One way or the other, Kenny Golladay is going to get paid in a big way.
The question is, will it be the Detroit Lions who will pay Golladay or will he end up with another team for the 2021 season and beyond.
If the Lions want to keep Golladay, they have a couple of options.
First, they could sign him to a long-term mega-contract which would likely cost somewhere between $18-20 million per season. That is a number that, in my opinion, is too high for a team that is rebuilding to pay for a position that is down the line quite a bit in terms of importance.
The other option the Lions would have if they want to keep Golladay is to use the franchise tag on him.
If Lions’ new GM Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell decide they are not ready to commit to Golladay long-term, but still want him around for the 2021 season, they could elect to use the franchise tag on him.
So, what would it cost the Lions to use the franchise tag on Kenny Golladay?
According to reports, the salary cap for the 2021 season is expected to settle right around $180M or so. Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap estimates that if the cap lands at $180.5M the franchise tag for the wide receiver position would be $15.808.
On a $180.5M cap the franchise tag numbers should be
QB- $24.828M
WR- $15.808M
CB- $14.895M
LB- $14.630M
DE- $14.530M
DT- $13.736M
OL- $13.602M
S- $10.496M
TE- $8.496M
RB- $8.074M
P/K- $4.433M— Jason_OTC (@Jason_OTC) February 7, 2021
In my humble opinion, if the Lions insist on keeping Golladay around, I would advise they use the franchise tag on him and then go from there. That being said, if I was running the show, I would let him walk as spending a ton of money on wide receivers is not a strategy I prefer.
Nation, what are your thoughts on this? Would you give Golladay a mega-extension? Use the franchise tag on him? Let him walk?
We will know soon enough what the Lions decide to do.
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