Lions plan to announce Megatron mega-extension today

[.infamous]

The Lions’ No. 1 priority in free agency is making sure their most talented player stays in Detroit for the prime of his career without becoming a free agent. And they’re getting close to getting that done.

Anwar Richardson of MLive.com reports that the Lions are close to announcing a seven-year contract extension for wide receiver Calvin Johnson. Megatron is on the way to Detroit and both sides are hoping to get it done in time for an announcement today.

Although no financial terms are known, the deal would likely surpass Larry Fitzgerald’s contract with the Cardinals and make Johnson the highest-paid receiver in NFL history.

No matter how much the Lions are paying Johnson, the deal will surely give them some cap relief this season. Johnson’s cap number for 2012 surpasses $21 million, and that cap number is a big part of the reason the Lions aren’t making any noise in free agency. They simply don’t have the cap space.

And the deal also puts the Lions in better shape a year from now, when they’d be faced with either tagging him with an enormous franchise tender of more than $25 million, or letting him become an unrestricted free agent.

So for Johnson, it will surely be an enormous contract. For the Lions, it will be a contract whose cap effect is felt mostly a few years down the road, when the new TV contracts are expected to expand the salary cap significantly. This is good news all around in Detroit.

Will free up some cap for us so thats great.

 

[.infamous]

Sources are telling me the Calvin deal is close to $130 million. Tops the Fitzgerald's $120 million deal

7 Year contract

 

[jonathanlambert33]

Cap number that surpasses 21M in 2012?

NFL contracts are getting out of hand.

 

[.infamous]

According to ESPN, Calvin Johnson broke the bank: seven years, $132 million, $60 million guaranteed. Wow

 

[RipCity32]

Worth every penny, for the best wideout in the NFL.
Today is now a good day. I was worried we wouldn't get something done lol.

 

[Teagz]

Good deal for the best wideout in the league.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

A big-money deal for Lions receiver Calvin Johnson had been expected, but no one really expected how big it would be.

And now the question is whether it’s really as big as claimed.

Initial reports pegged the contract as being worth $132 million over seven years, with $60 million guaranteed. That equates to an annual average of nearly $19 million. And the truth is it’s nothing close to that.

The problem arises from the disconnect between “seven years” and the value of the deal. Lost in the description is the fact that Johnson already is due to make more than $20 million in 2012, the final year of his rookie deal. And so it’s a seven-year extension, creating an eight year deal — and resulting in an annual average somewhere between $15.5 million and $16 million.

The guaranteed money also is believed to be more like $50 million, with the fully guaranteed money under $40 million.

Without and extension and if the Lions used the franchise tag in 2013, Johnson would have made more than $46 million in the next two seasons.

We’ll defer further comment until the full contract can be obtained and analyzed. For now, the talk in league circles is that Johnson’s deal is being grossly overstated.

 

[RipCity32]

Meh, haven't heard anyone around here really complaining about the size of the deal anyways. But if it is smaller than it actually is, then cool

 

[jonathanlambert33]

Depending on the salary cap that deal was too big when you factor in having to resign guys like Stafford once their deals are up. But isn't the salary cap supposed to really increase after this year because of the new tv deal?

 

[.infamous]

Yes cap is suppose to go up alot with next tv deal coming in

 

[RipCity32]

Reports are we are like 18 million under the cap after this deal.
So after we bring back Tulloch and Backus, we should have around 10 million left, depending how much they sign for.

 

[cruzg24]

Good deal for the 3rd best wideout in the league.

 

[elcheato]

Good deal for the 3rd best wideout in the league.

I like your style

 

[RipCity32]

3rd lololol.

 

[.infamous]

3rd lololol.

Don't think you are getting the joke rip. Remember Rex Ryan saying Calvin would be the number 3 WR on their team. Or atleast thats what I think he is talking about

 

[RipCity32]

Nah, I'm pretty sure he just meant that Andre and Fitz are better lol.

 

[Elite]

Rob Ryan said that, not Sexy Rexy