The Facts:
Following up on a
previous item. ... Yes, the Lions have Johnson under contract for one more year. Yes, they’d like to extend his contract. But the reality is that they need to. Johnson’s cap number for 2012, according to a source with knowledge of the contract, exceeds $21 million. That figure comes from a $14 million base salary, a $4.5 million roster bonus due on March 14, and slightly more than $2.5 million in allocations from past bonuses payments.
Reported by Profootballtalk.com
Fantasy Football Diehards Line:
As PFT's Mike Florio notes, a new contract could dramatically reduce the cap number, while also giving Johnson a significant chunk of money right now — and promises of even more money in future years. Still, Florio notes that Johnson has all the leverage. With $18.5 million due in 2012 and a franchise tender of $25.2 million for 2013 (based on 120 percent of his 2011 cap number), Johnson already is due to pocket more than $43.7 million over the next two seasons. But Johnson certainly realizes the Lions' need for cap space, something that will help them attract the free agents necessary to progress this season. As Florio summed up: "Calvin suffered through the days of 0-16, and he surely is enjoying the fact that the Lions are winning. If he squeezes every last cent out of the Lions, they may have a hard time getting to the next level(s). ..." We suspect something will get done.
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