Current Financial Condition

NFL Salary Cap 2012: $125,000,000
Lions’ Current Total Salary: $110,034,584
Total Players: 37

Current Depth Chart - Under Contract – w/ Cap Hits

Offense:
  • QB: Matthew Stafford - $17,853,750
    RB: Jahvid Best - $1,741,000 / Mikel LeShoure - $733,998 / Keiland Williams - $490,000 / Joique Bell - $450,000 (guess)
    WR1: Calvin Johnson - $22,254,133 / Titus Young - $1,154,167
    LT: Jason Fox - $600,302
    LG: Rob Sims - $1,500,000
    C: Dominic Raiola - $3,400,000 / Dylan Gandy - $850,000
    RG: Stephen Peterman - $2,725,000
    RT: Gosder Cherilus - $3,215,000 / Johnny Culbreath - $562,950
    TE: Brandon Pettigrew - $2,062,500 / Tony Scheffler - $2,050,000 / Will Heller - $900,000
    WR2:Nate Burleson - $4,516,250 / Stefan Logan - $615,000

Defense:
  • RDE: Kyle Vanden Bosch - $6,730,000 / Lawrence Jackson - $915,000
    DT: Ndamukong Suh - $13,585,000
    DT: Corey Williams - $5,000,000 / Nick Fairley - $2,247,000
    LDE: Willie Young - $506,000
    OLB: Doug Hogue - $510,000
    MLB:
    OLB: Justin Durant - $3,125,000
    CB: Aaron Berry - $415,833 / Alphonso Smith - $695,000
    S: Louis Delmas - $822,500 / John Wendling - $740,000
    S: Amari Spievey - $490,000 / Ricardo Silva - $450,000
    CB: Chris Houston - $4,000,000 / Don Carey - $540,000

Special Teams:
  • LS:
    K: Jason Hanson - $3,235,000
    P: Ryan Donahue - $468,333

Beginning of Lions’ Offseason

News begins to trickle in of the Lions being in contact with a couple of their longstanding players. Shaun Hill and Jeff Backus have both been resigned.

Shaun Hill: 3 years, $3,000,000
Jeff Backus: 2 years, $3,000,000

Shaun Hill has been retained as the Lions’ primary backup and Jeff Backus has been resigned for two years for what is expected to be the remainder of his NFL career, which he hopes will culminate in a Super Bowl.

On a sunny but crisp spring morning in early March, a press conference is announced for later in the afternoon. It is confirmed to have Martin Mayhew, Tom Lewand and Jim Schwartz present.

After answering some routine questions, they then announce they have reached extensions with three of their key players: Calvin Johnson, Cliff Avril, and Stephen Tulloch. The details are as follows:

Calvin Johnson: $125m contract over 7 years with 80m guaranteed bonus (reduces ’12 cap hit by 9.5 million – bonus hits in 2013 for max prorating of 5 years)
Cliff Avril: $45,304,480 contract over 5 years with 16m guaranteed (9m per year avg)
Stephen Tulloch: $20,500,000 contract over 4 years

The three players sit with their coach and answer several questions from reporters about achieving their dreams: namely, a Super Bowl.

Later that day, news leaks out that the Lions accomplished these signings and prepared for free agency by moving 8 million of Matthew Stafford's contract to a bonus prorated over the remaining three years of his deal and by moving 3.5 million of Kyle Vanden Bosch's salary over his remaining two years.

The Lions are extremely pleased to announce the following free agent signings:

Cortland Finnegan, CB: 2 years, $13 million
Michael Griffin, S: 3 years, $12.25 million
Marcus Trufant, CB: 1 year, $2.5 million
Schwartz utilizes the Tennessee connection once more to bring in strong competition for Amari Spievey, which sends him a message to step up or lose his job. Griffin’s inconsistent play makes him affordable, and Schwartz hopes Cunningham will be able to utilize Griffin’s well-rounded talents to the fullest.

Finnegan makes a strong starting cornerback tandem with Chris Houston. Marcus Trufant, coming off of an injury-riddled season, comes at a discount and gives Eric Wright the boot.

Throughout March and early April, Lions also announce the following resignings:

Corey Williams, DT: 3 years, $12 million; first year savings of about 1.3m for extension
Sammie Hill, DT: 1 year RFA tender (2nd round – $1.417m)
DeAndre Levy, OLB: 1 year RFA tender (original round – $987k)
Drew Stanton, QB: 2 years, $1.6 million – flat per year
Don Muhlbach, LS: 2 years, $2 million – flat per year
Leonard Davis, G: 1 year, $950,000
Bobby Carpenter, OLB: 1 year, $825,000
Ashlee Palmer, OLB: 1 year, $700,000
Kevin Smith, HB: 1 year, $700,000

Welcome to the Radio City Music Hall for the 2012 NFL Draft!

Lions trade pick 23 to the Cleveland Browns for picks 37 and 68.

With the 37th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select Doug Martin, RB from Boise State University.



Doug Martin, while a surprising selection for the Lions' first pick in 2012, completes what is a young, promising, but slightly injury-riddled backfield for the Lions. With the Lions' other three backs being all but uncertainty at this point, the young Ray Rice-type back hopes to provide a pillar of production on which the Lions can rely.

With the 54h overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select Lavonte David, LB from the University of Nebraska.



As Detroit attempts to improve its defense to match the skills of conference mainstays Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers, they add an extremely athletic linebacker from the University of Nebraska. With surprising thump against the run and great pursuit against the pass and the run, the smallish 225 pound Lavonte David hopes to add about ten pounds to his frame without losing speed in order to be a cornerstone of the Lions’ defense for years to come.

With the additional weight combined with his already surprising hit power, David could do just that. He also presents a possible solution against a couple of the conference’s most athletic tight ends Jermichael Finley and Jimmy Graham. While he gets bigger, better, and stronger, Detroit feels comfortable letting him battle with Deandre Levy for a starting position.

With the 68th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select Ben Jones, C from the University of Georgia.



The Lions get their center of the future early in the third to pair with fellow Bulldog alum Matthew Stafford. A solid option in the pass and the run, the best center in the draft not named Konz begins the renaissance of the Lions' o-line.

With the 86th pick in the NFL draft, the Lions select Jack Crawford, DE from Penn State University.



The Lions' brass does not pass up its chance at getting Kyle Vanden Bosch's potential replacement here in the third round. A workhorse of a DE, Jack Crawford will help Detroit's d-line some in his rookie year and hopefully lots down the road.

With their 4th round selection, the Lions select Ladarius Green, TE from Louisiana-Lafayette.



While a fan favorite, Tony Scheffler is getting older and more expensive. The Lions, while they have other needs, decide not to pass up on the opportunity to groom his replacement and improve their depth. Ladarius Green, at 6’6” and with a great hands/speed combination for a tight end, will play in his first year in some situations and be the eventual 1-2 receiving punch with starting tight end Brandon Pettigrew.

This one will end up being one of the Lions’ best picks in the coming years as Green develops into a great receiver and capable blocker after putting on a little weight.

With the 152nd pick in the NFL draft, the Detroit Lions select Desmond Marrow, CB/S from the University of Florida.



The Lions add a raw but versatile talent here in the 5th round. Since they've quenched their immediate thirst for talent at CB through Trufant and Finnegan, they take a chance on a physical guy who may make a very good safety in a few years.

With the 7th round pick from the Seattle Seahawks, the Detroit Lions select Donte Paige-Moss, DE from the University of North Carolina.



The Lions select Paige-Moss with the hope that he can return post-ACL tear to his sophomore season form. There are some concerns with his work ethic as he suffered a drop-off in production after that great season, but there is no questioning his athleticism. At 6’4” 265 and with explosive quickness, Paige-Moss is a flyer the Lions are happy to take as they attempt to recreate the pass rush they enjoyed in 2010. Paige-Moss is a likely practice squad guy to start off.

With the 216th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select Rokevious Watkins, G from the University of South Carolina.



Making second team All-SEC in his senior season, this JuCo transfer has the size and ability at 6’4” and 320 lbs to one day become an NFL starter and at the very least provide depth for a Lions’ offensive line that craves an infiltration of youth.

Lions release Joique Bell, Keiland Williams, Alphonso Smith, Dylan Gandy, Don Carey, and Will Heller prior to the end of the season.

The Lions’ depth chart looks as follows:

2012 Lions Depth Chart - Under Contract - w/Cap Hits

Offense:
  • QB: Matthew Stafford - $ $12,520,417 / Shaun Hill - $1,000,000 / Drew Stanton - $825,000
    RB: Jahvid Best - $1,741,000 / Mikel LeShoure - $733,998 / Kevin Smith - $700,000 / Doug Martin - $900,000
    WR1: Calvin Johnson - $ $11,754,133 / Titus Young - $1,154,167
    LT: Jeff Backus - $1,500,000 / Jason Fox - $600,302
    LG: Rob Sims - $1,500,000 / Rokevious Watkins - $400,000
    C: Dominic Raiola - $3,400,000 / Ben Jones - $450,000
    RG: Stephen Peterman - $2,725,000 / Leonard Davis - $950,000
    RT: Gosder Cherilus - $3,215,000 / Johnny Culbreath - $562,950
    TE: Brandon Pettigrew - $2,062,500 / Tony Scheffler - $2,050,000 / Ladarius Green - $450,000
    WR2:Nate Burleson - $4,516,250 / Stefan Logan - $615,000 / Maurice Stovall - $465,000

Defense:
  • RDE: Kyle Vanden Bosch - $4,980,000 / Jack Crawford - $450,000 / Willie Young - $506,000
    DT: Ndamukong Suh - $13,585,000 / Sammie Hill - $1,417,000
    DT: Corey Williams - $3,600,000 / Nick Fairley - $2,247,000
    LDE: Cliff Avril - $8,000,000 / Lawrence Jackson - $915,000
    OLB: DeAndre Levy - $987,000 / Lavonte David - $500,000 / Doug Hogue - $510,000
    MLB: Stephen Tulloch - $4,000,000 / Ashlee Palmer - $700,000
    OLB: Justin Durant - $3,125,000 / Bobby Carpenter - $825,000
    CB: Cortland Finnegan - $5,600,000 / Aaron Berry - $415,833 / Desmond Marrow - $400,000
    S: Louis Delmas - $822,500 / John Wendling - $740,000
    S: Michael Griffin - $3,000,000 / Amari Spievey - $490,000
    CB: Chris Houston - $4,000,000 / Marcus Trufant - $2,500,000

Special Teams:
  • LS: Don Mulbach - $1,000,000
    K: Jason Hanson - $3,235,000
    P: Ryan Donahue - $468,333

Total Offense – 25 players
Total Defense – 25 players
Special Teams – 3 players

Total 53-man salary (includes cap penalties): $125,734,384
Using 51-man rule (includes cap penalties + 51 players): $124,934,384