Dominic Raiola and 7 Detroit Lions with the Worst Contracts on the Team

Dominic Raiola is a solid starting center prospect. So why is he being paid as if he were an All-Pro?

Of course, Raiola isn't the only problem contract on the team. Part of the reason the Detroit Lions are in such a difficult salary cap situation is because they're loaded down with bloated contracts.

Some of these contracts (like Raiola's) are assigned to declining veterans who will be less effective as their contracts wear on.

Others are rookies making too much because they were top picks signed prior to 2011.

It's important to note, of course, that "bad contract" does not equal "bad player." In fact, most of these players are key components to the Lions' current and future success. But that doesn't always mean the contract is good.

Similarly, this isn't just a list of the biggest contracts. Calvin Johnson is making more money than just about anybody in the league now, but you won't hear me complain because he earned every penny of that money.

So with those caveats in mind, here are the seven players whose contract value is higher than their team value.

Dominic Raiola

Perhaps it's an exaggeration to say Raiola is getting paid like an All-Pro, but he is currently on a four-year, $20 million contract paying him an average of $5 million a year.

By contrast, the highest-paid center in the league, Nick Mangold, is on a seven-year, $55 million contract paying him just under $8 million a year.

It seems like there's a significant gap between Raiola and Mangold, and there is. But Mangold is a potential Hall-of-Fame candidate if he maintains his current level of play. Raiola has never even been a Pro Bowler.

The point is, whether you think Raiola is decent or abysmal, he's making too much money. I know that offensive linemen get paid for being just adequate, mostly because their size and skill combination is so rare. But Raiola has no business being in the same tax bracket as Mangold, especially for the next two years as he regresses.

Corey Williams

I don't have anything in particular against Corey Williams, and it's a good thing the Lions still have him, not a bad thing.

The bad thing is that he counts for over $6 million against the salary cap, and he might be the third-best defensive tackle out of four (and it's debatable whether he's better than Sammie Hill).

Of course, that says more about the strength of the Lions defensive line than Williams' ability. Williams is still playing at a starting-quality level, but the Lions defensive tackles all currently fall somewhere between starting quality and superstar quality. Williams happens to be at the low end of that, and he's by far the oldest.

So compare Williams' $6 million salary to that of Nick Fairley, who is on the books for less than $2.25 million.

Now, this is exactly what rookie salary regulations were supposed to accomplish, and Williams is an established veteran, so he should be making more than Fairley. But it's hard to imagine Williams having a bigger effect on the line this year if Fairley remains healthy all year.

But this isn't the worst contract on the defensive line...

Ndamukong Suh

Yes, Ndamukong Suh is making that much money.

Hopefully, you understand now why I was so insistent to remind you that some of the recipients of bad contracts are actually very good players. Just like it's possible to be both very good and overrated, it's equally to be very good and still overpaid.

I'm not going to make the call that Suh is overrated, but he is overpaid for his overall contributions. Of course, that's not his fault. He just happened to be in the draft the year before new rookie salary regulations came about in the new CBA.

The result is a five-year contract that came in north of $60 million dollars, with $40 million guaranteed. That's over $12 million a year, or almost five times what Nick Fairley makes these days. Sure, he restructured the deal, but he's still getting that money.

If you're not convinced Suh is making too much money as a third-year player, consider this. Haloti Ngata, an All-Pro defensive tackle for the last four years, and likely the best defensive tackle in football today, signed a veteran contract last season of $61 million over five years, with $40 million guaranteed.

That's almost exactly the same money for the best player at his position in the entire league, and a player with two years in the league.

Now, Suh is a fine player who absolutely deserves the majority of the money thrown his way. But there's no way he should be making as much as Ngata. If nothing else, he hasn't proven his consistent dominance like Ngata.

Does that mean I want the Lions to run the guy out of town? Of course not. I hope Suh earns every dollar on that contract and comes back to sign another one. I just want that next contract to be smaller.

Nate Burleson

Nate Burleson restructured his contract, and as a result, he's making about $2.3 million in 2012.

Unfortunately, that restructuring also means he's due almost $13 million between 2013 and 2014.

Burleson is a great player and vocal team leader, and that can't be overstated at this point in the Lions' development.

But as I pointed out a couple days ago, it's highly likely that Burleson starts cedes his status as third passing option (behind Calvin Johnson and Brandon Pettigrew) to Titus Young by the end of next season.

And as much as I like the guy, you have to ask yourself: Is it worth paying the fourth option on the team $6 and $7 million over the last two years of his deal?

In short, yes, if the Lions can't find anyone else capable of playing receiver. The Lions need to be able to run three-receiver sets, and Burleson inspires more confidence than Nate Hughes. But still, it would be nice to find someone who can be the Lions' third receiver for less money than, say, Jordy Nelson or Lance Moore.

Kyle Vanden Bosch

Just two days ago, I said you couldn't quantify the effect Kyle Vanden Bosch's leadership has had on the team.

Technically, I was wrong. It's actually worth $5 million in 2012.

That's a lot, but the good news is that Vanden Bosch made the majority of his contract money ($10 million) in the uncapped 2010 year. Sorry the Lions got away with it, Redskins and Cowboys.

Still, this is a situation very similar to Williams'. Vanden Bosch is still a highly capable player, but he's on the verge of being surpassed by the younger players behind him on the depth chart (Willie Young and Lawrence Jackson, in the case), whose combined salaries don't come close to what Vanden Bosch is pulling in.

Stephen Peterman

Consider this less a referendum of Stephen Peterman's contract and more about Stephen Peterman the player. 

Peterman has regressed to the point of near-uselessness, and for that, he's due $2.725 million in 2012.

What are the odds the Lions could draft or sign somebody actually capable of playing the right guard position and paying him $2.725 million? It seems like good business sense.

OK, so I'm a little tough on Peterman, but he deserves after the performances he has posted in the last three years.

At one point, he was playing hurt. Now he's fine.

Chemistry was an issue when some of the line positions were in flux. The line has been mostly consistent for two years now.

He's out of excuses. At some point, it's just that Peterman can't block anybody, and running backs are sent into his gap to die.

I implore the Lions braintrust to think of better uses of $2.725 million dollars than Peterman. Cordy Glenn comes to mind.

So does $2.725 million worth of Christmas lights with one broken bulb.

Cliff Avril

And with this, I've thrown the entire starting defensive line under the bus.

So the Lions have a lot of money invested in their defensive line. This is the way Jim Schwartz wants it. It's clear from his personnel strategy that the defensive line is his greatest area of emphasis, and it's hard to argue that hasn't paid dividends as the Lions continue to trend towards the top of the league in QB pressure.

So why is each starter listed as a "bad contract?" Maybe it's the fact that the line as a whole has been so effective, the individual pieces are a little understated. Or maybe the defensive line accounts for over about 25 percent of the Lions' total salary cap, and that seems like a bad idea.

But this "bad contract" differs from the rest in that I don't think Cliff Avril is making too much money.

Overall, he's making far too little. The problem with Avril's contract is that it isn't a contract at all. It's a one-year, $10.6 million franchise tag.

If Avril had a contract, presumably one worth a whole lot more money, his cap hit this season would be much more manageable, and it would keep the Lions' most proficient pass-rusher in the fold for several more seasons and keep him focused on football, not his contract.