Lions News

[Mainevent]

That Jessie Bates contract probably didn't help temper his expectations.

[whatever_gong82]

Here's more on the Okwara pay cut:


Following Charles Harris' lead, Romeo Okwara takes massive pay cut to stay with Lions

Justin Rogers

The Detroit News



Both Romeo Okwara and Charles Harris were potential cap casualties this offseason, but the two Detroit Lions edge rushers have agreed to significant pay cuts to stay with the team in 2023.

News of Harris' negotiated deal came out last week. Entering the final year of the contract, he was scheduled to have an $8 million cap hit. But after a down year, where he missed 11 games because of a recurring groin injury, Harris agreed to reduce his base salary from $6 million to $3 million.

The team also added up to $250,000 in per-game roster bonuses, which when factored in, reduced his 2023 cap hit to $5.16 million. That nearly $3 million in savings is comparable to the $4 million the team would have saved had they simply cut Harris.






As for Okwara, he took an even sharper pay decrease. He had been set to carry a cap hit of $14.5 million with an $11 million base salary, but agreed to reduce that base all the way down to $2 million (plus an additional $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses) after missing most of the past two seasons because of a torn Achilles.






The Lions had the opportunity to trim $7.5 million in cap space by parting with Okwara, but they save even more with the contract restructuring. His cap hit for 2023 will now be $5.65 million.

Combined, the contract adjustments save the Lions $11.7 million in cap space for the upcoming season. Both Harris and Okwara are scheduled to be free agents after this season.



jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @Justin_Rogers

[chemiclord]

Basically what it amounts to is that the Lions really aren't doing anything terribly different; they're telling players, "Listen, if you don't take a pay cut, we're going to have to release you."

Now they appear to have a team environment that is compelling these players to take less money to stay on board. That is (perhaps oddly) a significant part of why the "Patriot Way" worked for so long.

[froot loops]

Yep, but it is significant, when we complain in November about lack of depth it is because they were unable to do this.

[jaadam4]

I’m relieved to read that this R Okwara move doesn’t push that $9M cut into the future. Rather, it’s an extremely team friendly move where Okwara can earn some back. A simple massive pay cut. Love to see it for the team.

Free agents like CJGJ signing here and pay cuts like that? Damn, things are truly looking different.

Yeah man, that’s a solid re negotiation. Instead of being cut he wanted to stay with the team. Personally I’d either sign that DT from the LAR in free agency or save the money for the future

[froot loops]

Having a wrecking ball penetrating defensive tackle is the goal, but that is not easy to ger. If they can get another run clogger to force teams into a lot of passing downs thats going to work. They have a lot of flexibility for 3rd downs.

[Futureshock]

I like Romeo. I think he's better then people give him credit for

[ghandi]

I like Romeo. I think he's better then people give him credit for

THere seems to be 2 issues with Romeo....One he cant stay healthy.....Two what position does he actually play now?....He's listed as a LB (which we know he isnt)......Both he and Harris are most likely behind Houston on the depth chart now as the third down passing situation pass rush specialist.

[whatever_gong82]

Posted from last night's Athletic, right when I went to sleep.

Even though this is a Free Agency article as well, this pertains more to the Detroit Lions.

Hence, I'm posting it in the Lions news section.

Side note of the ironic: Carlos over at the Freep yesterday was being contrarian, saying that the Lions haven't done nothing in
Free Agency. And his dumb article was before yesterday's signing of Gardner-Johnson.




C.J. Gardner-Johnson joins the Lions, whose moves might be winning free agency

By Colton Pouncy

Mar 19, 2023


Sunday’s news aside, it’s easy to like what the Lions have done in NFL free agency. They’ve upgraded at cornerback, running back, guard, brought back some of their own and have done it all without any lengthy, top-of-the-market deals. You can see the fit with every player, and they were moves that signaled Detroit was serious about what’s possible in 2023.


But this latest signing really drives that point home.

The Lions and former Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $8 million. Gardner-Johnson, the No. 11 player on The Athletic’s top 150 free agents list, adds to an already impressive haul and instantly brings name value, versatility, swagger and a winning pedigree to Detroit’s defense.





How he fits: The short answer? Like a glove.



Gardner-Johnson is the sort of secondary piece this defense under Aaron Glenn has been missing. The nickel spot in the Lions’ defense has been a revolving door of sorts, with Will Harris the most recent to take a crack at it. That’s the position at which Gardner-Johnson made an impact with the Saints — playing a career-high 622 snaps from the slot in 2020, which was Glenn’s last with the Saints. That’s probably the plan for Gardner-Johnson in Detroit, though his flexibility is an added bonus.

The Lions suddenly have a versatile defense with an array of options. New cornerback Cam Sutton should be penciled in as a starter on the outside, and depending on his recovery from a torn ACL, fellow cornerback signing Emmanuel Moseley could join him. Of course, Jerry Jacobs and Jeff Okudah might have something to say about that, but it’s a good problem to have. It’s a far cry from training camp 2022, when the Lions watched as Okudah and Harris battled it out for the role of CB2 next to Amani Oruwariye. The talent in this room is significantly better than it was last year.




Tracy Walker and Kerby Joseph are the projected starters at safety, but if Walker needs more time to recover from a torn Achilles, maybe Joseph and Gardner-Johnson can hold down the fort while Harris, Sutton or someone else steps in at nickel.


However it ultimately unfolds, the Lions have options — a lot of them. They didn’t a year ago. That’s the important thing to note here.




History: It’s funny how moves like this can often be years in the making. Glenn once coached Gardner-Johnson when he was a teenager trying to make a name for himself at The Opening, a prospect showcase held at Nike’s campus in Oregon. Years later, when Gardner-Johnson became an NFL Draft prospect, he was selected in the fourth round by a Saints organization that employed Dan Campbell and Glenn, who would be Gardner-Johnson’s position coach. That’s where Gardner-Johnson earned the trust of Glenn, developing into a starting nickel on a Saints defense that allowed the fifth-fewest passing yards per game in 2020.

That marriage lasted two years. Glenn took the Lions defensive coordinator gig in 2021. After getting dealt to the NFC champion Eagles in September and going on to tie for the league lead in interceptions, with six, Gardner-Johnson hit free agency in search of a new team. Now the two will reunite in Detroit. A match made in football heaven.




Cap update: The Lions had a little more than $18 million before Sunday’s news, according to Over the Cap. This move gets that number closer to $10 million. The Lions might not be done in free agency, and they’ll also have to create room for their draft class. Halapoulivaati Vaitai and Romeo Okwara remain two potential cut candidates.




Outlook: The deeper into free agency we get, the more apparent it is that the Lions are gearing up for a playoff run.

Detroit won eight of its final 10 games in the 2022 season, just barely missing the playoffs. The team has since added two potential starting corners in Moseley and Sutton, a starting nickel in Gardner-Johnson, an upgrade at running back in David Montgomery, depth along the offensive line in Graham Glasgow, in addition to some key re-signings. Those moves have the Lions in a great spot, ahead of a season in which they expect to compete for the NFC North crown. Oh, by the way, Detroit has two first-round draft picks and five among the top 85 to use come April. This team is positioned for a much faster start in 2023 thanks to the moves made this offseason and the ones still to come.



Don’t look now, but the Lions might be winning free agency.



Colton Pouncy is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Detroit Lions. He previously covered Michigan State football and basketball for the company, and covered sports for The Tennessean in Nashville prior to joining The Athletic. Follow Colton on Twitter @colton_pouncy

[froot loops]

Where is Romeo Okwara listed as a linebacker? His brother is more of a linebacker. Romeo is a defensive end that will back up Hutchinson. He had a bad Achilles injury but besides that he has been durable for the Lions and he played well last year when he came back.

[Mainevent]

The first year they fucked with a 3-4 and had Romeo listed as LB. Now they are much more a 4-3 base, though Hutch/Harris/Romeo will rush from a stand-up position a lot.

[Mainevent]

Yeah man, that’s a solid re negotiation. Instead of being cut he wanted to stay with the team. Personally I’d either sign that DT from the LAR in free agency or save the money for the future

If you're referring to Gaines, he signed with the Bucs. Ashawn is still out there.

[Cody_Russell]

Yep, but it is significant, when we complain in November about lack of depth it is because they were unable to do this.

Yeah. Edge is deep.
Lions players that have lined up at edge:
Aidan Hutchinson, John Cominsky, Romeo Okwara, Charles Harris, James Houston, Josh Paschal, and Julian Okwara.

Sure, some have other roles for the defense. Adding on Tyree Wilson is commonly mocked to the Lions at #6. Just imagine if the Lions draft him… are we sure there are enough snaps to go around? Certainly cut down on Hutch’s ridiculous snap count.

[Futureshock]

THere seems to be 2 issues with Romeo....One he cant stay healthy.....Two what position does he actually play now?....He's listed as a LB (which we know he isnt)......Both he and Harris are most likely behind Houston on the depth chart now as the third down passing situation pass rush specialist.

Has Romeo been injured a lot? Yeah he spent the vast majority of last year injured, but prior to that injury, he hasn't been particularly hurt a lot that I can remember.

Prior to 2021 he missed 3 games in 3 years. Then in 2021 he had the bad injury that he only played 4 games before the injury and it kept him out of most of 2022. So I don't consider him injury prone.

The second point, you may be getting him confused with Julian. Romeo is 6'5" and feels more like a DE then a Edge/OLB. I think he was "forced" into that position due to the defense the Lions were playing back then. He is a fighter that doesn't quit.

I like Romeo

[froot loops]

Yeah. Edge is deep.
Lions players that have lined up at edge:
Aidan Hutchinson, John Cominsky, Romeo Okwara, Charles Harris, James Houston, Josh Paschal, and Julian Okwara.

Sure, some have other roles for the defense. Adding on Tyree Wilson is commonly mocked to the Lions at #6. Just imagine if the Lions draft him… are we sure there are enough snaps to go around? Certainly cut down on Hutch’s ridiculous snap count.

You need depth, injuries will occur.