We heard at the end of last month that the Lions and star wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown would begin working on an extension at the Scouting Combine. ESPN’s Dan Graziano confirms that contract negotiations are indeed underway (subscription required).
Per Graziano, St. Brown’s new deal could feature an average annual value of $26MM-$28MM, which would position the former fourth-rounder near the top of the WR market as it currently stands. At present, Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill‘s $30MM AAV is tops among his peers, though that number is artificially inflated by an exorbitant ~$44MM salary in 2026 that Hill will almost certainly never see. Raiders wideout Davante Adams is next on the list with a $28MM AAV, while the Rams’ Cooper Kupp enjoys a $26.7MM AAV and also secured a WR-record $75MM in total guarantees when he signed his extension with Los Angeles in June 2022.
St. Brown, who is entering his age-25 season, clearly has an argument to be the highest-paid player at his position. The USC product has improved his production over each of his first three years in the league, and in 2023, he posted a stellar 119/1,515/10 slash line. Those totals earned him First-Team All-Pro acclaim along with the second Pro Bowl bid of his young career, and he has been one of the driving forces behind Detroit’s hugely successful rebuild.
Plus, as a non-first-round draft choice in 2021, St. Brown does not have a fifth-year option on his rookie contract, and he is therefore eligible for free agency in 2025. The Lions could of course deploy the franchise tag next offseason if they cannot work out a multiyear accord between now and then, but the tag for receivers is projected to be in the $25MM ballpark (h/t OverTheCap.com), and St. Brown’s is not the only contract that needs to be addressed. Quarterback Jared Goff is also entering the final year of his current deal and is due for a significant raise of his own, and GM Brad Holmes may also want to explore extensions for OT Penei Sewell and DT Alim McNeill.
Sewell, a 2021 first-round choice, could be retained via the fifth-year option in 2025, though McNeill was a 2021 third-rounder and will be out of contract at the end of the 2024 campaign. Nonetheless, St. Brown will clearly be a top priority, and there is seemingly no chance that Holmes will allow him to sniff the open market, even if he has to pony up an historic contract to keep him in Honolulu blue.
In order to create some salary cap breathing room, at least in the short-term, the Lions restructured the contract of recently-acquired cornerback Carlton Davis, as Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com reports. The move frees up $4.5MM of cap space in 2024, though as Justin Rogers of the Detroit News observes, that additional flexibility was created via three void years. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 passes along the full details.
Of course, the Lions could also recoup additional spending power as a result of the unfortunate Cameron Sutton situation.
The $25 million franchise tag is a discount to what he’s reportedly going to get, so as usual, that will artificially push down potential earnings for a star player and give him no guarantee if he gets injured. How is this still a thing?
It’s still a thing because players allow it to be. Every time CBA talks come up there’s discussion of removing the tag. Each time they come to an agreement it’s still there. The players would rather have other things in exchange.
Kick rocks, Saint.
Kick rocks, tool
Aww triggered another libtard snowflake
Justin Jefferson is going to set the top at some point so some guys are going to wait on what he gets.
Probably, but Jefferson won’t be as productive without Cousins so a year after he gets his big pay day the Vikings will be asking him to do a re-structure of that contract.
Everyone restructures though so that really isn’t an issue. Evans came back to Bucs and restructured the deal right after FA officially started.
Re-structures aren’t uncommon, but as you pointed out, players are always looking at the guy who is going to be setting the new salary ceiling.
The Lions will take care of ARSB, Sewell and Goff. That’s the reason they didn’t go splurge on players like Danielle Hunter and Christian Wilkins. They are saving that extra cap room to take care of their own. And with the way Holmes drafts, the Lions will be in good shape for the foreseeable future.
If the Lions really had long term intentions on Goff, they should have signed him prior to the Baker Mayfield deal. I would guess that Goff would be worth at least 20% more than Mayfield. But, wait, here come the Falcons with the Cousins deal. In reality, the Cousins deal may only be for 2 years as it won’t be bank busting to cut him after 2025.
That said, if the Lions do work out a deal for Goff, how many years do you think it would be? Anything more than 1 year (2025) and it makes the Hendon Hooker draft an absolute waste, a cheap waste, but a waste nonetheless.
I’d argue that ARSB and McNeil are the more pressing ones since they can pick up Sewell 5th yr option. ARSB & McNeil would be UFA’s at end of this upcoming season without extensions, and you can’t tag both — since you probably are reserving the Franchise Tag for Goff.