The Detroit Lions have found their man, reaching an agreement on a three-year, $25 million deal with free-agent center Cade Mays, a league source told The Detroit News on Monday.
Mays, 26, was one of the top centers available on the free-agent market. The deal is worth $14 million in guaranteed money, the source said. The average annual value of $8.3 million makes Mays the eighth-highest paid center in the NFL.
Some contract projections had Mays landing an annual value north of $12 million, and in an offseason where many of the top center targets didn’t even make it to free agency, that’s a slam dunk for Lions general manager Brad Holmes.
Connor McGovern, another one of the top targets, re-signed with the Buffalo Bills on the eve of free agency. Tyler Linderbaum, the clear top center on the market, is reportedly set to sign with the Las Vegas Raiders on a three-year, $81 million deal. Put another way: The total value of the contract Detroit agreed to with Mays is worth less than one season of Linderbaum ($27 million).
Mays played his college ball at Georgia and Tennessee before being drafted in the sixth-round by Carolina in the 2022 NFL Draft. He’s started 27 games in his four seasons with the Panthers, including 12 starts last season. The move allows Tate Ratledge to continue his development at right guard instead of forcing a move to center, which Ratledge did not prefer.
While Mays’ advanced metrics won’t blow anybody away, he’s had limited time as a full-time starter. At 26, the Lions are betting his development will continue to trend positively.
This is a developing story. Check back at detroitnews.com for more.
nbianchi@detroitnews.com
@nolanbianchi
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Cade Mays agrees to join Lions in $25M deal
Reporting by Nolan Bianchi, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
