Playing GM: How I could see free agency shaping up for the Detroit Lions
Allen Park — The negotiating window for NFL free agency opens Monday at noon, with players eligible to sign with new teams starting Wednesday at 4 p.m.
As it currently stands, the Detroit Lions are over the projected cap, but they’ll become compliant once the reported trade of running back David Montgomery and expected granting of offensive tackle Taylor Decker’s release become official in the coming days.
Still, that will only bring the team a few million under the $301.2 million cap, even with the additional $19.2 million in unused cap space being rolled over from the 2025 season.
The likely, anticipated solution is a simple restructure of one or more of the team’s largest contracts. As a reminder, this is a device baked into NFL contracts, that allows teams to spread the cap obligations across the remaining years on a contract by converting a portion of a player’s base salary to a bonus.
For example, quarterback Jared Goff has a $55 million base salary in 2026. The Lions could drop that all the way to a veteran minimum $1.3 million, giving Goff the other $53.7 million up front as a bonus. For cap purposes, that bonus would then be divided evenly over the four remaining years on Goff’s deal, freeing up $40.3 million this year.
Of course, it’s worth loudly repeating, that money doesn’t disappear. With that decision, the Lions would be sacrificing $13.4 million in cap space each year from 2027-2029.
What’s $13.4 million per year buy? Well, the Buffalo Bills just re-signed center Connor McGovern to a four-year, $52 million deal. So someone like that.
However, it’s the reality the Lions face. They have to do some restructuring simply to construct a competitive roster. However, for those pushing the idea of maxing out the credit card by reworking not only Goff’s deal, but also Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell’s contracts, it would be a foolish approach that would put the franchise in financial purgatory for years to come.
Late last week, I thought it might be fun to see free agency through general manager Brad Holmes’ eyes.
Thursday evening, I put the finishing touches on the offensive component of the projection, intending to wrap things up with the defense in the morning. My strongest opinion through the first half was making a push to sign recently released center Tyler Biadasz to a three-year, $30 million deal.
That portion of the analysis landed in the trash bin before publication when the Chargers swooped in and landed Biadasz Friday morning, amusingly for the exact contract I had proposed in my draft.
I re-worked the post through Friday afternoon, but as I neared a finish line, Decker unexpectedly requested his release.
Sigh.
It felt like the post just wasn’t meant to be. But I let it sit all of Saturday and into Sunday evening, so here’s a third attempt at playing general manager. If nothing else, it’s a good reminder of how quickly things can change this time of year.
In terms of cap space, I’m operating with the assumption that the Lions will restructure Goff’s deal. Maybe not for the full $40 million, but enough to cross some key items off the team’s shopping list.
OK, here we go. And if you don’t want to read position-by-position thoughts — and who could blame you with how quickly things are changing — feel free to skip to the handy summary at the end of the post.