The Detroit Lions are still without a full-time general manager following the November firing of Martin Mayhew. Interim GM Sheldon White, along with a handful of others, will be considered for the position. But no matter who wins the job, their first act of business will all be the same.
Star wide receiver and franchise mainstay Calvin Johnson carries an astronomical $24 million salary cap hit in 2016. For comparison, that number is higher than every single quarterback's cap hit in 2015. Yikes. As a result, Johnson's name has been mentioned as a potential cap casualty. But MLive.com's Kyle Meinke believes "the likeliest outcome" is that Johnson remains on the roster, whether "it takes a pay cut, or a restructuring, or some combination of the two."
According to Meinke, Lions owner Martha Firestone Ford is uninterested in entering a full-blown rebuilding phase. Though Detroit has disappointed mightily this season, they did make the playoffs last year and are 17-14 under head coach Jim Caldwell. Ridding themselves of Johnson would signify a cost-cutting, back-to-square-one mindset. Ford must believe the team can remain competitive.
Even at his peak, Johnson, 30, would be unable to live up to this kind of dollar amount. Though he is still one of the better wide receivers in the game, there has been a slight decline in his play recently. Johnson ranks 16th in the NFL in receiving yards (1,077) and receptions (78) and 17th in touchdowns (8). Ford's insistence on keeping him on the roster may put Detroit's new GM in a tough spot. It isn't easy to find the requisite cap space needed to keep Johnson and it won't be easy to outright release one of the most popular players in the league.
Will Megatron even accept a pay cut? His view on the matter is unknown at this time. If the Lions were to part ways with the four-time All-Pro, they would save around $11 million while eating roughly $13 million in dead money. A restructuring of his deal would likely bring his 2016 salary of $15.95 million to right around $10 million.
It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.
