The Detroit Lions are a mess and I’m not sure it can be fixed anytime sooner. The Lions have a championship window that they need to take advantage of, because it’s about to close really quickly.
The 7-7 Lions are set to fire Jim Schwartz if they don’t make the playoffs, and the GM might be next. The capped strapped Lions have the highest salary cap in the NFL with a $162 million payroll.
One more reason for #Lions management to be upset with another late-season fall: league-high payroll of nearly $162 million this season.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 17, 2013
Spending is cyclical and #Lions did big deals with Stafford ($31.5M), Calvin Johnson ($25M) this year. Point is they've invested, gotten 7-7
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 17, 2013
Also, to clarify, Calvin's deal was done last year. Restructured for cap in March. Made $21.7M in 2012, $25M in 2013. Is that a lot?
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 17, 2013
That number and stat alone is why Schwartz has to go. Stafford and Johnson are on the books heavy, with new deals for Suh, and Nick Fairley approaching.