Slowly but surely the Detroit Lions are breaking things down to rebuild them. It started by the firing of coordinators and now the general manager Martin Mayhew is out as well. Head coach Jim Caldwell's seat is getting very hot while the attention is beginning to shift to the roster. It is no secret that the Lions have a majority of their money wrapped into Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson. With someone's salary needing to go, who is the first dropped at the end of the year?
Right now, the Lions have $20.6 million wrapped into Johnson and $17.7 million wrapped into Stafford. The rest of the salary cap takes up $16.9 million. That is not ideal for any team which opens the Lions up to moves. According to Johnson, he does not want out of Detroit. The wide receiver was a popular name at the trade deadline, but the Lions did not deal him as the veteran is making it clear he is committed to the franchise and wants to turn things around.
"I want to win here, you know," Johnson said, via ESPN.com. "This is where I've been. So, definitely want to create a winning culture where I'm at. I'm fortunate enough to play in this league, that the Lions took me where I'm at. They brought me here and I have a great cast of teammates, you know, guys I have been playing with for a long time. I love where I'm at right now but definitely want to win."
With Johnson wanting to stay put, what about Stafford? The quarterback cannot be given all of the blame for the team's downfall this season. However, he might have the easiest contract to get rid of. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Stafford's future is definitely in doubt and that has a lot to do with his contract. Signed through 2017, the Lions can released him with a post-June 1 cap charge of $5.5 million in 2016 and $5.5 million in 2017. They could also release him without the June 1 designation and have a hit of $11 million while he is then off the books for 2017. Those are manageable numbers if the Lions want to free up space. With the team looking destined for a top draft pick, replacing Stafford with younger talent might be the easiest move to go forward.
According to Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press, players are aware that big changes are coming for the franchise. The Lions have a few pieces to build on with Eric Ebron and Ameer Abdullah getting plenty of playing time this season. But veterans and high-priced players could be on their way out with a new regime moving in. Stafford and Johnson will be the first players evaluated. Given their value in the league, trades could be the first target before the franchise is simply forced to release them.
