Defensive end Ziggy Ansah, who is now under contract through 2017 after the Lions picked up his fifth-year option for 2017, won’t say whether he’s interested in signing a multiyear extension to remain in Detroit long term.
“As of right now, I think you’ve got to take it step by step,” said the standout Lions defender, according to Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press. “You’ve got to see how this season goes, and I’m just looking forward as far as having a great season for the team.”
In 2016, Ansah will earn a modest $2.94MM salary, but that 2017 option will pay him $12.734MM, so he’s in line for a nice raise eventually, whether or not he inks a long-term deal with the Lions. The former first-round pick, who recorded 14.5 sacks in 2015 on his way to his first Pro Bowl nod, was the league’s 27th-best edge defender out of 110 qualified players, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required).
Here’s more from out of the NFC:
- Without Calvin Johnson to lean on, Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford must earn his next deal, Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press writes. Stafford, entering his eighth year in the NFL, is scheduled to carry a $22.5MM cap number in 2016 and a $22MM cap charge in 2017 before hitting the open market.
- While Tom Condon, the agent for Sam Bradford, has said his client won’t be participating in offseason activities, Bradford’s Eagles teammate Connor Barwin expects the quarterback to be back in a week or two, as he said today on SportsRadio 94 WIP (Twitter link via John Clark of CSN Philly).
- Mike Triplett of ESPN.com and Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post break down the specific details on Terron Armstead‘s new five-year extension with the Saints, which is worth $65MM with $20.88MM fully guaranteed at signing.
- While this weekend’s minicamps are mostly about rookies, the Giants have a few veterans in attendance to try out for a spot on their roster. Per Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link), defensive end Lawrence Sidbury, quarterback B.J. Daniels, and running back Lache Seastrunk are among the free agents in attendance. Linebacker Xzavier Dickson is auditioning for Big Blue too, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
Zach Links contributed to this post.