Don Carey signed for 3 more years

[Old Lion]

Saw it on Roto. Surprised no others reported it.

Does this mean the end for Delmas or does it mean we dont go after any safeties in the draft or FA?

 

[LPinSLC]

He was a flex/hybrid/combo. He played a lot of nickle. Versatility means you could still draft/sign a safety.

 

[tpaulus_2]

He was a flex/hybrid/combo. He played a lot of nickle. Versatility means you could still draft/sign a safety.

I agree about his versatility and think this is a good signing for us. Carey has steadily improved since he's been here and as a back-up safety/slot CB and sub-package player he's been pretty decent for us. Good mid-level player to fill a roster spot for cheap, imo...

 

[Dr. Evil-er]

Good mid-level player to fill a roster spot for cheap, imo...

How do you call a contract cheap when the details were never reported? The same site that reports that there is a new contract in place calls him a liability in his play but a very good special teams player.

The Palmer contract we signed last year isnt cheap in the salary cap era for a guy who's value is primarily special teams, and he has to be one of the guys who could be on the chopping block. He is a $1.53m cap hit in 2014. If Carey is looking at a similar contract then I dont think its a good signing at all.

I'll reserve judgement until I see the actual numbers but I hope its not anything like the Palmer deal.

 

[Old Lion]

Maybe thats why no other outlet is reporting the signing. Maybe they are waiting for the numbers

 

[tpaulus_2]

How do you call a contract cheap when the details were never reported? The same site that reports that there is a new contract in place calls him a liability in his play but a very good special teams player. .

Rotoworld does a good job reporting news, but their analysis on players sound like they're written by people who watch two or three games a year and get their player analysis straight from Madden. I definitely didn't see a liability when Carey was on the field...

Me calling the contract "cheap" is a simple matter of assumption- Carey is a valuable player, but not a starter. So, I'm assuming his contract reflects that.

The Palmer contract we signed last year isnt cheap in the salary cap era for a guy who's value is primarily special teams, and he has to be one of the guys who could be on the chopping block. He is a $1.53m cap hit in 2014. If Carey is looking at a similar contract then I dont think its a good signing at all.

This is the kind of $$ logic I can't ever follow. Palmer's veteran minimum would be what, $950,000? Paying an extra $500,000 over the minimum for a key special teamer and part-time starter doesn't seem like a bad value at all. We could save $$ and pay a replacement OLB veteran minimum, but then we'll be getting a veteran minimum-type player. Imo, Palmer's value is slightly above that of the minimum, and his contract reflects that.

You get what you pay for, and I'd rather have a better OLB/Special teamer for a paltry extra $500,000.

That being said, we can get better, and cheaper, at the position by replacing Palmer with a rookie since their minimum salary is much cheaper than the vet. minimum.

I'll reserve judgement until I see the actual numbers but I hope its not anything like the Palmer deal

I'm fine with paying Carey 50% above the veteran minimum- I think he's worth that, especially considering how cheap that number is compared to a starter's salary...

 

[Old Lion]

Seriously right. If there is a safety that is overpaid it is Delmas. I dont think we get 6 mil of value (or whatever his cap hit will be) from him.

 

[Dr. Evil-er]

This is the kind of $$ logic I can't ever follow. Palmer's veteran minimum would be what, $950,000? Paying an extra $500,000 over the minimum for a key special teamer and part-time starter doesn't seem like a bad value at all. We could save $$ and pay a replacement OLB veteran minimum, but then we'll be getting a veteran minimum-type player. Imo, Palmer's value is slightly above that of the minimum, and his contract reflects that.

The veteran minimum for both Palmer and Carey is $730k. Both of those guys should be on recurring one year deals IMO, and both are worth resigning on one year contracts.

The huge difference in why those one year deals make the most sense is an addition to the newest CBA called the Minimum Salary Benefit. This allows teams to get a cap reduction on veteran one year deals, with no limit on the number of those deals you can have, where the cap hit on those players is reduced to the equivalent of a second year player. For both Palmer and Carey that would mean their combined hits for 2014 would be $1.14m ($570k each). Palmer alone is $1.53m and we don't know about Carey yet.

This minimum salary benefit was put in place because the NFLPA recognized that teams would more often than not choose to keep a younger player over a veteran because of the cost difference. While say a $350k difference in salary may not seem like much when its on 10 contracts (which I believe was how many the Lions had in place to start the year) that is $3.5m in total.

When you look at how teams can use that money its actually a huge amount. $3.5m in cap space is effectively the equivalent of $14m in signing bonus or option money on a 4 year deals. If its used as salary it's also huge amount. That's probably enough money for you to sign Tedd Ginn and Rogers-Cromartie. I would sure say that adding those two guys to the roster makes us a lot better than having to use rookies to replace Palmer and Carey (or simply to offer them one year deals). If another team wants them at a higher price then so be it. I am more than willing to take that risk.

 

[gandydancer]

With cap restraints from bad contracts in the past. IMO having guys like Palmer and Carey are the double edge sword. That mere 500K TP speaks of is huge! Those mere dollars go toward landing a FA of worth. The mindset of settling with many fans here, yet wanting wins makes me sick. When I see around league and guys like Vontaze Burfict a LB none the less. Go from UDFA to probowler astounds me how you never see this in Detroit. WHY??? , because the mindset of a guy who comes supposedly cheap at a vet minimum plus mere $$$. Who gets 12 tackles and 1 fumble recovery, yet he contributes to special teams so he is valuable for cheap. For fucksakes there are 10,000 Vontaze's every year chomping at the bit to get a chance. Who can contibute on ST.

 

[RobBase]

I think they'll let Delmas go and target a new starting safety. Carey is a decent nickle defender.

 

[jdwills126]

Carey was not going to sign anywhere else until FA period opens.

So why sign him now?

Shouldn't a new HC and D Coordinator have a say. Maybe they want to bring someone else with them they know? Why the rush? This is one of the reasons Mayhew is clueless. Maybe he would like to piss away more roster spots before a HC can even give input!

 

[gandydancer]

Carey was not going to sign anywhere else until FA period opens.

So why sign him now?

Shouldn't a new HC and D Coordinator have a say. Maybe they want to bring someone else with them they know? Why the rush? This is one of the reasons Mayhew is clueless. Maybe he would like to piss away more roster spots before a HC can even give input!

Carey used the same pics theory Inge and Raburn did.

 

[broncosmitty]

I general, I hate Don Carey. Three year deal doesn't surprise me outta Mayhew. Don't want to let a fucking roster spot occupyer get away. Oh hell no....... That'd be horrible. (Ashley Pamler, Im sure, thinks it was a great deal.)

 

[broncosmitty]

Carey used the same pics theory Inge and Raburn did.

Raburn Sucks!!!!

 

[gandydancer]

Raburn Sucks!!!!

As did Mike Thomas. Mid day drink never hurt. Drink up.

 

[broncosmitty]

Almost forgot Don Carey is a former Jag. Hope we get Owens locked up long term while Mayhew is at it. I can't imagine what the team would have been like without him this year. Fuck it..... To Mike Thomas.

 

[broncosmitty]

I'm fine with paying Carey 50% above the veteran minimum- I think he's worth that, especially considering how cheap that number is compared to a starter's salary...

Why do you think he's worth it though? Because he's the smallest OLB on the planet?

 

[LPinSLC]

I can't always be drinking like this Fellas. I'm at work...

 

[gandydancer]

Why do you think he's worth it though? Because he's the smallest OLB on the planet?

Because it is easier to sign a guy who did mediocre because you know what you get.

WHy we keep guys who will never have a chance to turn into a 16 game starter is beyond me. Yes you need backups, but by keeping guys like the Careys around you never find a Waddle who may pan out. I am sure Broyles will be in camp. Why? Move on, cut ties! This coming year should be make or break for Bentley, Green and Greenwood.

Look at teams with success. They have the cut throat mentality.

 

[Dr. Evil-er]

WHy we keep guys who will never have a chance to turn into a 16 game starter is beyond me. Yes you need backups, but by keeping guys like the Careys around you never find a Waddle who may pan out. I am sure Broyles will be in camp. Why? Move on, cut ties! This coming year should be make or break for Bentley, Green and Greenwood

It's hard to put make or break deadlines on guys like Green and Greenwood when they really haven't had a chance to even show what they could do. Greenwood spent all of last year injured, then was picked up by Dallas, then resigned by us and when forced into action looked pretty good. Green looked pretty good last year and then never even dressed until injuries forced him into action and once he got past the jitters and started to settle in also looked pretty good.

I would be taking a good look at moving Greenwood to safety. Taller with a thin frame adding 10 lbs to him this offseason shouldnt be difficult. With his heigth, speed and jumping ability he'd have the ideal make up of physical traits you would want in a ball hawking safety.

The CB group is just to crowded to give him (or Jonte Green) a real chance to develop. He is clearly going to be behind Houston (big contract) and Slay (2nd rd pick). Should they bring back Mathis for his veteran presence he may be stuck behind him as well and Bentley (3rd rd pick) has been in the nickel role and at least from the reporting I have read the Lions like him there.

There are a lot of people on here who want another CB. I cant justify spending yet another pick on a CB. I can certainly get on board with brining in DRC though. If that means Slay, or even Houston for that matter, ends up in the nickel spot then so be it.