Bizarre Twist In George Johnson Saga
April 13th, 2015
The Bucs are supposed to know by 5 p.m. whether the Detroit Lions have matched Tampa Bay’s restricted-free-agent offer sheet to defensive end George Johnson.
Something, however, is holding up a decision — and it could take a while.
Detroit Free-Press Lions beat writer Dave Birkett is Twittering that the Lions are appealing to a higher authority.
So sounds like George Johnson’s offer sheet is being contested. No immediate end to this saga in sight
— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) April 13, 2015
Damn, it sure sounds like the Lions want Johnson back. Joe’s not saying Johnson, six sacks in a rotational role last year, is a superstar. But he might be better than any right-edge rusher the Bucs have currently.
It smells like the Lions don’t like how the Bucs might have made this a salary-cap-heavy deal up front — and the Lions don’t have much cap room to play with.
Stay tuned.
April 13th, 2015 at 3:02 pm
Are they going to give the bucs that win back in 2010? I don’t think so. Man I hate Detroit.
April 13th, 2015 at 3:12 pm
Lions have $3,625,504 of cap space per overthecap.com Not much room to work unless someone out there takes a bite.
April 13th, 2015 at 3:13 pm
It’s the American way! When a business seeks to maximize their profit at the expense of the worker …hey it’s just bizness! But let a worker try and maximize their profit and something must be wrong.
April 13th, 2015 at 3:14 pm
Poison pill or cap circumvention most likely.
April 13th, 2015 at 3:15 pm
What now? He’s no JJ Watt, but Joe is right…we could use him! Sometimes It seems like if it weren’t for bad luck, the BUCS would have no luck at all!
April 13th, 2015 at 3:22 pm
Too bad. He would add needed depth behind the rookie Leonard Williams.
April 13th, 2015 at 3:23 pm
Yep
April 13th, 2015 at 3:34 pm
I really doubt they have a case if their argument is “we don’t have enough salary cap to make the same offer” lol..
April 13th, 2015 at 3:35 pm
There’s nothing wrong with front loading the contract, if the Lions can’t match, they can’t match. It almost sounds like they’re appealing with the idea of getting an extra day or two to make some cap space, even if they lose the appeal (that would be tough to prove).
Unless there is some sort of poison pill; i.e. plays 8 games in the state of Michigan, the full value of contract becomes guaranteed or escalators are put into place ; this appeal should be thrown out and if it’s after 5pm today, the Lions lose any additional time to sign.
April 13th, 2015 at 3:41 pm
There’s no way L. Williams drops all the way to Detroit.
April 13th, 2015 at 3:50 pm
Sounds like Detroit is trying to buy some time to clear some cap space to me.
April 13th, 2015 at 4:06 pm
If this deal is cap loaded up front then it was a very smart move by the Bucs knowing Detroit wouldn’t be able to match.
Looks like Detroit is angry that they were out smarted and are going to a higher authority because that is their only hope of keeping him. If the Bucs loose im going to be beyond frusterated. Our Bucs made a great move and clearly got what they wanted but stupid whiney ass Detroit is going to cry to the league that they couldn’t match. Nothing unfair about it. Tampa made a move and Detroit couldn’t hang. This better go the Bucs way. There is nothing that indicates what the Bucs did was against the rules so Detroit needs to shut and move on and maybe if they would stop acting like a bunch if lityle b!tches, they could have won a superbowl in the last 50 years.
April 13th, 2015 at 4:17 pm
^ Except what the Bucs might have done to prevent the Lions from matching is wholly illegal under the CBA. I doubt the Lions are just doing this because. They likely have a reason to do it.
April 13th, 2015 at 4:22 pm
Suck a D, Lions.
Doesn’t matter how the deal is structured. Either match it or move on.
April 13th, 2015 at 4:42 pm
I dont understand why there’s “No immediate end to this saga in sight.” Either it’s against the rules, or it’s not. Unless of course this is an unprecedented situation. If not then it shouldn’t take more than a few days to get this thing worked out.
April 13th, 2015 at 4:43 pm
It’s harder for us to get a damn edge rusher than it was for me to get laid in high school!!
It’s always something
April 13th, 2015 at 4:46 pm
Joe
I thought the new CBA rules meant the match offer didn’t have to have the same cap impact, just had to be the same amount of dollars.
I thought the CBA eliminated those poison pills.
April 13th, 2015 at 4:56 pm
@ Chef Paul for Brandon Scherff Says:
April 13th, 2015 at 4:43 pm
It’s harder for us to get a damn edge rusher than it was for me to get laid in high school!!
It’s always something
THANK YOU – I shall send you the bill for a new monitor and keyboard!
Valid point, who know quality DE’s were so hard to find and aquire?
April 13th, 2015 at 5:59 pm
Looks like the Bucs have got their second ‘ghost’ in as many years.
April 13th, 2015 at 7:18 pm
Looks to me like Detroit is trying to save face with their Fans ?
Hell, they have already lost Suh and Nick Fairly, and literally all of their D Line this year 🙁
This is because of all the money they have spent on Stafford and Megatron.
Jason Licht has caught Detroit with their pants down in the George Johnson deal, and Martin Mayhew simply lacks the money to KEEP Johnson.
So, out of sheer desperation, he files an appeal, because he lacks the money to do much of anything else!
Perhaps he is hoping the arbitrator will award some kind of compensation for us signing Johnson, or he is stalling for time, so he can redo some contracts, and free up some Cap Money ?
Whatever his plan is, even if it is not successful, the perception will be that he at least tried to save Johnson, in the eyes of the Detroit Fans.
And, this will of course, help to hide the fact that he grossly overspent to keep Stafford and other players, and now it has come back to bite him in the ass 🙂
IMHO, this signing of Johnson shows that Jason Licht can play hardball, when he needs to!
Unless Martin Mayhew buys enough time to free up some Cap Money, by redoing some of these huge contracts, he can kiss George Johnson bye bye.
April 14th, 2015 at 8:50 am
Goodell better not make an exception to the rules in this. The Bucs did nothing wrong. They are within the rules.
Lions are being sore losers.
Honestly, I could care less about Johnson, even though I liked him while he was here. It’s the Di#king over my team I protest.
April 14th, 2015 at 8:52 am
I know…Bucs could agree to let the matter drop for a 3rd round pick from the Lions 😉
April 14th, 2015 at 8:55 am
Chris@Apple Roof Cleaning Says
“IMHO, this signing of Johnson shows that Jason Licht can play hardball, when he needs to!”
I don’t see how you get that. All Licht did is make an offer. It wasn’t intended to play hard ball. It was an offer friendly to future Bucs cap ramifications.
I’m sure, if he were say, Bruce Allen, he would find a way to lose Johnson but get something for the trouble. But he isn’t. He’s Jason Licht, the horrible GM.
We should have stayed with Dominick another year.