George Johnson to Buccaneers: Latest Trade Details, Comments and Reaction

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have reportedly reached an agreement with the Detroit Lions on a trade to acquire defensive lineman George Johnson in a deal that also includes draft picks.

Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times broke the news:

He also noted it was still pending league approval:

Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune confirmed the report, and Detroit later announced the move.

Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official website provided details of the trade:

Johnson gave his reaction to the trade on his Twitter account:

Johnson started his career with the Bucs after going undrafted out of Rutgers in 2010. He then made a stop with the Minnesota Vikings before joining the Lions. He had six sacks while appearing in all 16 games for Detroit last season.    

The deal will end a potentially contentious situation. Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com reports that the Lions had been challenging the terms of an offer sheet the Buccaneers made for the restricted free agent due to the de-escalators built into the three-year deal.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network noted the contract details:

So rather than go through the process to determine the validity of the deal, the Bucs are able to acquire Johnson via trade while probably sending back a minor pick upgrade.

The 27-year-old defensive end, who's served mostly as a role player throughout his career, should see an uptick in playing time on a defense that finished 21st in sacks last season.