The One Contract Holding Back the Detroit Lions
By Mark Powell
Marvin Jones' best years in the NFL are behind him as he nears 30, and despite having only one year left on his five-year, $40 million deal, his contract is dead weight.
Jones has a cap hit of over $9 million at a position where the Lions have a surplus of talent. The soon-to-be 30-year-old hasn't played a full season since 2017, including years of nine and 11 games the past two campaigns. Matthew Stafford has needed more out of his No. 1 target, and Detroit can thank the likes of Kenny Golladay for stepping up in Jones' absence.
#Lions WR Marvin Jones: ‘I want over 15 touchdowns’ in 2020 https://t.co/t119lYRVg9
— Pride of Detroit (@PrideOfDetroit) March 29, 2020
And I want to go outside without a mask sometime soon. Neither is likely to happen.
The Lions are heavily invested in receiving options for Stafford, with Jones being the most expensive. Golladay, Danny Amendola and TJ Hockenson provide enough help for the Georgia product on their own. Jones is overkill, especially when the Lions have a number of weaknesses on their roster.
I can't believe it's 2020 and there are still people who don't believe Matthew Stafford makes players around him better.
— Jeremy Reisman (@DetroitOnLion) April 24, 2020
I think we tend to forget who Marvin Jones and Golden Tate were before their Lions careers.
We don't want to disrespect Jones -- he's still a very capable receiver, especially at a lower cap hit. Yet, if the Lions explored trade options for him, they'd be unlikely to get more than a mid-round pick thanks to his recent injury history and financial obligation.
That's not good enough for a player on a $40 million deal, period.