2026 Detroit Lions Offseason Thread

[RedRamage]

It's kinda too bad there isn't anything like employer-employee privilege so that the Lions can plan accordingly. Not saying TA is guilty of anything here of course but it'd be nice from a team's perspective to have a player able to be completely and totally honest about any legal issue so the team can figure if they should work to replace him without the player having to worry about that information being compelled in court.

Of course, from a player's perspective they probably wouldn't want to do that anyway. They're not going to want to give the team any reason to think about cutting them early if they are guilty of something.

 

[Motown Bombers]

 

[Motown Bombers]

 

[Jason_R]

2 hours ago, Motown Bombers said:

 

If someone told Decker he should or would get paid $20 million after the season he had last year, and if he believed it, that’s pretty short sighted, even  delusional. It’s just as delusional now to be playing the victim.

I get the sense Brad would have brought him back, maybe even on a deal that would have paid him in the neighborhood of $10m with incentives. But Decker, who is now complaining about hardball being played, played hardball himself. 

You hate to see it end this way, but even worse would be letting it end with Decker playing out the final year of a bloated contract as a shell of himself, or on IR. Brad did nothing wrong. 

[RedRamage]

4 hours ago, Motown Bombers said:

 

Honestly I think both sides are being pretty good about it. I don't think either are trying to really air out a bunch of dirty laundry. Of course I don't know everything that Decker said to Reisman, so maybe there's more complaining there.

But just reacting to the quote there: He may have made it clear to the Lions he wasn't interested in a pay cut, but that doesn't mean the Lions necessarily agreed to no pay cut. It may have been as simple as:

Lions: We want you back.
Decker: Okay, but I don't want to take a pay cut.
Lions: Alright, we'll see what we can do. Just let us know when you've made your decision.

Decker thinks: Okay, they see I don't want a pay cut. We're all set.
Lions think: We'll see what his decision is and then where we sit financial and figure out what could work.

[sagnam]

Kalif Raymond: I chose Bears over Lions to play in Ben Johnson’s offense

[MichiganCardinal]

That article is a great peak behind the curtain, but it does come across as at least a little bit of sour grapes on Decker's part IMO.

On January 5, he does two exit interviews with Campbell and Holmes. He says he's going to consider retirement, they say that's totally fine, no problem, we want you back. Don't screw us like Ragnow did though, please let us know by March 10. Decker says no problem, he will let them know, and--oh by the way--he's not interested in a pay cut.

On February 22, he says he wants to come back. Campbell says great, he's meeting with Holmes in two days. Holmes doesn't respond. The next day--so before Campbell and Holmes meet--Decker goes public and says he's coming back. Then on February 26, after Holmes and Campbell have met, Decker's agent informs him that the team wants him to take a pay cut. He immediately says no, doesn't even attempt to negotiate. Then Decker says that the possibility of a pay cut wasn't broached in the exit interview, contradicting himself from when he said that it was clear in the exit interview that he wouldn't take a pay cut.

Gotta be honest, that all seems reasonable on the team's part. For one, they probably hadn't done a comprehensive analysis of the 2026 roster on January 5 that could tell them "we want you back only if you take a pay cut." Even if they had, they're not going to negotiate a pay cut with the player in an exit interview; that's the agent's job. For another thing, even if Decker did make it clear in the exit interview he wasn't going to take a pay cut, it doesn't mean the Lions in any way accepted those conditions when they said they want him back. They did want him back, they weren't lying in the exit interview. But he forced their hand by basically giving them an ultimatum of either pay me $18MM (the 25th most amount of money to an OT in the league), or I'm not coming back. They made the right choice. And I think that's obvious by nature of the deals that have been signed by top end OTs in free agency.

The only thing I would criticize the Lions for is the breakdown in communication. Decker said he hasn't talked to Campbell or Holmes since his release and talked to Fraley only after Decker reached out to Fraley. But that Ben Johnson reached out to him to just check in as a friend. I know they're busy guys, but they could have said something. Sheila/Rod Wood/Spielman too. You can't deny that Decker has done a ton for the org and nobody is interested in another messy divorce like Calvin's (not that Decker is comparable to the kind of player Calvin was). At the very least you could thank him for his years with the Lions and say you hope to welcome him into the Pride of the Lions when he eventaully hangs up his cleats. 

TLDR: Decker probably has some legit beef about communication, but I don't think the Lions did anything categorically wrong. It's a tough business and they made a business decision.

[MichiganCardinal]

12 hours ago, sagnam said:

Kalif Raymond: I chose Bears over Lions to play in Ben Johnson’s offense

Plus he no longer had a role here, but that probably doesn't sound as good to the Chicago media.

[Longgone]

22 minutes ago, MichiganCardinal said:

Plus he no longer had a role here, but that probably doesn't sound as good to the Chicago media.

He had a role, the same one Dortch is now occupying, regardless, you aren't handed a role, you compete for it.

[Jason_R]

2 hours ago, MichiganCardinal said:

That article is a great peak behind the curtain, but it does come across as at least a little bit of sour grapes on Decker's part IMO.

On January 5, he does two exit interviews with Campbell and Holmes. He says he's going to consider retirement, they say that's totally fine, no problem, we want you back. Don't screw us like Ragnow did though, please let us know by March 10. Decker says no problem, he will let them know, and--oh by the way--he's not interested in a pay cut.

On February 22, he says he wants to come back. Campbell says great, he's meeting with Holmes in two days. Holmes doesn't respond. The next day--so before Campbell and Holmes meet--Decker goes public and says he's coming back. Then on February 26, after Holmes and Campbell have met, Decker's agent informs him that the team wants him to take a pay cut. He immediately says no, doesn't even attempt to negotiate. Then Decker says that the possibility of a pay cut wasn't broached in the exit interview, contradicting himself from when he said that it was clear in the exit interview that he wouldn't take a pay cut.

Gotta be honest, that all seems reasonable on the team's part. For one, they probably hadn't done a comprehensive analysis of the 2026 roster on January 5 that could tell them "we want you back only if you take a pay cut." Even if they had, they're not going to negotiate a pay cut with the player in an exit interview; that's the agent's job. For another thing, even if Decker did make it clear in the exit interview he wasn't going to take a pay cut, it doesn't mean the Lions in any way accepted those conditions when they said they want him back. They did want him back, they weren't lying in the exit interview. But he forced their hand by basically giving them an ultimatum of either pay me $18MM (the 25th most amount of money to an OT in the league), or I'm not coming back. They made the right choice. And I think that's obvious by nature of the deals that have been signed by top end OTs in free agency.

The only thing I would criticize the Lions for is the breakdown in communication. Decker said he hasn't talked to Campbell or Holmes since his release and talked to Fraley only after Decker reached out to Fraley. But that Ben Johnson reached out to him to just check in as a friend. I know they're busy guys, but they could have said something. Sheila/Rod Wood/Spielman too. You can't deny that Decker has done a ton for the org and nobody is interested in another messy divorce like Calvin's (not that Decker is comparable to the kind of player Calvin was). At the very least you could thank him for his years with the Lions and say you hope to welcome him into the Pride of the Lions when he eventaully hangs up his cleats. 

TLDR: Decker probably has some legit beef about communication, but I don't think the Lions did anything categorically wrong. It's a tough business and they made a business decision.

So if I have this right, Decker tells Dan he wants to come back. Dan says great I’ll talk to Brad day after tomorrow. Tomorrow Decker goes public knowing Dan and Brad were not going to talk until the day after. Again, this seems at best short-sighted on the part of Decker. Maybe it was even manipulative, in attempting to circumvent Brad and the salary piece of it, which he had to assume was at least a possibility. Decker is not coming off as a sympathetic character in my view. 

[Motown Bombers]

I’m not sure why Holmes and Campbell would still communicate with Decker? He asked for his release and they granted it. He’s no longer a Lion so what do they need to talk about? I think the Lions called his bluff. He’ll probably end up signing with another team for less than what the Lions were going to give him. 

[sagnam]

5 hours ago, MichiganCardinal said:

Plus he no longer had a role here, but that probably doesn't sound as good to the Chicago media.

It’s possible Lions offered him immediately and they signed his replacement later. I’m not worried about him leaving, especially if he was somehow blocking TeSlaa, but they have entirely different skill sets so playing Raymond over him last year was a decision.

[MichiganCardinal]

1 hour ago, Motown Bombers said:

I’m not sure why Holmes and Campbell would still communicate with Decker? He asked for his release and they granted it. He’s no longer a Lion so what do they need to talk about? I think the Lions called his bluff. He’ll probably end up signing with another team for less than what the Lions were going to give him. 

After ten years I don’t think it’s crazy to think you’d at least get a “good bye, good luck”

If I worked at a place for ten years and then went my separate way, I’d hope my boss would at least shake my hand on the way out the door.

[Motown Bombers]

2 hours ago, sagnam said:

It’s possible Lions offered him immediately and they signed his replacement later. I’m not worried about him leaving, especially if he was somehow blocking TeSlaa, but they have entirely different skill sets so playing Raymond over him last year was a decision.

Teslaa averaged more snaps per game than Raymond but don't let that get in the way of your narrative. The Lions were pretty clear from the moment they drafted Teslaa they were going to take it slow with him. 

[Motown Bombers]

Raymond had 44 snaps on offense the first game of the season. Teslaa had 3. Teslaa had 44 snaps the final game of the season. Raymond had 14. Teslaa had passed Raymond as the number 3 receiver. Everything went exactly how they said it would when he was drafted. Raymond's role on this team was like 4/5 receiver and punt returner. Raymond probably fills the DJ Moore role in Chicago.

[Mr.TaterSalad]

 

Someone get Brad on the phone. A defensive lineman who is a veteran, may be willing to sign a 1 year deal at a team-friendly value, and failed a physical due to injury. That's a Brad Holmes guy for sure.