2013 Free Agency Discussion

[Mufasa]

Good teams build through the draft and don't make big changes from year to year. Look at the last 4 Super Bowl teams; that's what the Giants, Patriots, Packers, and Steelers do. To be a consistent playoff team, the Lions should do the same.

[Scotty D]

Originally Posted by Mufasa

Good teams build through the draft and don't make big changes from year to year. Look at the last 4 Super Bowl teams; that's what the Giants, Patriots, Packers, and Steelers do. To be a consistent playoff team, the Lions should do the same.

True, but I think you can do both. Those teams dip in to the free agent pool when they need to. I think I did read yesterday the Packers haven't signed a free agent in 3 years or something like that. KVB and Burleson were huge pick ups for this team. But at least with Mayhew we don't have to worry about getting guys like Kenoy Kennedy, Rick DeMulling, Michael Gaines, or Dewayne White.

[noondog]

The quiet on the Lions front is disconcerting at this point.

[noondog]

http://blogs.nfl.com/2012/03/05/lion...headline_stack

Avril tagged

[Scotty D]

Well I guess it had to be done. I think they are 10 million over the cap now but I'm not completely sure about that.

[noondog]

Goddammit, why aren't the Lions doing anything?! Free agency starts tomorrow and we have Avril franchised and no Megatron extension with a lower cap hit. Fml.

[Prowler]

Because of Noondog's insistence, the Lions have finally started putting in some effort this offseason today.

http://blogs.detroitlions.com/2012/0...s-in-progress/

entire piece is quoted

Matthew Stafford and Nate Burleson want to win football games.

They want to win so badly, in fact, they’ve restructured their contracts to give the Lions an extra $10 million in salary cap space for the 2012 season.

That restructuring will help get the team under the $120.6 million salary cap by Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline and will also help them try to re-sign free agent targets like linebacker Stephen Tulloch.

The team is saving more than $7 million from Stafford’s restructure and $2.175 million from Burleson.

Burleson was due to make $4 million in base salary this season but has converted a bulk of that into a bonus. He will make $875,000 in base salary after the restructure and the rest will be paid in bonuses.

Stafford had a cap number of more than $17 million. By converting his $11.5-million base salary to minimum, he’s created more than $7 million in cap room.

This is the second time in as many years Stafford and Burleson have restructured their contracts. Stafford reportedly saved the team $6 million is a restructure last season and Burleson nearly $1 million.

Stafford and Burleson, though, aren’t giving anything back to the team – they’re still getting the full amount of their contracts.

Players don’t take a cut in pay. Instead, they convert base salary to signing bonus, allowing the team to lower a player’s salary-cap number for that year.

The restructuring of contracts is a common practice with teams as they try to finagle the salary cap number.

Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh‘s agent Roosevelt Barnes told Fox Sports Detroit that Suh has agreed to restructure his contract as well, though that deal hasn’t become final yet, according to a league source.

Stafford, Burleson, and Suh will all restructure.

[noondog]

I'm repping myself for clearly being the catalyst to make this happen.

Now if Avril and Megatron would get their **** together with Mayhew in the next 24 hrs, we'll really have something to look forward to.

[Scotty D]

I wonder if Mayhew can pull off Carrr or Finnegan.

[Prowler]

Calvin's contract should be cap friendly, maybe he can talk to Mayhew about a corner and get it done. If we have a few clean drafts the next couple of years, let some of these FAs have 2 year deals with an optional 3rd, then we'll be lethal. That franchise tag on Avril just sent out a lot of good will to the players. The organization wants to keep this thing intact and will pay for it if they had the money. The players saw it and are stepping up. Great job.

[Scotty D]

Add 1.6 million in cap from the Cowboys-Skins penalties and 1.6 from cutting Will Heller.

[noondog]

Wonder if we can get Levi Brown and let Backus walk? Not necessarily ideal, but it would be a stop-gap for the time being. How much more do you think Brown would want vs Backus?

[Prowler]

Jamaal maybe, but I've always hated Levi. I'd prefer to have Backus come back for continuity reasons in the locker room if there are no major upgrades available at tackle. Ideally, we'd draft someone(Mike Adams, Mitchell Schwartz, Bobbie Massie, Matt McCants) to join the rotation this year. If Backus doesn't cut it, then the rookie can push him into retirement.

[StorminNorman]

Originally Posted by noondog

Wonder if we can get Levi Brown and let Backus walk? Not necessarily ideal, but it would be a stop-gap for the time being. How much more do you think Brown would want vs Backus?

I would rather start Jason Fox over Levi Brown (and I would rather have Backus over either of them).

I am worried about losing Sammie Lee based off that original value tag.

[Scotty D]

I read Lions are interested in David Hawthorne and Laron Landry. Stanton is visiting the Jets.

[Prowler]

Landry definitely fits our intimidating style. Nobody will **** with that defense. He can probably play defensive end too...dude's huge.

[WMD]

let's sign Landry and Finnegan, and then draft Vontaze and some other crazy ass players.

[noondog]

Well, we lost Wright. Not the end of the world, but I hope the Lions have a plan in mind to bring in a legit #1 CB.

[noondog]

Apparently we're looking at Ginn Jr as a 4th receiver/return specialist.

Not a need per se, but would be an interesting weapon to add.

[Xiomera]

Calvin and Lions are gonna announce a 7-year extension at 1 p.m. today.

[noondog]

Oh hellz yeah!! Calvin extended!

https://twitter.com/#!/ttwentyman/st...39630202880000

[Xiomera]

Beat you to it! haha

[noondog]

Originally Posted by Xiomera

Beat you to it! haha

I linked.

Wonder how much cap space this frees up for us?

[Prowler]

Just wondering, but do you guys get that from actually visiting the main lions site, from following Twentyman on twitter, or from facebook updates. I saw it on facebook at about 3 minutes before coming here from just listing Detroit Lions as a favorite team, then I saw you guys duel it out at the same time.

[noondog]

Originally Posted by Prowler

Just wondering, but do you guys get that from actually visiting the main lions site, from following Twentyman on twitter, or from facebook updates. I saw it on facebook at about 3 minutes before coming here from just listing Detroit Lions as a favorite team, then I saw you guys duel it out at the same time.

Combo Facebook and Twitter...whichever I hit first.