Guys like Goff and Stafford shouldn’t be getting into the Hall unless they have some amazing team accomplishments. It cheapens it for the truly great players.
I’m going to bet his agent pushes for a 3yr deal and the Lions cave . . . would love a 4yr or even a 5yr!!!
Tags going to be around $22.5M . . . I think you either sign him this year or plan on him walking, I don’t see the tag as an option. Tag and trade??, not sure
He is about to have the best season if his career next to Reader. Gonna be expensive after it. Too bad couldn’t sign him before it. But in the end you need to pay the players their worth or wish them well elsewhere. If he has a further break out this year, it will be a good problem to have to face i guess.
I think Decker is the obvious toast of the upcoming re-signs. I don’t think Lions will draft a OT this year though, get interior OL with starting Ce capabilities to develop. Replace Decker with RT in next years FRP. Sewell to LT of course.
This. I mean Saint is a PB WR playing on a 4th round contract, and he’s a guy who has a long memory when being shafted. It’s just time to pay him. Goff I think you can both get done AND save a little money early in the contract, as he’s already making big money. Sewell you can wait on as we have his 5th year option then we can make a deal and I think he’s going to want to stay here.
Which leaves Alim. Keep in mind we spent 3 draft picks for a 3rd round pick NT waiting to support Reeder. 3t is the open spot we are assuming Alim can grasp at a high level sandwiched between Hutch and Reeder. Go let him earn 20M plus as those other DT’s have. I think he can, IF he stays healthy. But if he doesn’t stud out, I’m having plan B tee’d up whether that’s with a draft pick this year, or you go out and buy yourself a real 20M 3t in FA. I just don’t think you pay him this year, assuming you’ve got something you don’t really know whether you’ve got or not. I like keeping the band together but if you can’t be an impact DT between Hutch and Reeder, then we shouldn’t be paying you 20M per.
LY, Alim played at the age of most NFL rookies. This year in May he turns 24. his best years are in front of him. His knowledge of playing inside will start peeking as well as his man strength.
It’s a risk for the team to make him a great deal at this time, it’s also a risk for Alim to play on his cheap 4th year contract.
There is a happy medium that can work for both the team and Alim, I’m confident both sides know the risks and rewards. I’m confident Brad and Co will work this out.
My guess is 4 years with a $26M signing bonus. $8M a year cap avg. Equates to a contract average of $15M a year. Alim is only 28 at the conclusion of becoming a very wealthy man.
This thread has me realizing that Alim McNeil is one of the most undervalued players on this roster. He showed he was a capable starter his rookie year with a terrible defense around him. He improved in year 2 and was a plus starter who flashed in a couple games. He completely transformed his body and lost a bunch of weight in one offseason to be the best player he could be. If he didn’t get hurt, he was on pace for 7 sacks. He was graded as a top 5 DT in the entire league at 23 years old. On top of that, he has played alongside role players at best on the interior his entire time here.
He gets another offseason to further transform his body. He gets to play next to one of the best NT in the game, which should free him up more inside and he is not even 24 yet.
He is literally trending to be one of the best interior lineman in the NFL. I would not be surprised if he got double digit sacks in 2024.
People on here are acting like he’s easily replaceable. In top of everything above, he has been a model teammate and appears to do everything these coaches ask of him.
I would bet 100$ with anyone on this board that Decker and McNeil will be a lion in 2025. They are part of the core that Campbell talks about, not a doubt in my mind.
Reader is older, coming off of injury and a 1 Tech. (Nose). Since they don’t rush the passer they don’t make as much.
The only $20M AAV Nose is Dexter Lawrence of the Giants.
Commanders Daron Payne makes over $20M AAV but in that system it’s just Left and Right DT. He and Jonathan Allen are both paid a lot but I wouldn’t consider either a traditional Nose.
Just to throw one more thing in there, we had the #1 rush defense in the entire league with Benito Jones starting on the inside.
Not trying to bash Benito, but he is a bottom of the roster type of player. Alim is a top notch run defender and is only getting better rushing the passer.
If McNeill just duplicates the season he had in 2023 but plays the entire season, and the extended stats, he will easily deserve $25M.
That and the other players on the last year of their contracts inspired the thread. Holmes has some tough decisions to make in managing this roster.
We, as fans look at this in a vacuum and say, “we can’t possibly pay these four guys!” When in reality, it’s very doable especially with the cap always increasing. There’s fifth year options, readjusting current contracts, incentive laden contracts, back loaded contracts, etc, etc.
If we want to keep all four, we will. If we think Alim’s price tag is going to be too high when the time comes(no worries right now), you will have suitors to trade for him.
Alim has the potential to become something special. But right now I am not seeing it. And I would be leary of any player who suddenly finds his special sauce in a contract year.
I think Alim is a very talented guy and one of his unique traits is the ability to pack on alot of weight and still be athletic. But I think that trait has led him down a bad path where he is playing heavier than optimal. Even with the weight loss, I think he should play even lighter than that.