The Detroit Lions have one of the healthier rosters in the NFL, with few immediate needs and a budding core of young stars on rookie contracts. However, with each passing year, the roster faces new challenges. There are veterans who need to be taken care of. Extensions for players on rookie contracts must be handed out to keep that core in place. And, as things stand, a number of key players are entering the final year of their contracts with the team.
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Nothing to worry about now. But worth discussing in the meantime.
With the NFL Draft just weeks away, and the roster in a place where the team could look to address future needs, let’s take a look at some of the players set to be free agents next offseason, and how they fit in moving forward.
— The Beast is coming! Keep your eyes peeled for Dane Brugler’s annual guide to the NFL Draft, publishing Wednesday, April 10
Quarterback Jared Goff
The Lions have already expressed interest in a Goff extension, with coach Dan Campbell calling it a priority at the owners’ meetings last month. Two years ago, this was a different discussion. Goff was coming off a poor first year with the Lions — without much talent around him — and there were questions about his long-term fit in Detroit. These days, it’s harder to picture them without him.
Goff has thrown for 9,013 yards (second-most in the NFL) and 59 touchdowns (third-most) the last two seasons. He’s been named to the Pro Bowl, helped the Lions win a division title for the first time in 30 years and two playoff games along the way. He’s earned the right to be the guy, and his new contract should reflect that.
Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown
No player on this Lions roster has done more for less than St. Brown has since he arrived. Since 2021, only four players in the NFL have more receptions than St. Brown’s 315. Only seven players have more receiving yards than his 3,588. He has been one of the best receivers in football, doing it all on a fourth-round contract. That should change in the very near future.
St. Brown is entering the fourth and final year of his rookie contract, and an extension looms. It could happen as soon as this offseason, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, which would make sense considering St. Brown doesn’t have a fifth-year option. He’s one of the most important players in this locker room, so expect the Lions to take care of him accordingly, with a contract that could reach the $26 million to $28 million a year range.
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DT Alim McNeill
Given his current trajectory, and the current state of the defensive tackle market, McNeill is going to be a very rich man soon. The top 10 are all making north of $20 million a year, per Spotrac. The top 15 all make north of $16 million. McNeill is only 23 and would enter free agency as a 24-year-old defensive tackle just hitting his stride. It’s not a stretch to say he could command a contract in that range.
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The 2023 season was McNeill’s best as a pro, with career highs in sacks (five) and pressures (34), despite missing four games and playing 220 fewer snaps than he did in 2022. Per Pro Football Focus, McNeill’s pass-rush grade of 78.6 ranked 15th among 109 qualified defensive tackles, and his run-defense grade of 76.9 ranked seventh out of 137. His overall grade of 86.8 was also seventh among all defensive tackles. All that to say, McNeill was one of the better players in the league when healthy. He might’ve been on his way to a Pro Bowl season if he hadn’t suffered a sprained knee.
What matters now is the future, though. McNeill’s current level of play is enough to warrant big money. If he were to hit the open market tomorrow, teams would be lining up to pay him due to his age and all-around game. But he could be in for his best season to date. The Lions added former Bengals defensive tackle DJ Reader — a space-eating nose tackle known to make life easier for those around him. The idea of Reader freeing up McNeill to be even more disruptive is a scary thought — both for the NFC North and the Lions’ pockets. But you have to think they’ll happily pay a homegrown talent who has reached this level.
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Left tackle Taylor Decker
What the Lions ultimately do in the draft could provide insight into future decisions. Like what to do with Decker.
In many ways, Decker is the franchise. He’s been overlooked, he’s fought through injuries and endured many a loss over the years. Through it all, he’s longed to be part of a winner. He is now, and last year’s playoff run put Decker in the spotlight as the bridge between two eras of Lions football. But next year, he’ll be a free agent.
Decker is still young enough to command a strong contract. The question is how much he wants and how much the Lions would be willing to pay. He’ll be 31 when the 2024 season starts. We’ve seen the front office part ways with a younger offensive lineman in Jonah Jackson this offseason, unwilling to offer the $17 million annually he received from the Rams. With few immediate needs, might the Lions look to draft a young offensive tackle early in the 2024 draft and let him develop for a year before taking over in 2025?
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Because of what Decker means to the locker room and the organization, it’s more likely than not he’ll return in some capacity. But these are questions worth asking as the roster grows more expensive.
Cornerback Carlton Davis III
When you trade a third-round pick for a proven player, the expectation is that player will be around for more than a year. As things currently stand, Davis — acquired from the Bucs for a third-round pick, with the Lions also receiving two sixth-round picks — is on a one-year deal. When asked about the potential for an extension, Davis said he wanted to get a feel for the organization first. GM Brad Holmes offered similar sentiments.
If Davis is the player the Lions believe they’re getting, the two sides would likely want to continue doing business together. Davis mentioned the potential for the Lions to build a dynasty, which suggests he’s already thinking long-term. Holmes, meanwhile, has suggested he’s comfortable with the cornerback room after the moves they’ve made. We’ll see what the future holds.
Right guard Kevin Zeitler
On one hand, Zeitler is a recently turned 34-year-old in a league where Father Time is undefeated. He signed for just one year at roughly $6 million. It’s not a contract that screams “here for the long haul.” It’s why guard would be an obvious position to address in the draft.
At the same time, Zeitler has shown few signs of slowing down. He has been one of the most consistent guards in football since the Bengals made him a first-round pick 2012, has never played less than 739 snaps in a season (he played 982 a year ago) and is coming off his first Pro Bowl appearance. All signs point to Zeitler as a stopgap, but maybe the Lions try to tack on a second year if all goes well and he remains cheap. It probably depends on what happens later this month.
Edge Marcus Davenport
Until he puts together a full season of productivity, it’s hard to fit Davenport into any long-term plans, which is why the Lions are often linked to edge rushers in the draft. The Lions talk about Davenport like a player with untapped potential who could be an excellent fit opposite Aidan Hutchinson. He’s long, can defend the run and clean stuff up when it comes his way. If it all comes together this season, it would be easier to envision a future beyond the 2024 season with this pairing. But it’s on Davenport to prove he can get there. It’s been three years since his breakout 2021 campaign, with injuries slowing him down the past two seasons.
(Photo: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)
