years and the salary in both years eclipse the dead money. You are always kicking the can down the road, which traditionally is smart business because the cap (traditionally) only goes up making absorbing future money more palatable. Now with the cap going down because of kneelin… I mean COVID it may be better to absorb it all now and just have it be a wash in year one. I’d rather right size performance vs value now when we aren’t winning squat then find ourselves with a bad RG and because we paid him, we are still deficient at more spots 2-3 years from now. Send the guy down the road and manage the dead money over two seasons. It gives you 7M to play with next season.
That’s also because we have centers that aren’t 290lbs surrounded by mediocre at best guards. God how I don’t miss watching raiola get pushed 5 yards into the backfield 70% of the game.
I totally agree Big V at least in 2022 is within range pay wise of what he has done this season. I leave the starting 5 alone an yes would keep Brown an add improved depth.
You don’t drop quality for hope in order to save money .
His play earned him to keep his starting position. If during camp he shows he doesn’t deserve it his contract is a push .
I keep him they can approach a rework but keep him at least till end of camp.
The players we have to replace him are not at this point as good.
I like are OL an with are rookie OT starting next season with year both sides it will be better.
I do like depth of Brown an Kramer not sold on Stenberg .
We will be better at OL depth next season.
There are no additional savings in 2023 if Vaitai is cut this offseason.
That $2.8 million you are seeing as “dead money” in 2023 is the dead money hit the Lions would take if fhey keep him in 2022… and THEN cut him in 2023.
Vaitai has zero guaranteed money left on his deal.
I agree that they are trying to clear out the bad contracts but I also think that Dan wants his guys and their clearing out those who aren’t. I think Big V. is likely gone and replaced with Brown or a low level free agent starter. Teams generally do not put a ton of resources into OG’s anyway.
With that said …… it might be wise to wait a year and let Sewell get up to speed.
But my gut tells me this staff will likely move on from him.
it may be better to absorb it all now and just have it be a wash in year one. I’d rather right size performance vs value now when we aren’t winning squat then find ourselves with a bad RG and because we paid him, we are still deficient at more spots 2-3 years from now. Send the guy down the road and manage the dead money over two seasons. It gives you 7M to play with next season.
