- After signing Darius Slay to a lucrative extension earlier this week, the Lions have turned their attention to punter Sam Martin, as Rothstein writes in a separate piece. Martin, who is entering a contract year and who has established himself as one of the better punters in the league, had the best net punting numbers of his career last season at 41.95 yards per punt, while opponents averaged only 6.12 yards per return. Detroit is in negotiations with Martin’s representatives, and the fourth-year pro could soon be clearing more than $3MM per year.
- The aforementioned Slay extension is a representative of the Lions‘ strategy going forward under new general manager Bob Quinn, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “That’s the plan,” said team president Rod Wood. “Build our own through the draft and find good guys, then extend them and keep them here. It’s a lot easier when you know the guy then signing them from free agency when you’re hoping that you know them, so we’re really happy that it worked out this way.” Detroit will have a chance to execute that approach next offseason, when offensive linemen Riley Reiff and Larry Warford are scheduled to become free agents.
SATURDAY, 9:35am: Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press has additional info on Boldin’s contract.
In addition to the $750K signing bonus, the veteran will also be earning a $1.55M base salary. The wideout can earn an additional $450K via per-game bonuses, and there’s another $1MM on the table if he somehow makes a Pro Bowl or reaches several statistical bench marks.
When all is said and done, Boldin could earn up to $3.75MM for next season.
THURSDAY, 1:49pm: Boldin’s one-year deal will pay him $2.75MM, plus incentives, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The veteran received a $750K signing bonus as part of the deal. With that type of guarantee, I would think that Boldin is a mortal lock to make the 53-man roster.
8:59am: The Lions officially announced that they have signed wide receiver Anquan Boldin. 
The Lions brought Boldin in for a visit one month ago, but they signed Andre Roberts on the very same day. Apparently, one veteran wide receiver was not enough for Detroit and they have rounded out their receiving corps with a notable name today.
Boldin, 35, has reportedly been working out in South Florida and staying in shape as he waits for the right opportunity. Even though he has enjoyed a long career and even has a Super Bowl ring, the veteran has said that he is not thinking about retirement right now. Last season, Boldin recorded only 69 catches for 789 yards and four touchdowns, so he’s probably looking to go out on a higher note. Boldin’s struggles, in large part, can be attributed to the turmoil surrounding the 49ers and their difficulties at quarterback last year.
After joining the 49ers in 2013, Boldin posted consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, with 12 total touchdowns in ’13 and ’14. Over the course of his career, Boldin has made three Pro Bowls while racking up 13,195 yards off of 1,009 catches with 74 touchdowns.
The agreement was first reported byAdam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
- The four-year, $50.2MM contract extension the Lions and cornerback Darius Slay agreed to Friday is a win for both sides, opines Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. In the 25-year-old Slay, the Lions finally have a shutdown corner, one who has rapidly improved since his rookie season – 2013 – thanks in part to his strong desire to get better, Meinke writes. Further, the Lions didn’t break the bank on Slay, whom Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked as the league’s second-best corner last season. For Slay, the deal provides financial security and pays him like a top seven corner, which is exactly the type of money he was seeking before signing the contract.
Darius Slay and the Lions have agreed to a four-year extension worth $50.2MM with $23MM fully guaranteed at signing, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Slay is coming off his second straight 16-start, two-interception season, one in which Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him as the second-best cornerback in the NFL. As a result of his on-field excellence, Slay – who was slated to enter his contract year – pushed to be paid like one of the league’s top seven corners on his next deal.
Slay’s old deal would have paid him just under $1MM in 2016 before potentially hitting the open market. The new deal will give Slay a major pay hike starting in 2017.
Being paid like a top-seven corner means getting roughly $14MM per year in salary and nearly $7.3MM in annual guarantees. Prices for high-end corners have continued rising since last season, with the likes of Josh Norman and Janoris Jenkins scoring massive contracts in free agency. Slay’s new deal gives him $12.55MM annually with a true guarantee payout of $5.75MM per year. When more details come out about the pact, we’ll find out if Slay cracked the top seven.
In assessing his own performance recently, the 2013 second-round pick from Mississippi State sized himself up against the league’s best corners:
“Right now I’ll say top seven, just cause as long as (Darrelle) Revis is in the game, he’s going to be the best corner to me. (Richard) Sherman’s the best, 24 picks in three years, nobody ain’t do that. Pat P (Peterson) of course. I love Chris Harris’ game. (Aqib) Talib. Joe Haden. I feel like them are the real elite, elite, elite guys, so I feel like I’m an elite guy, but I feel like I got to keep working to get to their level because they’re elite.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
- The Lions announced the signing of linebacker Dominique Tovell as well as the release of wide receiver Damian Copeland and linebacker Jerry Franklin.
- Former Miami wide receiver Tyler Davis and former Green Bay wide receiver Larry Pinkard both worked out for the Lions earlier this week, along with quarterback Jimmy Clausen, ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein tweets. However, after the Lions added Anquan Boldin on Wednesday, it’s not clear if there is still a spot available for Pinkard or Davis.
The Lions had high hopes for their 2015 campaign after reaching the postseason a year before, but an 0-5 start dashed any playoff chances the club might have had (Detroit’s only win in the first half of the year was an overtime squeaker against the Bears). The second half of the season was much more successful, as the Lions posted a 6-2 record that likely saved head coach Jim Caldwell‘s job. A new front office structure means roster changes, and although much of the coaching staff returns, Detroit looks like a different club heading into the upcoming season after a team legend surprisingly announced his retirement.
Notable signings:
- Marvin Jones, WR: Five years, $40MM. $13MM guaranteed.
- Haloti Ngata, DT: Two years, $12MM. $6MM guaranteed.
- Tahir Whitehead, LB: Two years, $8MM. $4.75MM guaranteed.
- Johnson Bademosi, S: Two years, $4.5MM. $2.9MM guaranteed.
- Stefan Charles, DT: One year, $1.75MM. $750K guaranteed.
- Tavon Wilson, S: Two years, $2.2MM. $500K guaranteed.
- Wallace Gilberry, DE: One year, $1.25MM. $340K guaranteed.
- Rafael Bush, S: One year, $1.5MM. $250K guaranteed.
- Stevan Ridley, RB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $250K guaranteed.
- Geoff Schwartz, OL: One year, minimum salary benefit. $200K guaranteed.
- Dan Orlovsky, QB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $160K guaranteed.
- Tyrunn Walker, DL: One year, $1.6MM. $150K guaranteed. $650K available via incentives.
- Don Muhlbach, LS: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
- Darrin Walls, CB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
- Jeremy Kerley, WR: One year, $850K. $50K guaranteed. $300K available via incentives.
- Orson Charles, TE: Two years, $1.29MM.
- Tim Wright, TE: One year, $815K.
- Crezdon Butler, CB: One year, minimum salary benefit.
- Andre Caldwell, WR: One year, minimum salary benefit.
- Matthew Mulligan, TE: One year, minimum salary benefit.
- Andre Roberts, WR: One year, minimum salary benefit.
- Zaviar Gooden, LB: One year, $600K.
- Anquan Boldin, WR: One year, contract terms unknown.
Given that franchise icon Calvin Johnson formally announced his retirement one day prior to the beginning of the free agent period, the Lions waded into the open market with wide receiver atop their list of needs. And instead of settling for a mid-tier option like Rishard Matthews or Rueben Randle, Detroit struck early and added the 
top pass-catcher available, inking former Bengals receiver Marvin Jones to a five-year deal worth $40MM. In most offseasons, Jones wouldn’t have been considered the No. 1 WR on the market, but with the Bears’ Alshon Jeffery restricted by the franchise tag, Jones was the best obtainable choice.
The 26-year-old Jones never got an opportunity to be Cincinnati’s primary offensive weapon given the presence of A.J. Green, so it’s difficult to know for certain if he’ll be able to take on that role in Detroit. In his two seasons as a full-time player, Jones has averaged 58 receptions for 764 yards and seven touchdowns, and because Golden Tate is still expected to garner a ton of targets in 2016, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Jones only sees a slight uptick in those numbers. Clearly, other clubs around the league think highly of Jones, as the Lions had to outduel the Browns, the Patriots, and, naturally, the Bengals for his services.
Just yesterday, the Lions signed another pass-catcher, agreeing to terms with veteran receiver Anquan Boldin after meeting with him in June. Even as he ages, Boldin has continued to post solid production — he’s managed at 
least 65 receptions in each of the past four years, averaging nearly 1,000 yards and five touchdowns during that time. Besides Detroit, the Redskins and the Saints were the only clubs to express known interest in Boldin over the past several months, but he’ll act as a malleable weapon who can play outside and slot receiver in the Lions’ offense.
Detroit also made several smaller additions to its receiver corps, agreeing to deals with Jeremy Kerley, Andre Caldwell, and Andre Roberts. The trifecta are all very similar players, from their work in the slot to their returning ability, but given that Boldin spent most last year on the inside, it’s conceivable that none of the group makes the final roster, even though the Lions’ depth chart is pretty wide open behind the top three. Kerley, for what it’s worth, was the only member of the trio to receive any guaranteed money, but even he only garnered $50K.
None of the three tight ends added on minimum contracts — Matthew Mulligan, Tim Wright, and Orson Charles — figure to make an impact, or even the roster, this season, meaning the only other Lions addition at a skill position was running back Stevan Ridley, whom new general manager Bob Quinn is familiar with given the pair’s time with the Patriots. Ridley, 27, looks to be in a position to make Detroit’s roster after a knee injury limited him in each of the past two seasons. However, the Lions were set to work out free agent Arian Foster before he signed with the Dolphins last week, which indicates that the team isn’t sold on its running backs, so Ridley (and second-year pro Zach Zenner) may have to fight for their jobs during camp.
Like Ridley, offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz signed a one-year, minimum salary benefit contract with the Lions, and also like Ridley, Schwartz was guaranteed a hefty portion of his base salary. As a reminder, the MSB allows a club to pay a veteran player the minimum for a player with his service time, 
while only taking on the cap charge of a player with two years experience. So while Schwartz, for example, will earn $840K if he makes Detroit’s roster, he’ll only count for $680K ($600K base salary plus an $80K signing bonus) on the Lions’ salary cap.
That $80K bonus figure is the maximum allowable on a minimum salary benefit deal, but the contractual bargaining agreement doesn’t place restrictions on how much base salary a team can guarantee a player. Ridley and Schwartz, then, will each be guaranteed in excess of $200K even though their cap charges will remain relatively small. Of course, when compared against a $155MM salary cap, a savings of $80K or so looks like pennies, but every dollar counts. And it’s a smart strategy by Quinn & Co., because it enables the Lions to woo veteran free agents with financial guarantees without worrying about exorbitant cap hits.
Schwartz, for his part, isn’t in line for a starting position now that Detroit has drafted Taylor Decker, but he’s an extremely valuable asset who can play every spot up front except for center. His only problem over the past few seasons has been his health, as he started only 18 games in two years after signing a free agent contract with the Giants. But in a league where Joe Barksdale (for example) can score $22MM over four years, landing Schwartz for a relative pittance is a steal.
The Lions secured another bargain on the defensive side of the ball, re-signing outside linebacker Tahir Whitehead to a two-year, $8MM deal that includes less than $5MM in guarantees. Non-rush ‘backers aren’t a highly-coveted commodity, 
but PFR ranked Whitehead as the best free agent among his position group this offseason, and the 26-year-old graded as the No. 14 linebacker in the league in 2016, according to Pro Football Focus. Whitehead, 26, could be playing a new role in 2016, as middle linebacker is now open following the release of Stephen Tulloch.
Detroit’s other additions along the front seven all came up front, as the club re-invested in its defensive line after losing Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley, and others following the 2014 campaign. A year after sending a fourth-round pick to Baltimore to acquire Haloti Ngata, the Lions re-signed the veteran defensive tackle, inking him to a two-year deal. Ngata, 32, wasn’t quite as effective in 2015 as he’d been in recent seasons, and given that he missed two games with a calf injury, it’s fair to wonder if Ngata is finally slowing down. Detroit handed him a $4MM signing bonus, however, so he has a decent amount of dead money protection that could keep him from being released in the next two years.
Perhaps in an effort to guard against any fall-off on the part of Ngata, the Lions also re-upped fellow interior defensive lineman Tyrunn Walker, and added free agent Stefan Charles from the Bills. The 26-year-old Walker turned down a three-year offer from the Patriots last offseason in favor of a one-year deal from Detroit, but then spent most of the season on injured reserve after suffering a broken fibula. Walker will be healthy for 2016, and along with Charles, he’ll provide depth on the interior as part of a group that includes holdovers Caraun Reid, Khyri Thornton, Gabe Wright, as well as second-round rookie A’Shawn Robinson. Ngata, therefore, should see a decrease in snaps after seeing action on roughly 57% of Detroit’s plays last year.
Along the edge, the Lions signed defensive end Wallace Gilberry, who had spent the past four years with the Bengals. Gilberry was exceptional during in 2013, posting 7.5 sacks while serving as Cincinnati’s third defensive end, but his play dropped off in later seasons when he was asked to take on a larger role. Luckily, Detroit will place him back into a rotation, but Gilberry is now 31 years old, so he can’t be counted on to produce at a high level. As such, I identified the Lions as a possible landing spot for veteran pass rusher Dwight Freeney, and, if the club can stomach him, controversial defensive end Greg Hardy.
Detroit figures to stage a three-man competition to replace Isa Abdul-Quddus at strong safety, with two free agent signings — Rafael Bush and Tavon Wilson — facing off against fourth-round rookie Miles Killebrew for the starting job. Though Wilson was a Quinn draft pick in New England, Bush probably has the edge in this battle, as he was very effective during his time with the Saints — when he could stay healthy. Bush has ended each of the last two seasons on injured reserve (he played in only one game in 2015), so if he can’t stay on the field, Wilson and/or Killebrew should see plenty of opportunities.
Defensive back Johnson Bademosi doesn’t figure to factor into the starting safety competition, but after inking one of the largest contracts for a special-teamer in league history ($2.9MM guaranteed), he will certainly play an important role. The Lions ranked 13th in special teams DVOA last season, and given that Quinn comes from New England, which consistently ranked in the top-five of ST DVOA, teams is likely an area where the new general manager figures he can improve on the cheap.
Continue reading about the Lions’ offseason…
- Pederson acknowledged the Eagles had interest in Anquan Boldin before he was signed by the Lions, Berman tweets. As shown on Roster Resource, the Eagles currently have Jordan Matthews, Nelson Agholor, Rueben Randle, Josh Huff, Chris Givens, T.J. Graham, and Hunter Sharp at wide receiver.
The Lions exercised their 2017 contract option on kicker Matt Prater earlier this spring, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets. However, the decision didn’t change much for the veteran (Twitter link). Prater received his $750K as a bonus this year instead of base salary and his contract for 2017 is non-guaranteed. So, despite triggering Prater’s option, the Lions could part ways with him without penalty, if they so choose. 
[RELATED: Lions Work Out Jimmy Clausen]
Prater, 32 in August, re-signed with the Lions on a two-year, $4.55MM deal which included a third-year team option. With the third year factored in, the overall value of the pact is believed to be roughly $9MM.
Prater began the 2014 season by serving a four-game suspension in Denver for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, and was ultimately cut by the Broncos, ending a seven-year tenure with the club. After signing with the Lions, Prater was a little shaky in his first few games, but settled down and ended up making 21 of 26 field goal attempts. In 2015, Prater sank 22 of his 24 field goal attempts while connecting on 36 of 39 extra point tries.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Veteran defensive end Corey Wootton took to Twitter on Tuesday morning to announce his retirement from the NFL. 
Wootton, 29, spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Bears before joining the Vikings for the 2014 season. In 2015, he signed on with the Lions in an effort to continue his tour of the NFC North. While he has never been an every-down player, Wootton saw 22 starts and totaled 10 sacks during his final two seasons with the Bears. In Minnesota, he came off the bench and recorded just a single sack in 2014. Last year, he was released by the Lions prior to the start of the season.
Wootton becomes just the latest NFL player to announce his retirement this week. On Monday, former Packers, Vikings, and Dolphins wide receiver Greg Jennings announced his retirement from the NFL and so did Vikings offensive lineman Phil Loadholt.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.