A mostly quiet offseason between the Lions and their cornerstone left tackle ended up still producing the endgame the parties wanted. The Lions and Taylor Decker agreed on an extension Tuesday.
The sides agreed on a four-year, $60MM pact (Twitter links). The final season is voidable, per Rapoport. More details will shake out here, but the Lions have their top tackle signed long-term.
This will not put Decker in the Laremy Tunsil neighborhood, ensuring that the Texans’ $22MM-per-year tackle remains in his own financial sector, and the per-year value is somewhat interesting. While the former first-round pick has never made a Pro Bowl, he has still given the Lions somewhat of a discount. At $15MM per year in new money, Decker’s deal comes in fifth overall at his position and behind multiple left tackle contracts agreed to more than two years ago. It does, however, come in ahead of recent pacts given to Dion Dawkins and D.J. Humphries.
Decker, 27, has started 55 games for the Lions since they took him 16th overall in 2016. The team now has two tackles signed to lucrative deals, with this agreement coming after Detroit inked Halapoulivaati Vaitai in March. Decker graded as last season’s No. 20 overall tackle, per Pro Football Focus.
They eventually need some stability on the O-Line. They’ve let Rief and Glasgow walk, the revolving door needed to stop. Decker is probably better than Backus and they let him linger forever.
Another sensible contract. Decker is just as good, if not better than Tunsil, and yet the annual value falls just short of his contract. Decker has been a stable presence on the blindside and will be paramount in helping Stafford avoid another debilitating injury
Name of the post: Halapoulivaati Vaitai