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Calvin Johnson could hold leverage in co; Calvin Johnson could hold leverage in co
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Topic Started: Nov 6 2017, 01:45 PM (4 Views)
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+sherry2018love
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Nov 6 2017, 01:45 PM
Post #1
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Lions receiver Calvin Johnson said Wedenesday he wouldbe evaluating options" for his future and word of a potential retirement spread quickly. Johnson, not long ago considered the best receiver in the NFL, has seen his production drop over the last few years and has struggled with nagging injuries, but there is still a large amount of money on the table for him.Often when players publically talk about their future it can be as much contract-related as it is really about retirement.That may be the case with Johnson.The Lions are e sentially at a cro sroads with Johnsons $113.2 million contract. His cap charge next season will be $24 million, which is made up of a $15.95 million salary and $8 million in charges for bonus money already paid. The cap figure is more than $8 million more than the next closest wide receivers cap figure and his salary is nearly $2.5 million more than the next closest receiver.MORE: Best, worst NFL money moves of 2016 | NFL's 25 highest-paid playersThat leaves the Lions with three options to attempt to renegotiate Johnsons contract down to a more reasonable number, trade Johnson to another teamor release Johnson outright. The latter two options leave the Lions with $12.9 million in dead money charges on their salary cap, a very high figurethough it represents a large cap savings for the team.In the past the Lions' decision would have been easy Justin Blackmon Jersey to predict. With four years remaining on the contract, the Lions would have simply converted part of Johnsons $15.95 million salary to a bonus to reduce the cap charge for 2016 and dealt with the consequences of that action at a later date. But those decision makers were fired this season and the Lions will have a new general manager in charge of deciding Johnsons future.Often when a new general manager comes to a team, he opts to remake a team. For some joiningteam with significant amounts of cap space, such as Mike Maccagnan with the Jets, that means signing new players. For those coming into teams with tighter cap situations, such as Maccagnans predece sor John Idzik, they often target their own star players for either reduced contracts or release. Whoever gets the Lions job will fit into the Idzik category, which makes a player like Johnson a target especially Arrelious Benn Jersey if the GM wants to set a new tone when it comes to contract management.By beginning the talk of retirement before a new general manager is hired, Johnson holds the po sibility of negotiating a new deal now with the organization to more or le s make his status certain before a new GM takes the job. Such a tactic could take much of the uncertainty out of Johnsons situation and get him a new contract in the old system of contract management.Right now Johnson would have a good deal of leverage dealing with the Lions.He is a legendary figure in Detroit and the best player they have had since Barry Sanders. While Johnson may no longer put up Megatron numbers, his statistical output would likely be somewhere around tenth in the NFL, which is very respectable. He will also argue that if he is released,he would, at worst, be the second hottest free agent wide receiver available.Last year the Cardinals were faced with a similar situation with their fading veteran Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald was able to use his legendary status as a Cardinal and the high salary cap cost of his release to leverage himself into a fully guaranteed, two-year, $22 million contract, all of which was guaranteed.There is almost no comparison between the two players in terms of performance in the two years prior to a new contract:If Fitzgerald was worth $22 million, Johnson can clearly argue that he's worth $26 to $28 million. While that is le s than his current non-guaranteed $32.5 million over the next two years, it would be a phenomenal contract for a 31-year-old receiver whose best years are Brandon Linder Jersey behind him. Atworst he might get permi sion to seek a trade so he can find his new destination rather than being traded to a city he does not want to play in.Unle s Johnson is desperate for an immediate chance at a ring, his best situation is remaining in Detroit. He already has a good connection with his quarterback, Matthew Stafford, and will always be treated as royalty by his teammates and the fanbase. None of that will nece sarily transferto a new team.For every Jerry Rice being productive and loved in Oakland, there is a Chad Johnson, Terrell Owens, Andre Johnsonand Randy Mo s who struggled to recapture what they had with their prior teams.MORE: Where the Lions went wrong | Lions on wrong end of one of the season's worst callsThough Calvin Johnson should be a hot commodity if he hits free agency, he likely would not hit the financial highs he would in Detroit. Andre Johnson, who was a few years older, did not land Audie Cole Jersey a job right away and signed for $7 million a year.Brandon Marshall,at a similar age, signed an extension with the Bears for $10 million a year and then agreed to an $8.7 million a year contract with the Jets following a trade. The Lions will likely give him much more consideration than anyone else in the NFL, provided he sets the ground work with ownership before a new executive is hired.If he retires he is likely leaving at least $15 million on the table and could po sibly be required to pay back a significant amount of bonus money to the Lions that was already paid to him. His dead money would also all jump onto the cap this year andhe would lose that contract leverage with Detroit if he ever decided to return to the NFL at a later date. Those are steep costs for a player who is still capable of playing for a top-tier salary.
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