Panthers' cornerback reportedly nixes deal with Lions
John Niyo / The Detroit News
The Lions were interested in swinging a trade with the Carolina Panthers, but the player the Lions were targeting -- veteran cornerback Ken Lucas -- nixed the possibility of a deal by saying he wouldn't play in Detroit, NFL.com reported Thursday. The report didn't say what the Lions, who have a serious need at the cornerback position, may have been willing to offer in return.
The Panthers, facing a salary-cap crunch on the eve of free agency, are actively trying to trade Lucas, an eight-year starter with Carolina and Seattle. The 30-year-old cornerback is scheduled to make $5.6 million next season, but he'll likely be cut -- and have an opportunity to sign with any team as an unrestricted free agent -- if Carolina can't make a deal.
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Report: Lucas says no to Lions
Cornerback Ken Lucas' days with the Carolina Panthers could indeed be numbered. Adam Schefter of the NFL Network/NFL.com reports that Lucas nixed a potential trade to the Detroit Lions. The Lions are in desperate need of help at cornerback -- and just about any other position. Lucas apparently didn't want to play for a team coming off the first 0-16 record in NFL history, especially after he helped the Panthers make the playoff this season. It'll be interesting to see whether another trade partner emerges for Lucas or if the Panthers merely cut him, which would save $2.375 million under the '09 cap.
(x) In a deal almost identical to what was given to defensive tackle Damione Lewis, the Panthers have extended and restructured the contract of DT Maake Kemoeatu. Like Lewis, the contract was to have ended in 2010 but now reaches out to 2014 to make it more cap friendly for the next year or two. Carolina probably converted some of Kemoeatu's base salary to bonus money so it could be pro-rated over the life of the contract. His base salary for this season drops from $3.9 million to $2 million, but he likely had the other $1.9 guaranteed and pro-rated.
(x) The Panthers cap situation was helped by the fact that the NFL salary cap maximum for 2009 went up from $123 million to $127.05. The change happened as a result of the "cash adjustment mechanism" that was written into the 2006 NFL collective bargaining agreement extension. A statement from teh league office puts it this way:
"The 2006 CBA provides for an upward or downward adjustment to salary cap room in the event leaguewide cash spending on player costs (salaries and benefits) falls below or exceeds a predetermined percentage of total league revenue (59.5% in 2008). In the past several years, cash spending has been below this percentage. As a result, each club will receive an additional $4,050,000 in salary cap room in 2009. This adjustment will not affect the CBA’s 2009 minimum team salary, which remains at $107,748,000."
-- Charles Chandler
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