2013 Lions Salary Cap (updated 1/23/13)

tytalton · Joined: 12 Jan 2010 Posts: 844

KVB would be the toughest decision out of that group....I'd like to keep him but man - 9 mil is tough

JSMcTilty · Joined: 31 Dec 2010 Posts: 236

iLovetheLions · Joined: 13 Jan 2007 Posts: 2086 Location: Michigan State

Louis Friend · Joined: 07 Apr 2010 Posts: 7132

Almost $10,000,000 for Backus/Raiola next year? I truly hope neither is back. Burleson and Vanden Bosch might be gone as well.

DrRay11 · Joined: 19 Dec 2011 Posts: 2117 Location: Chicago, IL

Laimbrane · Joined: 04 Mar 2005 Posts: 3854

Personnel changes this offseason are going to be hugely dependent on how the rest of the season plays out, win-wise. This has been a very frustrating and strange year with a lot of fluke losses (IMO), but if the Lions end up with a losing record I expect that you'll see more cuts than if they end up .500 or above. If they're in the playoff hunt, you might see more along the lines of simply tweaking the starters in the offseason, whereas if they have higher picks, I could see them cutting some of the more expensive players.

I know everyone wants Raiola to be gone, but it's not going to happen - the Lions' brass has had going on 10 years to get rid of him and he's still here. It's also important that you don't underrate how important consistency is to the offensive line - especially when you have a guy like Raiola whose understanding of the game plays a huge role in how solid of a pass-blocking unit they've been the past few years with their mediocre (perhaps overpaid?) line talent. If the Lions didn't like him he wouldn't still be here.

Sadly, I think the same can be said about KVB and Burleson; they provide veteran leadership and again, if the Lions are a playoff team or close, the brass is going to bring them back. KVB is obviously much more iffy because his contract is SO extreme, but if the team feels it can make good with the guys they have, they might continue to overpay for that veteran experience and the attitude those guys bring.

Actually, I think the guy they're most likely to part with is Backus because they have Reiff behind him, but that's only if they don't bring back Gosder. Who would you rather have next year - Backus/Reiff or Reiff/Cherilus? That's a tough call, actually.

So in some ways, I think the best thing that can happen to the Lions (in the long run) at this point is for them to continue on the losing end of this insane season. They're good, but they're not good enough to go much farther than past the first round of the playoffs, even if they get in. If they finish something like 5-11, I think Mayhew is more likely to dump KVB and Burleson and make more wholesale changes.

But the crazy thing about this season is that the Lions aren't losing because of a lack of talent or even a lack of offensive/defensive coaching. You can clearly point to very specific "strange bounces" type of events as the reasons for their losses. If Bell doesn't bash the football on Urlacher's head and/or Logan doesn't try to catch the punt with his shoulder, the Lions beat Chicago in Chicago (or at least go to overtime again). They win that, and if you take away the four return touchdowns to Tennessee and Minnesota, then the Lions are 4-1 right now. Their defense is playing above their heads. Their offense is sputtering, but that's not Linehan's fault - he can't make Stafford stop throwing the ball over receivers' heads and/or make the receivers catch the balls he puts in their palms. The game plans are there, but the execution is way off. This team is playoff-capable, but a poor record because of these crazy bounces may mask the good play and result in a very different team next year.

duanegarrison09 · Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2012 2:07 pm Post subject:

DrDray,

Lions also have Bill Nagy under contract next year.

Also, I'm a Spartan and have watched Gholston's play and lack of development over the last several years. Wouldn't draft him!

usedaschwartz · Joined: 10 Feb 2009 Posts: 280

Would it be unfathomable for the Lions to cut Suh next year? He is such a burden on our cap number. I don't think we could trade him at that price either.

DrRay11 · Joined: 19 Dec 2011 Posts: 2117 Location: Chicago, IL

IDOG_det · Joined: 02 Mar 2009 Posts: 11703 Location: here

qball8001 · Joined: 22 Nov 2005 Posts: 7932 Location: Arizona

this [inappropriate/removed] gets my heart racing, god I love the Lions.
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Lions are completely inept.

X_Factor_40 · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Posts: 16122 Location: Hockeytown

DrRay11 · Joined: 19 Dec 2011 Posts: 2117 Location: Chicago, IL

Bump for the mockers
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Football is love, love is life.

stylish313 · Joined: 17 Jan 2009 Posts: 13755 Location: Flat Rock, Mi

This is a masterpiece DrRay Applause

The fact that the Lions have merely $1.5M tied up into our ENTIRE secondary going into the off-season, speaks volumes of Mayhew's negligence in building a complete team.

It's his lust for WR's and RB's that has led us to this point.
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Are you getting Ziggy with it?

TL-TwoWinsAway · Joined: 19 Feb 2008 Posts: 24074