Detroit Lions: 2025

[Hongbit]

This Parsons contract has set a new mark for a Defensive player.   I’m not sure what Brad was thinking by not getting the Hutch extension done sooner.   His deal just got more expensive.   

[Motown Bombers]

4 minutes ago, Hongbit said:

This Parsons contract has set a new mark for a Defensive player.   I’m not sure what Brad was thinking by not getting the Hutch extension done sooner.   His deal just got more expensive.   

What was Brad thinking not mortgaging the future for Parsons and spending $90 million in pass rushers?

[1984Echoes]

6 minutes ago, Motown Bombers said:

What was Brad thinking not mortgaging the future for Parsons and spending $90 million in pass rushers?

This has absolutely ZERO to do with what Hongbit posted and you quoted.

Why are you taking this angle?

When Hongbit's point (not to put words in your mouth HB) was Homes needed to work FASTER on a Hutch extension because waiting just makes him more, and more... expensive.

NOTHING to do with trading for Parsons...

13 minutes ago, Hongbit said:

This Parsons contract has set a new mark for a Defensive player.   I’m not sure what Brad was thinking by not getting the Hutch extension done sooner.   His deal just got more expensive.   

 

[Motown Bombers]

1 minute ago, 1984Echoes said:

This has absolutely ZERO to do with what Hongbit posted and you quoted.

Why are you taking this angle?

When Hongbit's point (not to put words in your mouth HB) was Homes needed to work FASTER on a Hutch extension because waiting just makes him more, and more... expensive.

NOTHING to do with trading for Parsons...

 

I know. I was being facetious for the inevitable Brad should have traded for Parsons. 

[1984Echoes]

Gotcha...

[1984Echoes]

Andre Carter II was added to the practice squad today...

VERY interesting flyer to take at DE...

[1984Echoes]

PS: Lions fill final practice squad spot with former All-American edge rusher - mlive.com

 

Lions fill final practice squad spot with former All-American edge rusher
Published: Aug. 28, 2025, 5:11 p.m.
By Jacob Richman | jrichman@mlive.com

[Motown Bombers]

Well, at least we don't have Jerry Jones as an owner.

 

[holygoat]

How do we know that Hutch isn't the one holding up a new contract? If he were to become a free agent after this season, I'd understand the consternation from fans, but he's not. Hutch's camp might believe that it's in his financial best interest to wait until this coming off-season to sign a new deal.

[NYLion]

53 minutes ago, holygoat said:

How do we know that Hutch isn't the one holding up a new contract? If he were to become a free agent after this season, I'd understand the consternation from fans, but he's not. Hutch's camp might believe that it's in his financial best interest to wait until this coming off-season to sign a new deal.

Yep, that's what I'm thinking or at the very least Hutch wanted Watt and Parsons to set the market until signing which, oh boy, they certainly did. Now we're looking at Hutch getting upwards of $50m if he has a big season which he most certainly will if healthy. The Lions are going to lose a few core guys, we should just come to terms with that.

Edited Friday at 12:57 AM by NYLion

[Motown Bombers]

The Lions are fine as long as they don't make trades for players like Hendrickson or Parsons. The players they are going to lose are players like Anzalone who are good players but not stars. 

[NYLion]

3 minutes ago, Motown Bombers said:

The Lions are fine as long as they don't make trades for players like Hendrickson or Parsons. The players they are going to lose are players like Anzalone who are good players but not stars. 

I think they might lose two of Branch, Jamo and LaPorta. I think Gibbs will surely get signed, probably Jack Campbell too eventually. They won't be able to pay everybody unless they do some serious cap gymnastics

Edited Friday at 01:07 AM by NYLion

[Motown Bombers]

2 minutes ago, NYLion said:

I think they might lose two of Branch, Jamo and LaPorta. I think Gibbs will surely get signed, probably Jack Campbell too eventually. They won't be able to pay everybody unless they do some serious cap gymnastics

They're in decent shape cap wise because they are very disciplined and don't chase free agents. They also didn't take on a lot of void years to their big contracts so they have flexibility with their big contracts like Goff. They have to remain disciplined. I could maybe see them moving on from Branch. Hard to justify not one but two of the highest paid safeties in football. 

[holygoat]

I think they keep Branch. He's their most versatile player on defense, and Campbell and Holmes place a lot of value on versatility. Yes, that would tie up a ton of $$$ in the safety position, but only if you view Branch as just a safety, which I don't think they do.

[Sports_Freak]

33 minutes ago, Motown Bombers said:

The Lions are fine as long as they don't make trades for players like Hendrickson or Parsons. The players they are going to lose are players like Anzalone who are good players but not stars. 

No big name trades or big money free agents. The Lions really have the foundation players we can build around. I think Jaymo will get big money somewhere else if he has a big season. But...still TBD.

[Jason_R]

1 hour ago, holygoat said:

How do we know that Hutch isn't the one holding up a new contract? If he were to become a free agent after this season, I'd understand the consternation from fans, but he's not. Hutch's camp might believe that it's in his financial best interest to wait until this coming off-season to sign a new deal.

He has two years left on his rookie deal ($11 mil and $19 mil). He just came off a catastrophic injury. I suspect if yesterday Detroit had offered him 4/$188 mil, $120 mil guaranteed, he would have signed it in a second. But why would Detroit do that?

I suspect they will extend him after this season, and maybe it will end up costing them a bit to wait, but when you figure he is playing this season about $40 million under market, that puts overpaying a bit down the road in context. 

[NYLion]

1 hour ago, Motown Bombers said:

They're in decent shape cap wise because they are very disciplined and don't chase free agents. They also didn't take on a lot of void years to their big contracts so they have flexibility with their big contracts like Goff. They have to remain disciplined. I could maybe see them moving on from Branch. Hard to justify not one but two of the highest paid safeties in football. 

Yeah, I think Branch is the most likely one they move on from or Jamo. There's a possibility that Branch might be worth $30m/yr if he continues on this trajectory, love Branch and all but you just can't pay two safeties over $50m/yr even in a rising cap world. I know he has versatility but he's not an outside corner and that's where the money should be allocated in the secondary.

[Tenacious D]

13 minutes ago, NYLion said:

Yeah, I think Branch is the most likely one they move on from or Jamo. There's a possibility that Branch might be worth $30m/yr if he continues on this trajectory, love Branch and all but you just can't pay two safeties over $50m/yr even in a rising cap world. I know he has versatility but he's not an outside corner and that's where the money should be allocated in the secondary.

Did we extend the wrong safety?

[Hongbit]

3 hours ago, holygoat said:

How do we know that Hutch isn't the one holding up a new contract? If he were to become a free agent after this season, I'd understand the consternation from fans, but he's not. Hutch's camp might believe that it's in his financial best interest to wait until this coming off-season to sign a new deal.

We don’t know for sure but it’s hard to believe they would be playing hardball coming off a major injury.    I couldn’t see them turning down something between the 3/$106 Crosby deal and the 4/160 deal of Myles Garrett if offered earlier this summer before Watt and Garrett. 

[1984Echoes]

1 hour ago, NYLion said:

Yeah, I think Branch is the most likely one they move on from or Jamo. There's ...

I don't think it's Branch.

I would start with Jamo. 

There are just so many receivers floating around...

2nd: I would offer Gibbs as the next candidate to NOT get a huge contract offer.

RB's have such a short shelf life.

I know they're trying to extend his shelf life as long as possible by having a "heavy" RB do a lot of the dirty work (Montgomery right now) and soaking up half or close to half of the snaps (I'm guessing though that this year it will be Gibbs 60-70-ish and 30-ish other...).

5 years Gibbs. Franchise him... once or twice?

And be certain to find the "next" explosive back in year 5 or 6 to eventually take over for him.

Without paying Gibbs a huge/monster contract which will invariably age BADLY.

Just my 2 cents.

 

 

Edited Friday at 04:21 AM by 1984Echoes

[1984Echoes]

2 hours ago, NYLion said:

... love Branch and all but you just can't pay two safeties over $50m/yr even in a rising cap world. I know ...

I am going to guess that Holmes is looking at something different than "how much money do we have committed to this position"...

I mean, I'm not saying he is completely ignoring that as a factor...

But again, just guessing... 

I'm thinking that Holmes' and DC's thought processes go something like this:

1) Does this player give us the best chance at getting Super Bowls? (I think this is their primary concern or factor... And I mean this only in retaining their own players... I think money plays a MUCH larger factor in Free Agent decisions).

2) Can this player be easily replaced with a similar player costing much less? What is the degree of difficulty in replacing him? 

I think the factors in #2 say that Jamo can be replaced because there are always so many options or ways to replace receiver production. Obviously, it's a lot more complicated than just that... St. Brown and maybe TeSlaa (in the future) and LaPorta will factor into they're thinking. Has Jamo fully matured into a dominant/reliable WR? Do they predict Jamo with more future/shelf life than a St. Brown (for instance)? Or did they just draft a speedster at WR in the 1st or 2nd or 3rd in the latest draft that they think can slip into Jamo's role...?

I say those factors apply also to Gibbs. I know he's explosive. But RB's do last shorter in NFL life than I think any other position. 5-6-7 years in the NFL for a RB... seems to be the limit of high-level productivity... before injuries or wear & tear take their toll... 

And every year, it seems, REALLY good RB's slip late into the 1st or into the 2nd or 3rd rounds...

3) Only at this point do I think Holmes' and DC would start to consider dollars spent on one position group.

4) But I also think Holmes tries to mitigate costs with the following philosophies: (A) Don't spend on the interior O-Line. Too easy to find them in almost any round in the draft... so just keep drafting them. (B) RB's have short shelf lives and are often injured... so keep drafting or searching for them, even when you have good starters at the position. (C) Constantly draft RB's, WR's, DL, OL, and DB's. That just about covers everything... but not really. The NFL takes a heavy toll, so having drafted and developed backups at positions is a necessity. And when a game-changer is available, get him.

So I don't know where that leaves Branch.

Is he easily replaceable? Does one of the many safeties Holmes' is always bringing onto the team develop into one as capable, or nearly as capable, as Branch? At a far significantly lower cost? Does the NFL rigors of playing Safety diminish Branch's impact within a few years and it makes more sense to NOT extend him but to just move on...?

I don't really know these answers... just some thoughts rolling around in my head...

 

 

Edited Friday at 05:01 AM by 1984Echoes

[holygoat]

2 hours ago, Jason_R said:

He has two years left on his rookie deal ($11 mil and $19 mil). He just came off a catastrophic injury. I suspect if yesterday Detroit had offered him 4/$188 mil, $120 mil guaranteed, he would have signed it in a second. But why would Detroit do that?

I suspect they will extend him after this season, and maybe it will end up costing them a bit to wait, but when you figure he is playing this season about $40 million under market, that puts overpaying a bit down the road in context. 

I agree with the second part, but I'm not so sure about the first. Not saying that I disagree with it, just that I don't lean one way or the other, because I can see either side being motivated to hold off on a new deal until after the coming season

[Motown Bombers]

 

[Mr.TaterSalad]

23 hours ago, NYLion said:

I think they might lose two of Branch, Jamo and LaPorta. I think Gibbs will surely get signed, probably Jack Campbell too eventually. They won't be able to pay everybody unless they do some serious cap gymnastics

It doesn't seem like Brad subscribes to the theory of you don't pay running backs a second contract. Especially with elite ones like Gibbs is. So I'm guessing he will get a sizable second contract. 

[Jason_R]

Rasputin is at it again.