This week at the NFL combine, the representatives of the team’s top receiver, Amon-Ra St. Brown, will meet with the Detroit Lions in hopes of securing a contract extension.
The Lions have stated that they want to make offseason investments on their own roster, even though no trade is imminent.
They have made it a priority to reach a new agreement with quarterback Jared Goff, signed linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin to a two-year extension that will make him the highest-paid core special teams player in the NFL, and plan to have more than $50 million in cap space when the 2024 season begins.
Entering his fourth season in the NFL, St. Brown is expected to receive a multi-year agreement making him one of the top paid wide receivers in the game.
The Detroit Lions were keen to sign some of their star players to long-term contracts before the summer began. They took care of one of their best on Monday.
Jalen Reeves-Maybin, the star of the Lions’ special teams, inked a two-year contract extension on Monday.
Reeves-Maybin will become the highest-paid core special teams player in NFL history with this deal, which has a maximum value of $8 million and includes a $2.5 million signing bonus, according to NFL Network.
Reeves-Maybin, a fourth-round selection in 2017, tied for the NFL lead with 14 special teams tackles last season, earning him second-team All-Pro recognition.
In addition, he played a rotational role at linebacker in clear-cut passing situations and converted two fake punts, one on a 31-yard pass to Khalil Dorsey and the other on a 3-yard run.
Reeves-Maybin was selected to his first Pro Bowl after finishing the previous season with 20 defensive tackles and one sack.
Despite having plenty of salary budget space this spring, Lions general manager Brad Holmes stated in a Monday interview on WXYT-FM (97.1 in Detroit) that the team will stick to its plan to draft, develop, and re-sign its own players.
In terms of the resources we have, we’ve kind of kept it really strategic and selected, according to Holmes. However, what you consider to be a bigger fish (to pursue in free agency) is highly subjective.
Given the quote-unquote moniker, I believe I have an idea, but it will follow our standard procedure once more.
Although kicker Michael Badgley was previously signed by the Lions to a one-year contract (Brian McLaughlin represents both Badgley and Reeves-Maybin), the team still has 18 players slated to be unrestricted free agents when the 2024 league season begins on March 13.
This offseason, the team is also anticipated to attempt to sign receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and quarterback Jared Goff to long-term contracts.
For six of his seven NFL seasons, Reeves-Maybin has called Detroit home. He signed a one-year contract with the Houston Texans as a free agent in 2022, but he later returned to the organization in the spring.
