Megatron to retire

[ducky]

He has to file his retirement papers or else he gets fined for not showing up....

He wouldn't get a fine until the middle of summer though as he doesn't need to show up for anything between now and then. That is months after the FA period.

If the Lions want to use the cap space his contract creates THIS OFFSEASON, he will need to retire or they will need to cut him.

Although I have no idea whether the Lions plan to open up the wallet enough to actually need to dip into that cap savings that Johnson leaving would create. I think they have $20M going into the offseason as it is and I doubt with where the Lion's are currently that they will make too big of a splash. Probably use this season to build through the draft a little more and make their splash in the future.

 

[MiamiVice]

He wouldn't get a fine until the middle of summer though as he doesn't need to show up for anything between now and then. That is months after the FA period.

If the Lions want to use the cap space his contract creates THIS OFFSEASON, he will need to retire or they will need to cut him.

Although I have no idea whether the Lions plan to open up the wallet enough to actually need to dip into that cap savings that Johnson leaving would create. I think they have $20M going into the offseason as it is and I doubt with where the Lion's are currently that they will make too big of a splash. Probably use this season to build through the draft a little more and make their splash in the future.

they don't need his cap space.. they have nearly 30 mil in cap space without it.

 

[purguy12]

Not sure they would get what they deem value for Stafford imo... What do you think they could get for him?

No clue. I can see a team like the Jets, Browns or Philly giving up a 2nd rd to 3rd rd pick for him.

 

[Dude]

Reading through this thread, it's obvious 90% of the posters never watched him play, and certainty haven't watched him play the last few years.

Take it from a fan who has watched every snap of his career:

He's not in his prime, and hadn't been in a few years.

He's beaten up, and broken down. The last couple of years he'd go all week without practicing.
Many games he was only healthy enough to be a decoy.

He loves Detroit.

He's not retiring because the Lions suck.

He's not going to play for anyone else.

The Lions didn't ruin his career. We all wish the Lions had win more with him. But he had a great career, and will be in the HOF one day. I'm sure he's very proud of his individual career accomplishments.

Meh, how old is he? Had a great career but his team never got over the hump, sorta like Fitz with the Cardinals.

 

[ducky]

No clue. I can see a team like the Jets, Browns or Philly giving up a 2nd rd to 3rd rd pick for him.

Stafford is a 27 year old QB under what is a reasonable 2 year $34M contract. The Lions would get multiple offers of 1st rounders plus more for him.

Sam Bradford, a much worse QB with an injury history, netted the Ram's a 2nd + a 4th + a young QB just last season. Before that a much worse QB, Alex Smith, was traded during his contract year for a 2nd and a 3rd rounder (it eventually escalated into two 2nd rounders).

There should be zero question that Stafford would be worth more than a 1st rounder + quite a bit more.

No way the Lions should trade him. The whole idea of trading a solid QB that is 27 years old because you are about to enter a rebuilding year is lunacy. Don't even know how that got brought up. Solid QB's in this league don't grow on trees. It would take 2 1st rounders and more just to get the Lions to even think of trading Stafford. And even then they probably wouldn't, and shouldn't, pull the trigger. It takes more than a couple of 1st rounders way more often than not to find a QB the quality of Stafford. Just ask Lion's fans who spent the decade before Stafford got there spending 1st rounder after 1st rounder on QB's that were never as good as Stafford.

 

[OregonDucks]

Nice job Detroit.

 

[RobBase]

Meh, how old is he? Had a great career but his team never got over the hump, sorta like Fitz with the Cardinals.

Fits is a great comparison. Calvin is 30.

 

[Sportsguy9695]

dude was a beast i loved watching him. but i wont be surprised if we see more and more players do this. we see players that are retiring that are having major brain damage even some committing succide. so like johnson there gonna be playing it sae and retire early

 

[MiamiVice]

No reason to play past 30 for guys that play RB or WR... the beating they take.. if they made their money... More power to them to walk away with their bank accounts loaded and the ability to still have something that resembles a normal ability to function.

Only a truly selfish fan wants to see a player play until they are a shell of themselves or take more hits to the head and end up like OJ.

 

[boltfan72]

Can't fault a guy that's made a fortune playing a violent sport for retiring at an early age. Maybe he lost the fire. Maybe he's concerned about his health. Maybe he wants to accomplish something else in life. Whatever it is I wish him the best.

Sucks for Lions fans though.

 

[eaglesnut]

Good, now he can smoke weed without getting harassed and violated by the league.

 

[SteelersPride]

i thought jakoly lied about being a GT fan, now all upset

 

[HaroldSeattle]

Reading through this thread, it's obvious 90% of the posters never watched him play, and certainty haven't watched him play the last few years.

Take it from a fan who has watched every snap of his career:

He's not in his prime, and hadn't been in a few years.

He's beaten up, and broken down. The last couple of years he'd go all week without practicing.
Many games he was only healthy enough to be a decoy.

He loves Detroit.

He's not retiring because the Lions suck.

He's not going to play for anyone else.

The Lions didn't ruin his career. We all wish the Lions had win more with him. But he had a great career, and will be in the HOF one day. I'm sure he's very proud of his individual career accomplishments.

Feels kind of strange to agree with you, but I think you nailed it.

 

[broncosmitty]

Damn. Can't say I remember the Barry Sanders situation, but I can't help but compare the two...

Sad to see someone as great as he was go out so suddenly without hardware.

Charlie Batch got a longterm deal. Barry then quit.

I remember exactly where I was when I found out.

Don't remember where I was two or three years when I realized there wasn't a snowballs chance CJ played for Detroit in 2016. Cut or retired, he was gonna be gone.

Totally different feels for me. This one is a good one longterm.

 

[broncosmitty]

i thought jakoly lied about being a GT fan, now all upset

He real mad.

I think, never can be sure anymore.

 

[broncosmitty]

Def first ballot based on eyeball test. Lions window officially shut

We have different eyeball tests it seems.

 

[BUD]

Fits is a great comparison. Calvin is 30.

Same age as Barry Sanders when he left the NFL

 

[NinerSickness]

Close to as dominant a receiver as we've ever seen. Burned bright but as not long as others (like Steve Young and, to a lesser extent, Terrell Davis).

 

[HammerDown]

 

[Irish7478]

Megaton was the greatest receiver of all time.