00:00there's been a Sasser sighting.
00:03Oh, we got breaking news, but it's not trade-related.
00:10According to Dave Burkett,
00:13Taylor Decker just posted on Instagram
00:15that he has requested his release from the Lions.
00:19Tom Palacero says Lions left tackle Taylor Decker,
00:23the team's longest tenured player,
00:25announced he requested and received his release
00:27after contract talks broke down.
00:31Wow.
00:34That's somewhat out of left field.
00:38So you're a cap guy.
00:40This saves them, if I'm not mistaken.
00:42Is this like a $9 million savings in cap,
00:45or is it $9 or $11 million?
00:46I thought it was $11, but let's go take a look,
00:48assuming they're going to release him.
00:50You know what?
00:51They want, I mean, okay, let's make some assumptions here.
00:54The Lions wanted Decker to take less.
00:56So here is the actual Instagram post.
00:59It's a picture of Taylor Decker high-fiving players,
01:02take from behind as he's going to the tunnel,
01:05high-fiving players on the road.
01:06And it says, high-fiving fans on the road.
01:09Things change.
01:10145 games started, three playoff appearances,
01:13two division titles, a decade carrying the shield.
01:15I fully intended to do it once again,
01:17but my time as a Lion is coming to an end.
01:20In the weeks since notifying the team of my return,
01:23there have been numerous discussions,
01:25many of which were a surprise to me,
01:27and we could not find common ground.
01:29Therefore, I decided to request my release.
01:32I am opting for a clean and amicable close
01:35to what has been such a beautiful 10 years
01:37going to war as a Lion.
01:39It has been an absolute privilege of my life
01:42to be your left tackle for the past 10 years,
01:44and I am forever grateful for the opportunity
01:47the Ford family and the Lions organization afforded me.
01:51That's Taylor Decker.
01:53Wow.
01:55Well, first of all, job well done, Taylor.
01:58Yeah.
01:59It was a great run here in Detroit.
02:00Sure was.
02:01I don't blame the Lions for trying to renegotiate
02:03his contract to Les, which is, I mean,
02:05he didn't say that exactly, but...
02:07Oh, it sounds like...
02:08But that's a pretty safe assumption, huh?
02:10Well, that, or was it also a possibility to say,
02:13hey, look, we may release you after June 1st
02:17to save more money, or whatever the case is, right?
02:21Whatever helps the team out the best,
02:23and if they were just being real with him,
02:25or if he's saying, hey, surprised by what was being said
02:29the other way, it's clear that he doesn't want
02:31to go out on bad terms, doesn't want to have it.
02:34That's about as classy and as good a way to put it.
02:37I'm sure he's not thrilled about being asked to take less,
02:39but, hey, it's nothing personal, it's a business,
02:42and that's the way to go out with that kind of post.
02:49First, Tyler Linderbaum, come on down,
02:51and will I rip up Mach 2.0 here?
02:59I mean, so I took the guard.
03:02I went with Benga Ione from Penn State.
03:06Does this change my...
03:08Yeah, I would change now to...
03:10Well, I'm still thinking, are they looking at...
03:12The whole Jedrick-Wills stuff, when it was reported yesterday
03:16that the Lions were talking with him,
03:19does that kind of key into this?
03:21If they're still looking at him as a possible long-term replacement,
03:24then maybe it doesn't change anything for me,
03:26because it went into my whole thing.
03:27But if Wills isn't in the future,
03:30then I would look at Monroe Freeling.
03:33Right.
03:35Gitter says it like that,
03:36because that's how Mel Kuyper says it.
03:40So Palacero says Taylor Decker was due $18.2 million in 2026,
03:45including a $1.5 million roster bonus
03:47if he was on the roster March 15th.
03:49Now at age 32,
03:50and after conversations about a restructure,
03:53Decker says he'll be moving on.
03:55So according to him,
03:56they wanted to restructure.
03:58Well, I mean, look,
04:02speaking of which,
04:04I'm going to give you something
04:06that is one of the reasons
04:07why following the NFL is so difficult
04:10in terms of what is real and what isn't
04:13and what the cap is and what the cap isn't.
04:16Spot track,
04:17and let me find it.
04:20Check this out.
04:22Spot track who follows sports contracts
04:24really, really closely
04:25and does a good job of as a reference for us.
04:28Just tweet it out the following today.
04:30If it comes to a head,
04:32a team acquiring edge,
04:34Max Crosby,
04:35will be able to process
04:36a simple salary conversion on his contract
04:39that will drop his acquired cap hit
04:41from $30.7 million
04:43down to $7.73 million.
04:52Brad?
04:54Attention, Brad?
04:55I'm sure he knows this.
04:57I'm sure Dizner,
04:58the capologist,
04:59knows it.
05:00He's still here, right?
05:01I think so.
05:04He's made no bones about it.
05:05He'd like to play for Detroit, right?
05:07He has literally said these things in the past.
05:11I keep insisting that it's not possible
05:15to fit him under the cap,
05:17but now with Taylor Decker
05:19asking for his release
05:22and freeing up some money
05:23and we're still waiting for the lines
05:28to announce a restructure of contract
05:32for Jared Goff and others
05:34to free up even more space
05:36and a ton of space at that.
05:38Is it possible?
05:41Is it possible?
05:44I, before I'd given it less than 5% chance
05:46that the Lions could make some kind of offer
05:49to get Max Crosby,
05:52I think it might be up to 15%.
05:55I mean, they really should be.
05:57So let's start with the breaking news
06:00with Decker,
06:01who's requested his release.
06:02So Penny Sewell's your starting left tackle,
06:04most likely.
06:05I would think so.
06:06A rookie starting right tackle
06:08also is starting to feel like a strong possibility.
06:12With freed up money,
06:15I mean, Linderbaum becomes more of a player here.
06:18How do you feel about an offensive line
06:20with Fonu or Freeling at right tackle?
06:24All those young guards battling,
06:27Frazier, Mahogany, Ratledge,
06:29Linderbaum at center,
06:31and Penny Sewell at left tackle.
06:34And it looks like a decent,
06:38well, no, it looks like a really good offensive line.
06:40A really good offensive line.
06:42It probably comes down to whether or not
06:43those guards step up
06:45and if the rookie right tackle
06:48can get the job done.
06:50In the meantime,
06:54yeah, that is wild.
06:56It's a total game changer here
06:59for this offseason.
07:01I mean, the big deal now
07:03is restructure those contracts
07:05in 3-2-1.
07:07Let's get that done
07:08because that is a huge, huge part
07:10of this offseason.
07:13God, I'm impressed with Decker's post.
07:16Very classy
07:17in a world that...
07:19I expected that from him.
07:19He's a classy guy.
07:21He's a guy who's worn his heart on his sleeve.
07:22He's been emotional
07:23in front of cameras and microphones.
07:26I think he loves his time here
07:27and understands the situation too.
07:31Yep.
07:32Yep.
07:33And he played hurt last year.
07:34Yep.
07:35And...
07:36He's played hurt for several years.
07:38And here's the other obvious conclusion.
07:41I mean,
07:42Decker's not the only contract
07:43they're working on.
07:45Right?
07:46It just came to a head today.
07:47It came to a head
07:48on a Friday before free agency.
07:50I expect more news over the weekend
07:53before free agency.
07:54So he's asked for his release.
07:55Does that mean the Lions give it to him?
07:57Grant it to him?
07:58Are they still trying to work out a deal?
07:59I mean,
08:00I imagine if you go to an Instagram post like that,
08:02you know what's going on.
08:05Yeah,
08:05it's probably done.
08:07Wow.
08:07Breaking news.
08:08Taylor Decker requesting his release
08:10for the Detroit Lions.
08:11By our math,
08:12$11 million in freedom cap.
08:13That wasn't in the report you read, right?
08:15No.
08:16I mean,
08:16he's got...
08:16His cap hit last...
08:18Next year was $21 million.
08:20He's got $9.4 dead cap.
08:22$21 minus $9.4.
08:24Roughly $11.
08:25$11.5 million.
08:27So...
08:272-4-8-5-3-9-9-9-7-9-7-9-7.
08:30Your reaction,
08:31Detroit,
08:31to that breaking news?
08:32We will tell you who you wanted
08:33at Mach 2.0.
08:34I will put a little asterisk
08:35next to this one
08:36and say,
08:37Decker left the Lions
08:38in the middle of this draft.
08:42It's Carson Anderson,
08:4397-1.
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