Lions to show interest in DeAngelo Williams?

[holmes49er]

When reading this rumor it was so laughable I can't believe we got 4+ pages of response.

No way we send DeAngelo packing for a second rounder! Like others have said maybe for the second pick in the draft... Even then I would want a trade down and get a few picks and pick up a WR.

[jramsey4]

The problem is Williams will be 28 then. And if he isn't already playing second fiddle to Stewart at this point, he will be by then. So financially it would be dumb as hell to throw a bunch of money at a player simply because the fanbase is attached to him when he's only getting roughly 40% or the carries. We'd be better off rolling with Stewart and Goodson. And anyone who thinks Williams is going to sign a relatively cheap contract because he just gosh golly goodness loves the Panthers so much is being naive. He deserves to get paid, and he will be. If we're smart, it won't be by us.

For Calvin Johnson we would be stupid not to take that deal. What other options do we have? Look at our FO track record. They have tried signing a middle to top tier FA WR in K. Johnson.

They tried signing a mid level WR in FA in DJ Hackett and they have tried mulitple times to pick one high in the draft. And yet look at the results. The one thing they have not tried is to go out and get a big name trade. A guy that has looked good in even on one of the worst teams in the league.

The one thing they have suceeded on is running back and OL talent since Davidsons arrival. So I would be much more content going into next season with a CJ - SS combo and a Stewart - Goodson - Sutton - Draft Pick combo then the way it stands now.

[SmootsDaddy89]

Damn you to HELL Meat.

[SmootsDaddy89]

For Calvin Johnson we would be stupid not to take that deal. What other options do we have? Look at our FO track record. They have tried signing a middle to top tier FA WR in K. Johnson.

They tried signing a mid level WR in FA in DJ Hackett and they have tried mulitple times to pick one high in the draft. And yet look at the results. The one thing they have not tried is to go out and get a big name trade. A guy that has looked good in even on one of the worst teams in the league.

The one thing they have suceeded on is running back and OL talent since Davidsons arrival. So I would be much more content going into next season with a CJ - SS combo and a Stewart - Goodson - Sutton - Draft Pick combo then the way it stands now.

I agree. Personally I'd rather have him for another year and lose him after next season than make a trade beneath his value.

[Kurb]

Iwouldburndownsomething

[jramsey4]

When reading this rumor it was so laughable I can't believe we got 4+ pages of response.

No way we send DeAngelo packing for a second rounder! Like others have said maybe for the second pick in the draft... Even then I would want a trade down and get a few picks and pick up a WR.

The original scenario was ridiculous. No way in hell do we trade him for solely a 2nd.

But to play devils advocate on the CJ trade, who would they have to begin to replace him? I don't see any one that overly impresses me. I don't see them trading him.

[panthers55]

The problem is Williams will be 28 then. And if he isn't already playing second fiddle to Stewart at this point, he will be by then. So financially it would be dumb as hell to throw a bunch of money at a player simply because the fanbase is attached to him when he's only getting roughly 40% or the carries. We'd be better off rolling with Stewart and Goodson. And anyone who thinks Williams is going to sign a relatively cheap contract because he just gosh golly goodness loves the Panthers so much is being naive. He deserves to get paid, and he will be. If we're smart, it won't be by us.

You don't think the whole issue about him being 28 and runningbacks going downhill after 30 won't be a major issue? Plus runningbacks still don't get paid nearly as much as OTs, QBs and DEs for example. The franchise tag for running backs is 8.15 million which is still inflated by Bush's bloated contract.

I could see us giving him a 3 year extension at 24 million with 12 million guaranteed. That would lock him up for the next 4 years which will carry him through 31 years old and through when we have to decide about Stewart. Hell, we could lock him up for 3 years for slightly more than we will save by not paying Peppers and still pay him as a top 5 back.

[panthersphan]

No way in hell would I trade DWill JUST for their 1st round pick...

At this point he is more valuable than Peppers, and Peppers is 30 years old and suppose to net 2 first rounders? It would have to take at least this years first rounder, next years, and another pick...

I would not be happy to see #34 traded. . . this is purely speculation from a writer trying to stir up the Lions faithful

[Delhommey]

To me most important thing is not that our two top level backs give us a tremendous 1-2 punch, but rather that, barring two huge injuries, we're guaranteed a stud in the backfield at any one given time. If one of the backs goes down for a game or two, which backs are like to do, we still have a monster no defense wants to see suiting up on Sunday. In a run first team, this is huge.

When DeAngelo went down for the year, Stewart was still able to come in and give us a top level running game. In non-Jake implosion years, that would have been the difference between making the playoffs or not.

[Proudiddy]

It'd have to be a 1st rounder, the guy still has his prime years in front of him. IDK what they're smoking up in Detroit, a 2nd rounder isn't gonna get a Top 3 RB like DLo.

I honestly want us to lock him up long-term anyway.

[ladypanther]

I'll announce at the start...this post could be naive.

Is it possible that DWill and JStew might believe that together they could cash more in paychecks than apart?

Knowing that a running back who is "the guy" takes a beating..and has a nice but relatively short career. Some can barely walk by the time they are 40.

D and J seem to be good friends (see them on the field...celebrating for each other....see the Double Trouble website).

They set a record this season as the best running back pair ever. It is unlikely that either one of them could set a record as the greatest running back ever. They are now the best pair ever. . What if they liked that? What if they wanted to break their own record? What if they decided that they could be more famous as 1 of 2 than trying to be famous as an individual? What if they decided that while a big payday is nice....they could make more by having pretty good paydays and make more of them over a longer period of time while doing what they love longer than most running backs in this league?

It might not happen. But it could. Together they have a chance to be something great. Might appeal to them. Might not. As a fan of them both....I have to hope.

[SmootsDaddy89]

You don't think the whole issue about him being 28 and runningbacks going downhill after 30 won't be a major issue? Plus runningbacks still don't get paid nearly as much as OTs, QBs and DEs for example. The franchise tag for running backs is 8.15 million which is still inflated by Bush's bloated contract.

I could see us giving him a 3 year extension at 24 million with 12 million guaranteed. That would lock him up for the next 4 years which will carry him through 31 years old and through when we have to decide about Stewart. Hell, we could lock him up for 3 years for slightly more than we will save by not paying Peppers and still pay him as a top 5 back.

Shaun Alexander got a 62 million dollar contract the year he turned 29. And he had more wear on the tires than Williams has had to date. There's no way in hell Williams doesn't command a big, fat contract if he hits the market. If he signed a deal like the one that you offered in your previous post with us, he'd literally be the nicest football player in the history of the NFL. And if we pay him 50-60 million, we're morons to that same extent.

[panthers55]

I'll announce at the start...this post could be naive.

Is it possible that DWill and JStew might believe that together they could cash more in paychecks than apart?

Knowing that a running back who is "the guy" takes a beating..and has a nice but relatively short career. Some can barely walk by the time they are 40.

D and J seem to be good friends (see them on the field...celebrating for each other....see the Double Trouble website).

They set a record this season as the best running back pair ever. It is unlikely that either one of them could set a record as the greatest running back ever. They are now the best pair ever. . What if they liked that? What if they wanted to break their own record? What if they decided that they could be more famous as 1 of 2 than trying to be famous as an individual? What if they decided that while a big payday is nice....they could make more by have pretty good paydays and make more of them over a longer period of time while doing what they love longer than most running backs in this league?

It might not happen. But it could. Together they have a chance to be something great. Might appeal to them. Might not. As a fan of them both....I have to hope.

From the last interview I heard from Williams at the pro-bowl I think you might be correct.

[panthers55]

Shaun Alexander got a 62 million dollar contract the year he turned 29. And he had more wear on the tires than Williams has had to date. There's no way in hell Williams doesn't command a big, fat contract if he hits the market. If he signed a deal like the one that you offered in your previous post with us, he'd literally be the nicest football player in the history of the NFL. And if we pay him 50-60 million, we're morons to that same extent.

Again if we pay him what the going rate is for a top 5 back it will be around 8 million per year. Alexander got an 8 year deal for 62 million which averaged less than 8 million a year. He also didn't get half of that. His guaranteed money was only 12 million.

That contract is no better than what we would give Williams. Honestly we could easily make a contract for much longer and a much higher salary like an 8 year deal for 65 million so it appears on paper he is the highest paid running back. But with most of it being back loaded and not guaranteed, he would never see half of it and it would average around 8 million a year. Just like Haynesworth, Alexander got a highly inflated contract with little of it guaranteed. It will be the same with Williams. Looks great but in the end it is designed to pay him for 3 or 4 years and isn't expected to still apply when he is 35 years old and long gone from the league. Alexander signed the deal in 2005 and last played for Seattle in 2007. He played one year for Washington and was out of the league in 2009. Most of his contract was funny money.