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Detroit Lions News & Rumors

North Notes: Webb, Peterson, Langford

March 3rd, 2015 at 9:43pm CST by Zachary Links

The question was never whether the Ravens would approach Lardarius Webb about a pay reduction, it was whether he would take one, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com writes. Hensley runs through the different compromises the two sides could reach and ultimately concludes that the Ravens’ best outcome will be for the two sides to find some middle ground. Even if Webb agrees to a pay cut, however, his contract will be an issue next offseason. Baltimore can gain $6MM of cap room by releasing the cornerback in 2016. More from the North divisions..

  • Vikings coach Mike Zimmer is scheduled to fly to Houston on Wednesday to meet with Adrian Peterson to discuss the embattled superstar’s future with the team, two people with knowledge of the plan told Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Vikings GM Rick Spielman is also expected to make the trip to participate in what would be the first face-to-face meeting between the two sides in months.
  • Kendall Langford‘s visit with the Lions went well but he’ll continue visiting other teams, according to Nick Wagoner of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Twitter). The former Rams defensive lineman will visit the Jets next, followed by the Saints. Langford, who turned 29 last month, inked a four-year, $22MM deal with the Rams in 2012 but was cut late last month.
  • Vikings linemen Tom Johnson and Joe Berger both played for the minimum salary last season and both are seeking raises this offseason, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press writes. Johnson’s agent says that the Vikings are his client’s first choice, but he’ll be seeking a three- or four-year deal in “the right situation and right system.” Johnson, 30, finished second on the team last season with 6.5 sacks.

Giants Considering Run At Ndamukong Suh

March 3rd, 2015 at 3:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Although it seems “improbable” on the surface, the Giants are believed to be considering a run at Ndamukong Suh, assuming he reaches the open market next week, sources tell Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.

The Lions elected not to place the franchise tag on Suh yesterday, and his potential suitors are starting to come out of the woodwork — Washington is said to have interest, while the Dolphins have been identified as a possible wild card candidate. As I noted while discussing Washington’s interest, there aren’t many teams in the NFL that wouldn’t love to add Suh to the mix on the defensive line, so a ton of times will likely kick the tires on him if given the opportunity.

For the Giants, defensive line isn’t necessarily a top priority, since the team used its own franchise tag on Jason Pierre-Paul yesterday, and has Johnathan Hankins as an anchor on the interior. However, adding Suh to the mix to complement JPP, Hankins, and pass rusher Robert Ayers would give New York one of the best defensive fronts in the NFL.

Of course, cap space would be a concern for the Giants. At the moment, the club has about $13MM in room, which could be enough to accommodate Suh, depending on how a contract is structured and what other moves are forthcoming. However, it wouldn’t leave much flexibility to address other areas of need — a team source tells Vacchiano that New York is unlikely to engage in a bidding war. On top of that, if the team hopes to work out a longer-term arrangement with Pierre-Paul, investing so heavily on two defensive lineman could come back to haunt the team down the road.

While there may ultimately be too many roadblocks for the Giants to get serious about pursuing Suh, the team’s reported interest is another sign that the star defender will have more than just a handful of suitors as he nears unrestricted free agency.

North Notes: Steelers, Worilds, Peterson, Suh

March 2nd, 2015 at 10:46pm CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers have yet to finalize a restructuring of Maurkice Pouncey‘s contract, the NFLPA tells Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via Twitter). Pouncey’s current deal takes him through the 2019 season with a $8.1MM cap number in 2015. A full restructure of his deal would save the Steelers $3.8MM in cap space in 2015. More from the North divisions..

  • If Jason Worilds signs elsewhere, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (on Twitter) expects the Steelers to go after a pass-rushing outside linebacker in free agency and still use a high pick on one in the draft.
  • Vikings GM Rick Spielman says the team has communicated with Adrian Peterson, as Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press writes. “We’ve had open dialogue,’’ Spielman said, while declining to say who has spoken with the running back. “I’ll just leave it at that.”
  • Spielman wouldn’t comment on contract renegotiations with Chad Greenway other than saying, “He’s under contract. There’s no deadline. We’re under the cap,” according to Tomasson (via Twitter). Greenway, 32, is due to make $7MM in 2015 with the Vikings. Last year, he missed time thanks to a broken hand and busted ribs.
  • The Ndamukong Suh situation shows the complication of simple contract restructurings, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. The Lions ultimately didn’t use the franchise tag on Suh because things snowballed to the point where they would have had to invest $26.9MM for one more year with him. Next year, the Steelers could face a similar situation with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Though he’ll make only $11.6MM in 2015, his cap number of $18.395MM will result in a franchise tag of $22.074MM in 2016 thanks to the restructurings.

NFC West Notes: 49ers, Hayne, Smith

March 2nd, 2015 at 6:29pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers have emerged as the frontrunners for Australian rugby league star Jarryd Hayne, according to Michael Chammas of The Sydney Morning Herald. There has been mutual interest between the two sides for some time and Chammas hears that the 49ers are likely to be the call when he announces his decision on Tuesday. Hayne is also considering offers from the Lions and Seahawks, according to the report. Here’s more from the NFC West..

  • Justin Smith is contemplating retirement, but there’s cautious optimism among the 49ers that he’ll return for one last season, according to Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee. Smith is set to meet with head coach Jim Tomsula later this week to discuss a potential future together. Despite the injuries he has dealt with, Smith is still regarded as one of the top defensive linemen in the league. Smith, for his part, looks like he’s in great shape and from just looking at him it would seem like he’s not ready to ride off into the sunset.
  • While veteran cuts are likely coming for the 49ers, it doesn’t appear as if linebackers Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman are going anywhere, says Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
  • Examining the Seahawks‘ coming offseason, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap writes that the team probably doesn’t need to make a major push to bring back any of its unrestricted free agents. Byron Maxwell, specifically, could command a contract that exceeds his true value, given the limited number of top cornerback options available, Fitzgerald writes.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Lions Re-Sign Darryl Tapp

March 2nd, 2015 at 1:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Coming on the same day that we learned the Lions won’t use their franchise tag on Ndamukong Suh, the team’s latest defensive line update is bound to be overshadowed. However, Detroit has at least brought back one player from last year’s squad, according to Pride of Detroit (via Twitter). The Lions quietly re-signed veteran defensive end Darryl Tapp, and Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports (via Twitter) that it’s a minimum salary benefit contract with an $80K signing bonus.

Tapp, who rejoined the Lions prior to the first week of the 2014 regular season, was a part-time contributor for the team, appearing in 302 defensive snaps. With 19 tackles and 0.5 sacks, Tapp didn’t make a huge impact for the unit, but the team liked his performance well enough to lock him up again for the coming season.

Of course, as I alluded to up top, the Lions have greater concerns on their defensive line this offseason, with Suh, Nick Fairley, and others eligible for free agency next week. Bringing back Tapp is a start, but there’s still plenty of work for the club to do this month.

FA Rumors: Pats, Dockett, Langford, Freeney

March 2nd, 2015 at 11:40am CST by Luke Adams

Let’s check in on a few Monday rumors on current free agents, as well as free-agents-to-be….

  • With this afternoon’s franchise and transition tag deadline looming, the Patriots are more likely to use their tag on kicker Stephen Gostkowski than safety Devin McCourty, sources tell Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston. Reiss cautions that the situation is “fluid” and that things could change by 3:00pm central time. However, if the Pats do decide to trade Gostkowski, it would mean McCourty could potentially hit the open market next week, as far and away the best safety available. It would be surprising if the Pats let McCourty get away, but that would at least seem to bode well for the return of Darrelle Revis.
  • According to agent Drew Rosenhaus, free agent defensive lineman Darnell Dockett is generating “a lot of interest” on the free agent market, writes Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. Rosenhaus is expecting Dockett to have a new home by the end of the week. As for the Cardinals, who released Dockett last week, they’re still hoping to bring the veteran defender back — Somers reports that they’ve offered a one-year deal worth up to $4MM through incentives, with a base value of $2.5MM.
  • Former Rams defensive tackle Kendall Langford, cut by St. Louis last week, is visiting the Lions today, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter). It’s an interesting tidbit of news, as Detroit attempts to lock up its own free agent defensive tackles, such as Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley. For now, we should probably assume that Langford is just a Plan B, or a potential depth piece, but we heard earlier today that the team won’t franchise Suh, so there’s no guarantee he returns to Detroit.
  • After mulling the possibility of retiring, veteran Chargers pass rusher Dwight Freeney has decided to continue his playing career and return for a 14th season, writes Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Freeney doesn’t have a contract for 2015, so he’ll have to find a taker, but I imagine he’ll still draw plenty of interest — despite recording only 3.5 sacks in 2014, the 35-year-old recorded 53 overall quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus’ data (subscription required).
  • Linebacker Brad Jones, who was released by the Packers last month, recently visited the Titans and has a visit lined up today with the Eagles, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter). Of the two veteran linebackers cut this offseason by Green Bay, A.J. Hawk received most of the headlines, but Jones is another player who could still contribute elsewhere.

Lions Won’t Franchise Ndamukong Suh

March 2nd, 2015 at 8:40am CST by Luke Adams

With today’s deadline for franchise tags looming, the reporter for the Lions’ official site, Tim Twentyman, tweets that Detroit won’t be using its tag on star defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. That means that, unless Suh and the Lions reach a long-term agreement within the next eight days, he’ll hit the open market when the free agent period begins next Tuesday.Ndamukong Suh

Suh’s case was the most interesting one to watch as today’s deadline for franchise and transition tags approached. As a consensus top-five free agent, Suh would normally be right there alongside Justin Houston, Demaryius Thomas, and Dez Bryant as someone expecting to be tagged today. However, because Suh is coming off a season in which his cap number was $22MM+, his franchise salary for 2015 projected to be nearly $26.9MM, about twice as much as the tag for those other players.

As I pointed out back in December when I took a closer look for the Lions’ options with Suh, his $22.4MM cap hit in 2014 was the league’s highest, so a 20% raise on top of that looked somewhat unpalatable for the Lions, even with the cap on the rise.

General manager Martin Mayhew and the Lions have insisted throughout the process that they’re optimistic about the likelihood of Suh returning to Detroit for the 2015 season and beyond. However, with the 28-year-old now just eight days from reaching free agency, and no franchise tag in play, it seems likely that Suh and agent Jimmy Sexton will test the market. Suh said back in December that he intended to let Sexton choose his next time, suggesting that the highest bidder may win out.

Regardless of whether or not Suh returns to the Lions, Detroit will carry a $9.7MM cap hit for him in 2015. That’s the amount of dead money on the team’s books, the cost of restructuring his deal, which voided after this year’s Super Bowl.

If Suh does reach the open market, bidding for his services figures to be competitive, considering plenty of teams have the cap room necessary to make a monster offer, and there isn’t a team in the NFL that couldn’t use his presence in the middle of the defensive line. In 2014, Suh graded as the league’s third-best defensive tackle, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), excelling both as a pass rusher (57 quarterback pressures) and against the run.

By all accounts, Suh will be looking to become the highest-paid defensive player in football, exceeding the six-year, $100MM extension J.J. Watt signed with the Texans last year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Will The Lions Franchise Suh?

March 1st, 2015 at 8:48am CST by Rory Parks

As expected, Ndamukong Suh‘s fate in 2015 and beyond has been a preeminent storyline over the first few weeks of the offseason, and with the deadline for teams to put the franchise tag on potential free agents looming, opinions about what the Lions could and should do with Suh remain divided. By 4pm EST tomorrow, Detroit will either have to put the tag on Suh and hope they can work out a long-term deal over the next few months, or decline to use the tag and pray they can agree to terms before free agency opens on March 10.

Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press believes the Lions should tag Suh and absorb the $26.9MM cap hit that such a move would create. Birkett writes, “for a Lions team coming off its second best season of the Super Bowl era, the only thing worse than smashing the pay scale is letting your best player go and getting nothing but a 2016 compensatory pick in return.” Birkett believes the team is poised to make a Super Bowl run in 2015, and they should do whatever it takes to keep one of the game’s most dominant defensive players to help them make that run.

Justin Rogers and Kyle Meinke of MLive.com, meanwhile, believe the Lions should of course re-sign Suh if they can, but they should not put the tag on him. The franchise tag for Suh would force the Lions to create another $9MM of cap room, which they could do by restructuring the contracts of Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson and/or by releasing Stephen Tulloch. Indeed, a restructure of Johnson’s deal would create enough cap space by itself. But not only would restructures like that create additional financial problems down the road, the Lions would be hard-pressed just to fit their draft class under the cap if they were to put the tag on Suh, and it would be almost impossible to address their other roster holes in free agency.

Similarly, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk believes Detroit would be foolish to tag Suh. As he points out, if Detroit were to put a $26.9MM tag on Suh in 2015, the cost of the tag next year would increase by 20% to over $32MM. As a result, any negotiations on a long-term deal the team entered into this year would include about $59MM fully guaranteed for the first two years of the deal. Florio writes, “if the Lions are going to keep Suh, they need to rule out the franchise tag and put together an offer that will match or exceed the package that the Raiders or Jaguars or some other team looking to make a franchise-transforming cannonball into the free-agency pool will put together.”

The Lions will have to make their decision soon, and if they agree with Birkett, one of the year’s biggest free agent dominoes may not even get the chance to fall.

NFC Mailbags: Rams, Panthers, Lions, Packers

February 28th, 2015 at 11:51am CST by Ben Levine

We took a look at ESPN.com’s AFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s now shift focus to the NFC…

  • Nick Wagoner says the Rams would like to re-sign tight end Lance Kendricks, but the writer wonders if the rumored $4MM annual salary the player is seeking is too pricey.
  • The Panthers need a speedy wideout to pair with Kelvin Benjamin, and David Newton suggests free agents Eddie Royal, Ted Ginn Jr. and Michael Crabtree, although he warns that the former 49ers receiver may not be a “Dave Gettleman guy.”
  • With Cam Newton‘s contract situation being a priority in Carolina, Newton says the Panthers likely won’t make any progress on an extension for Luke Kuechly until next season.
  • The Lions releasing Reggie Bush is not an indication that they’ll draft a running back early, says Michael Rothstein. The team still has Joique Bell and Theo Riddick, so there doesn’t need to be any panic from the organization to replace the former second-overall pick. With the said, Rothstein still believes the team will select a running back, albeit much later in the draft.
  • Dan Graziano believes Bush would be the type of running back the Giants would be looking to acquire. However, the writer says that the team wasn’t among the organizations that displayed initial interest in the veteran.
  • Rob Demovsky says the Packers could keep both Tramon Williams and Davon House, but he notes that it’s unlikely for both players to remain on the roster. After all, the team is looking to expand Casey Hayward‘s role, meaning one of the two defensive backs would be on the outside looking in.
  • John Keim opines that Washington needs to improve their tight end depth. The writer says the team can’t rely on Jordan Reed, and he adds that Logan Paulsen is most productive as a blocker. Keim points to former Eagles tight end James Casey, noting that Washington has already shown interest in the 30-year-old.

Offseason Outlook: Detroit Lions

February 27th, 2015 at 8:21pm CST by Zachary Links

Pending free agents:

Top 10 2015 cap hits:

  1. Calvin Johnson, WR: $20,558,000
  2. Matthew Stafford, QB: $17,721,250
  3. Stephen Tulloch, LB: $5,800,000
  4. Glover Quin, S: $5,742,500
  5. Golden Tate, WR: $5,350,000
  6. Ezekiel Ansah, DE: $5,071,228
  7. DeAndre Levy, LB: $4,500,000
  8. Jason Jones, DE: $3,983,334
  9. Brandon Pettigrew, TE: $3,800,000
  10. Joique Bell, RB: $3,500,000

Notable coaching changes:

  • None

Draft:

  • No. 23 overall pick
  • No traded picks

Other:

Overview:

With 23 free agents and only $18.44MM worth of cap space, the Lions will have to make some tough choices in the coming months. Much of the attention, if not all of the attention, has been centered on Ndamukong Suh, and for good reason. Not only is Suh one of the most feared defensive linemen in the NFL, but he is the giant domino that will determine how the rest of the offseason goes. The Lions badly want to keep him, of course, but they also know that their “big three” of Suh, Matthew Stafford, and Calvin Johnson is eating up a tremendous portion of their cap room.

Key Free Agents:

Of course, this list starts with none other than Suh. The Lions are working hard on a new contract for the dominant defensive tackle, and GM Martin Mayhew remains confident that the two sides will work something out. It’s always good to have confidence, but those of us on the outside aren’t sure how things are going to work out. Suh’s camp has been vocal about their desire for the biggest contract possible and his team let the world know last season that he wouldn’t mind joining up with the Giants or Jets, where he could maximize his marketability. Suh might also look towards the Seahawks and West Coast teams, as he is a Pacific Northwest native.

The Lions have the franchise tag at their disposal, of course, but that would set them back $26.9MM, even higher than last season’s $22MM salary. As much as they want to keep the former No. 2 overall pick, the near-$27MM figure would represent more than 19% of the Lions’ overall salary cap if they exercise this option. On top of that, the Lions will also be saddled with the $9MM+ in dead money from his rookie contract that will count against the cap. The question isn’t whether the Lions want Suh back — it’s whether they can get anything of substance done in free agency if they pay him mega-bucks, either via the franchise tag or through a long-term pact. Back in December, PFR’s Luke Adams explored the Lions’ different options, including allowing him to walk. Ndamukong Suh

Of course, Suh isn’t the Lions’ only important free agent defensive tackle. Nick Fairley is also scheduled to hit the open market and keeping both players could prove to be challenging. After posting a top-20 season for defensive tackles, per PFF (subscription required), Fairley figures to draw a lot of interest. It also helps that he was found not guilty on a DUI charge, which would have guaranteed a suspension for the first two games of the 2015 season (that could still happen, but the chances have been reduced dramatically). In theory, Fairley could be a franchise candidate if the tag is not used on Suh, but it’s hard to see the Lions wanting to pay him a top salary just a year after turning down his fifth-year option, valued at just $5.5MM. At the time, Detroit didn’t know that Fairley would go from being an inconsistent talent to one of the better DTs in the league. In 2014, Fairley was playing at perhaps his highest level yet before a sprained MCL and PCL in Week 8 ended his season. Despite his limited amounted of snaps (297), he still placed as the league’s 18th-best DT per PFF and his absence on the Detroit defense was very noticeable. Our own Dallas Robinson took a detailed look at Fairley earlier this month.

Defensive end George Johnson tried to make the case that he should be classified as an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but his battle fell short when the NFLPA eventually saw things Detroit’s way. Now a restricted free agent, it seems more likely that he’ll wind up staying put in Detroit. The 27-year-old carved out a role for himself as the preferred bookend off of the bench in 2014 and he should continue that role next season.

Beyond Suh and Fairley, another defensive tackle will be eligible to hit the open market in C.J. Mosley. Mosley isn’t as high of a priority as the other two, of course, but he did do a respectable job filling in for Fairley last season while he was sidelined.

Earlier this month, Mayhew said that he hopes to bring back cornerback Rashean Mathis for the 2015 season, citing the veteran’s versatility as a major positive. Mathis earned the minimum salary last season so it’ll be interesting to see if Detroit will go well beyond that to retain him, if necessary.

The Lions had a revolving door at the left guard position for years before Rob Sims came aboard in 2010 and started 80 straight games. Despite that durability, Sims has been banged up over the last couple of years and his production has declined as a result. Sims did rebound from a slow start in 2014, however, as he earned a positive grade from Pro Football Focus in every game from Week 11 onward. The Lions already informed long-time center Dominic Raiola they don’t plan on bringing him back in 2015, so it remains to be seem if Sims will be asked back. For what it’s worth, Sims wants to stay in Detroit.

Kickers aren’t often featured in the “Key Free Agents” section of our Offseason Outlooks, but the Lions learned the hard way how important a kicker can be this season. After running through two shaky legs in Nate Freese and Alex Henery, the Lions added Matt Prater mid-season and while he wasn’t flawless, he did hold down the position. Prater has been one of the most dominant kickers in the league over the last few years and figures to draw serious interest from any team with a vacancy there. He expressed a desire to stay with the Lions and the club met with his reps in Indianapolis earlier this month.

While they’re not marquee names, Mayhew recently mentioned quarterback Dan Orlovsky and long snapper Don Muhlbach as two under-the-radar potential free agents that the team was optimistic about re-signing, and he has since locked up Muhlbach — Orlovsky could be next. Speaking of Matthew Stafford’s understudies, Kellen Moore won’t be offered an RFA tender but Detroit would be interested in bringing him back.

Positions Of Need:

With Suh and Fairley potentially hitting the open market, the Lions could have a major need at defensive tackle. No, you won’t find another Suh on the open market, but this year’s crop features names like Terrance Knighton, Henry Melton, and Jared Odrick. Besides Suh, you won’t find a more proven free agent DT on the right side of 30 than the run-stuffing Knighton. The Broncos standout has ranked as the 12th- and ninth-best defensive tackle the past two years, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Melton is also an interesting name and he was playing some solid football for the Cowboys in 2014 before he was placed on IR. In the draft, the Lions could take a hard look at guys like Florida State’s Eddie Goldman, Ohio State’s Michael Bennett, and Texas’ Malcom Brown.

The Lions will be in the market for a running back after parting ways with Reggie Bush, who will celebrate his 30th birthday in the coming days. Detroit has Joique Bell on its roster, but the team probably isn’t looking to put a giant workload on his shoulders for 16 games. In theory, the Lions could take a tailback at No. 23 and go for the likes of Melvin Gordon or Todd Gurley. However, I’d expect them to instead target a back in the later rounds. The Lions already have Theo Riddick in-house to help split the workload with Bell, and George Winn also figures to see some carries. The Lions shed a big name in Bush, but they don’t need a star to take his spot on the roster.

The Lions might have some work to do on their offensive line this offseason. If the aforementioned Sims is not retained, Detroit will be in the market for a left guard. Meanwhile, they have a starting right tackle under contract in LaAdrian Waddle, but it’d be hard to count on him staying healthy given his track record over the last couple of seasons. The Lions could roll with Waddle and plug in backup Cornelius Lucas (who made three starts in 2014) as needed, but they would probably prefer to give Stafford more peace of mind when in the pocket. The Lions won’t bring Raiola back next season, but understudy Travis Swanson is ready to move into the starting center role for 2015.

Possible Cap Casualties:

2014, of course, was a year to forget for linebacker Stephen Tulloch. The linebacker’s season ended after just three games when he tore his ACL while celebrating a sack. While he was out, Tahir Whitehead filled in capably, and that leaves the Lions with an interesting choice this offseason. Detroit could continue to roll with Whitehead at middle linebacker and carve out some space by parting ways with Tulloch. The 30-year-old is slated to count $5.8MM against the cap next season. Whitehead, meanwhile, costs just $713K.

If George Johnson is retained, the Lions could gain a bit more breathing room by dropping Jason Jones. Jones is slated to count for $3.98MM against the cap in 2015, but the Lions could save $3.15MM by showing him the door. Beyond Johnson, the Lions have more options at bookend in Darryl Tapp (free agent), Devin Taylor, and Larry Webster.

Extension Candidates/Contract Issues:

Would Calvin Johnson re-work his deal to help re-sign Suh? Bell certainly hopes he’ll be open to it. “We’ll have to talk to Calvin, see if he can do something,” Bell said in early February. “We just need him back. Come back, Suh.” Recently, Megatron said that he’ll do whatever he has to do to keep the All-Pro defensive tackle in Detroit, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. At present, Johnson is scheduled to count for $20.5MM against the cap in 2015. He has re-worked his contract for the Lions in the past, having restructured his deal in 2013 to free up $3.5MM of cap space.

While there’s uncertainty about a couple of spots on the Lions’ offensive line, there’s no concern when it comes to left tackle, where Riley Reiff is entrenched. At last check, Detroit is undecided about the fifth-year option for offensive tackle but it’s possible the club will look into an extension to keep him beyond that point. Linebacker DeAndre Levy has been a good value on his rookie contract but he’ll be a free agent after he earns $3.5MM in 2015. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Lions lock their starting weakside linebacker up long before another team gets the chance to steal him away. Levy graded out as the third-best outside linebacker in a 4-3 scheme according to the advanced metrics at PFF.

Overall Outlook:

Any way you slice it, retaining Suh will cost the Lions a whole lot of flexibility. However, the Lions have fewer holes than most of the league’s contending teams and they might just bite the bullet at the cost of playing a little thin in some areas.

Information from Over The Cap was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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