Brad Holmes Is About to Make the Secondary Expensive as Hell
The Lions are about to hand out extensions to Jack Campbell, Sam LaPorta, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Brian Branch. Big ones. The kind that make you feel good about the future and nervous about the salary cap at the same time.
Here’s the thing though. One of those deals is going to push the Lions’ secondary spending into rarified air.
Right now, Detroit is already spending serious money on the back end. The secondary accounts for $52,984,135 in cap spending. That’s second only to the offensive line at $53,486,108. And that’s before Brian Branch gets paid like the absolute stud he is.
The Brian Branch Extension Changes Everything
Branch is looking at something in the neighborhood of a four-year, $92 million extension. That would make him the third highest-paid safety in the NFL with an AAV around $23 million.
Do the math. That pushes Detroit’s secondary spending to roughly $68.7 million. Third highest in the entire league.
For context, even after Campbell, Gibbs, and LaPorta get their big paydays, the secondary would still be the most expensive position group on the roster. Think about that. The Lions are about to spend more on their defensive backfield than any other unit.
This Is What Fixing a Problem Costs
Remember when the secondary was a problem? When opposing quarterbacks had success against the Lions? Brad Holmes remembers. He’s thrown serious resources at fixing it.
D.J. Reed is eating up $17,867,000 in cap space. Kerby Joseph is at $5,472,200. Terrion Arnold, Rock Ya-Sin, the whole crew adds up fast. And honestly, it should. These guys can actually cover people now.
The third most expensive secondary in the NFL sounds scary until you remember what it was like when the defense struggled against the pass. This is what it costs to have a defense that can compete every Sunday.
Now they just need to stay healthy. Because if this investment pays off the way it should, we might actually have something special brewing in Allen Park.
Third most expensive secondary in the league or overdue investment in improving the pass defense? Tell me which side of the fence you’re on below.
