Written by Justin Rogers at Detroit News.com
At the NFL’s scouting combine last week, Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn said the team would make a run at some big-name free agents, and it appears the team has been able to lure one in for the second consecutive offseason.
According to multiple reports, the Lions have agreed to terms with Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Ricky Wagner, the consensus top player at his position. Former NFL.com reporter Rand Getlin was first with the news.
I’m told RT Ricky Wagner has agreed to terms with the #Lions.
— Rand Getlin (@Rand_Getlin) March 8, 2017
As expected, Wagner’s contract will set a new bar for the position. NFL.com is reporting the deal will average north of $9 million. Former first-round pick Lane Johnson averages $11.25 million, but is considered a long-term solution at left tackle for the Eagles. No other right tackle is averaging more than $7 million per season.
Mitchell Schwartz, considered by most as the top right tackle last season, signed a five-year, $33 million pact with the Chiefs that contained $20.7 million in guarantees. That signing paid off in a big way as Schwartz earned second-team All-Pro honors his first year with the team.
Wagner, 27, has spent his entire career in Baltimore after being selected in the fifth round of the 2013 draft out of Wisconsin. Pro Football Focus ranked him as their 18th tackle overall last season and ninth-best pass protector.
Signing Wagner signals the end of Riley Reiff’s time in Detroit. A first-round pick in 2012, he started three years at left tackle before accepting a move to the right side last season to make way for rookie Taylor Decker.
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