Lions Free Agency

Value is always the key when it comes to a league with a salary cap. Your looking at about $120 million for the cap. You're supposed to setup contracts to increase with the cap so they take up about the same percentage wise. Now the Lions have needed help on the cap and moved salary issues from one year to the next. Just delaying the issue. Now 51 players count towards that cap. You average $2.35 mill per player. Any player over that mark needs to be worth that many more players. That's where I'm talking about value.

Stafford is over $20 million currently. Everyone is speculating that Stafford's restructure will free cap space, but if he's going to have a bigger contract that's a huge mistake. He should probably count more against the cap this year. Now over 1/5 of the cap space is tied up in quarterbacks alone and there are more then 5 positions total. Stafford makes right around Tom Brady. Best is a killer because he makes just under $2 mill and it's a guaranteed rookie contract and there's little that can be done. It's huge if Best plays. Lions cannot keep investing in RBs and WRs. Titus Young will count just under $1 mill just pure debt weight. Now Megatron makes $12.2 mill. In a league where WRs and RBs are a dime a dozen this kills the Lions, but Megatron is a special player and is worth the money. Suh costs over $18 mill. That's a huge issue. Drafting early pre rookie salary cap is a killer. I cannot say that Suh is with $18 mill, but he was the second overall draft pick. For someone that doesn't play the run, I'll be happy when his salary has expired. If someone wants to pay him $15 mill a year that's fine, but I just hope it's not Detroit.

On the safe end the Lions have $12 million of free cap space. Keep in mind there are a ton of players to sign. Lions need too not continue to dig themselves in a deeper hole. Tulloch is the only starting LB under contract. On the entire DL there are only 2 names that I even recognize. Suh and Fairley. There are a few restricted free agents on that list, but of that $12 they will need some of it. Talking at least 4 DEs and 2 DTs.

As much as I'd like to see the Lions draft Tavon Austin and Marcus Lattimore I worry about dead money down the road on the same position where the position is a dime a dozen. Lions need safeties and CBs badly. Their offense should be high powered enough with all the money there. You can't put more money in the offense and improve the CBs unless you get some diamond in the roughs which the Lions have on the DL. I wouldn't mind seeing if they can step up this year.

Lets take a look at the Lions big free agents.

Avril

What Avril is looking for will take up the majority of the cap and have a back logged issue. The Lions cannot sign him anywhere near what he wants. Personally I don't think there's room for half of what he wants and he'll get that on the market. The Lions didn't get to the QB last year. The DL was also horrible against the run. Avril is probably valued on the high end of $7.5 mill. Which most people will over pay. Someone is worth what someone is willing to pay. Lions just can't afford sadly it's a business and Avril needs to play for someone else next season for the first time in his career. Side note it's understood that it is a business. People like Revis holding out saying it's a business and he wants a new contract. Then when it isn't on his end it's no longer a business. If you haven't heard he's complaining about getting traded and not told anything. It's tough Avril needs to do what is best for himself and he can get more money elsewhere and we can't blame him. We also can't blame organizations for cutting players

There are actually a few DEs on the market. That are around Avril's age. I think that's what entices the Lions the most they drafted him and he's only 27. One player that might be undervalued is William Hayes of the Rams. They have Chris Long and Robert Quinn. He's a great DE, but he's just not better then those two. Signing Hayes, Jackson, and Young and makes a lot more sense then Avril. Hayes is 28 years old.

Delmas

Delmas will hopefully be retained right around the 51 man average. He's so fast and covers so much ground, but when he only plays a couple of games it's hard to play a player. This one is tough. Limited cap space and a star player that has been injured. The Lions need two safeties. I think this one should workout. Hopefully he has a healthy season.

It helps that similar to Avril Delmas isn't the bell of the ball this year. Some years both of them could possibly be, but not this year. Byrd is probably the prize possession this year. Same age as Delmas at 26. Goldson and Reed are also free agents. 49ers have the cap space to offer Goldson a big contract.

Durant and Levy

It will be tough to retain both of them. It seems to me that the league is turning into a 3-4 league. Personally I think retaining Durant and Levy are free agent priority 1. I say that because I'd rather have consistent players money tied up then injury proned Delmas. Delmas should be the next priority then Young and Jackson. Why Durant and Levy 1 though? They compliment each other and a cohesive LB group is important. The more Levy, Durant, and Tulloch play together the better they should be. Knowing strengths and weaknesses around you are important. Now realistically Levy lacks run support and Durant lacks pass coverage skills meaning the OLB compliment one another. On paper each LB is only a two down back. Letting Levy play weakside helps him play the run support role. With Levy that helps Durant take a breather in nickel and dime situations. They're both young and have a lot to learn. If they can progress this could be a great trio.