Detroit Lions must get money's worth out of these 5 players in 2018

Dave Birkett | Detroit Free Press

Show Caption Hide Caption Detroit Lions OTAs: What stood out from final media availability A wrap up of Detroit Lions' final days of OTAs, plus an early preview of training camp from Dave Birkett and Carlos Monarrez on Monday, June 11, 2018.

Since every NFL team has a defined amount of cap space for a season ($177.2 million this year), it’s teams that make the best use of that space that often have the most success on the field.

The Detroit Lions, as I wrote in Monday’s look at the biggest bargains on the 2018 roster, don’t have any bad contracts on their books, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some well-paid players who’ll be under the gun to live up to their deals this fall.

Here are five players whose contracts will have them in the spotlight for the upcoming season:

1. QB Matthew Stafford

2018 cap number: $26.5 million.

Stafford’s run as highest-paid quarterback in the NFL didn’t last long, and the full terms of his contract (five years, $135 million) will have him being undervalued in due time. In fact, the Lions worked a better structure with his deal (where no cap figure exceeds $31.5 million) than the Atlanta Falcons did with Matt Ryan's new contract (where 2020-23 all have $31.3-million-plus cap numbers).

For now, though, Stafford has the second-highest cap figure in the NFL, according to OverTheCap.com, behind only Jimmy Garoppolo (a whopping $37 million). Stafford is a very good quarterback, and at 30 years old he's still in the prime of his career. But since NFC contenders like the Vikings ($24 million), Saints ($24 million), Eagles (a combined $20.9 million), Falcons ($17.7 million) and Packers, for now ($20.6 million), all have less cap room allocated to their starting quarterbacks, the Lions need Stafford to perform at an elite level if they’re going to make a playoff run this fall.

2. DE Ziggy Ansah

2018 cap number: $17.143 million.

The Lions have until July 16 to work out a long-term deal with Ansah that could lower his cap number, though I don’t expect that to happen. Regardless, Ansah is being paid premium money to rush the passer, and while he’s shown he’s capable of being an elite defensive end, he has not played like it for long stretches of the past two seasons. The Lions held Ansah out of most drills this spring as he recovered from a knee procedure, and hope to have him full go come September. Just two edge rushers, Justin Houston ($20.6 million) and Calais Campbell ($17.5 million), have higher cap numbers right now — DeMarcus Lawrence also is playing on the franchise tag — so the Lions need Ansah to play at a level that’s commensurate with his pay.

3. Theo Riddick

2018 cap number: $4,137,500.

Just 15 running backs have cap figures north of $4 million this fall, according to OTC, and while Riddick’s contract isn’t completely out of line given what Jerick McKinnon got in free agency, he’s also the highest-paid back on the Lions’ roster, ahead of rookie Kerryon Johnson and veteran LeGarrette Blount, who both could have bigger roles. Riddick is one of the most dangerous pass-receiving backs in the NFL, though his numbers were down with just 53 catches in 16 games last year. It’s up to the Lions to use him in a way where they get the most for their money.

4. Cornelius Washington

2018 cap number: $3,471,875.

Washington had 2.5 sacks in 15 games with the Lions last season, and his role is still being defined in a new-look defense this fall. He’s played in both 4-3 and 3-4 fronts before, so I think his versatility has value in new coach Matt Patricia’s scheme. But he’s also part of a jumbled rotation that includes Ansah, Anthony Zettel and Kerry Hyder at end, A’Shawn Robinson, Sylvester Williams and Jeremiah Ledbetter at tackle, and rookie Da’Shawn Hand as another flex piece. Of those seven players, only Ansah and Williams ($3.5 million) have bigger cap numbers, so Washington needs to deliver more on the field.

5. Sam Martin

2018 cap number: $2,925,000.

Like Stafford at the top of this list, Martin’s deal with the Lions made and still makes complete sense. He’s one of the best punters in the NFL, and he’s proven he can be a weapon for the Lions. But he’s also coming off a down year in which his struggles were clearly injury-related. Since this is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately league, and since just four punters have bigger cap numbers this fall, the Lions need Martin to return to form and kick without any dropoff this fall.

Contact Dave Birkett: dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett. Download our Lions Xtra app for free on Apple and Android!