2026 Detroit Lions Offseason Thread

[RedRamage]

1 hour ago, Motown Bombers said:

That’s not true. Teams are required to pay the player the guaranteed money per the contract. The Lions can’t just cut Goff and not expect to pay anything. The remedy is in the contract they negotiated. 

Yes, but only they guaranteed portion, if there is a guaranteed portion. Not all NFL contracts have that and even those that do are rarely all guaranteed. I used to think that signing bonuses were guaranteed, but even that's not the case apparently. 

[Motown Bombers]

3 minutes ago, RedRamage said:

Yes, but only they guaranteed portion, if there is a guaranteed portion. Not all NFL contracts have that and even those that do are rarely all guaranteed. I used to think that signing bonuses were guaranteed, but even that's not the case apparently. 

That guaranteed portion is negotiated in the contract. The signing bonus is guaranteed. The Lions can’t clawback a portion of Decker’s signing bonus.

[Hongbit]

As I think about this more, I wonder what would’ve happened had they let Frank keep his bonus after recouping from Barry and Calvin.

I can see a giant racial issue being created even though that wouldn’t have been the reason for letting Frank keep it.  

To avoid a media firestorm it may have come down to either recouping from Frank or finding a way to pay back Barry and Calvin.  The former being much simpler.  

The Lions are in their financial glory days.  The franchise has never made more money on their own while at the same time the league is churning it out for everyone.   I still think it would’ve been in their best interests and a great PR move to pay all the money back but I get it.  
 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by Hongbit

[RedRamage]

18 minutes ago, Motown Bombers said:

That guaranteed portion is negotiated in the contract. The signing bonus is guaranteed. The Lions can’t clawback a portion of Decker’s signing bonus.

Yes, because Decker was released. Ragnow, of course retired, which means they can get some of the signing bonus back.

And it makes some sense why Signing Bonuses aren't guaranteed... it was more of an off the cuff comment that NFL players are not always well protected in the contract side of things.

I don't totally blame the Lions for trying to get some of the bonus back because it does end up effecting the salary cap and in a cut throat environment where every edge is needed that might end up being important. I think it's just one more example of the issues players face.

I'd like the league to change it's rules to allow for some level of a team to be able to still pay out the signing bonus without it effecting the cap on a retired player. Obviously there's going to have to be some rules with that otherwise teams are going to just offer much higher bonuses with much lower base pay extended out many years because then a you can massively over pay your roster letting them retire and not have it effect your cap.

[Sports_Freak]

55 minutes ago, RedRamage said:

I disagree in the NFL where most contacts are not guaranteed. Decker being an obvious example here. The Lions seem to have wanted him to take a pay cut. They were "refusing" to pay the play under the contract. When he didn't agree to that the team cut him, "breaking" the contract. Teams in the NFL are allowed to do this, and they do it all the time. 

The players don't have the same luxury. They can't go to a team and say: "Hey, I think I've out performed my contract so I think you need to pay me more, and if you're unwilling to do that, I'm going to void the contract and go sign with a different team." Holding out is really their only leverage.

Take away the guaranteed money a team promises a player and I would agree. Its an agreement to pay for services. A player signs a contract and they should honor it. The same as a team honors the guaranteed money. Has a team ever refused to pay that part of a contract? But there has been players, under contract, who refuse to report without a new agreement. Which is usually more money...

[RedRamage]

8 minutes ago, Sports_Freak said:

Take away the guaranteed money a team promises a player and I would agree. Its an agreement to pay for services. A player signs a contract and they should honor it. The same as a team honors the guaranteed money. Has a team ever refused to pay that part of a contract? But there has been players, under contract, who refuse to report without a new agreement. Which is usually more money...

The issue I have with NFL contracts is that the team really holds the majority of the cards.

Super simplistically:

• If a player performs WELL below expectations of his contract, the team has ways to recoup large parts of the contract and pay the player less than agreed upon.
• If a player performs below expectations of his contract, the team has ways to recoup parts of the contract and pay the player less than agreed upon.
• If a player performs to the expectations of his contract, the team and player both get what they expected.
• If a player performs above expectations of his contract, the player has no way to increase his contract.
• If a player performs WELL above expectations of his contract, the player has no way to largely increase his contract.

I understand that there are part of contracts that are guaranteed and parts that aren't. I also understand that players and agents know this and they go in with eyes open.

I just feel that teams has a built-in, by default, method of reduce liability if if the player under performs while the player has no method to increase his income if he over performs. The "hold out" because his only option.

[Stanley70]

     

Maybe this is the reason Brad is being conervative this offseason. Philly may have some New Orleans type issues in a few years.

 

[Stanley70]

It says assuming all options are exercised. I don't understand how there can be an option on a void year.

[Motown Bombers]

Yeah it’s been pretty obvious they are preparing for the future cap. Notice the Eagles haven’t been very active either. The Hurts contract is a ticking time bomb. They tacked on a lot of void years.