The acquisition of guard Tate Ratledge by Detroit is still pending public announcement.
This offseason, the Detroit Lions have been diligent in their efforts to secure nearly every player they selected in 2025. Prior to the commencement of rookie minicamp, they executed rookie scale contracts with each of their Day 3 selections, including defensive lineman Tyleik Williams, who was selected in Round 1.
Six of the seven Lions draftees are now officially with the team on longer-term contracts, leaving only one individual who is not. Detroit selected guard Tate Ratledge in the second round to enhance their offensive line depth. However, despite his participation in camp, he has yet to sign a contract with the team. This suggests that he is in the process of ironing out the kinks that are typical of second-round rookie contracts, but he will likely secure a deal in the future.
Let us explore the reasons why those contracts can be somewhat complex, and why this does not necessarily imply that Ratledge is not a certain bet to become a Lion in the long term.
This offseason, the Detroit Lions have been diligent in their efforts to secure nearly every player they selected in 2025. Prior to the commencement of rookie minicamp, they executed rookie scale contracts with each of their Day 3 selections, including defensive lineman Tyleik Williams, who was selected in Round 1.
Six of the seven Lions draftees are now officially with the team on longer-term contracts, leaving only one individual who is not. Detroit selected guard Tate Ratledge in the second round to enhance their offensive line depth. However, despite his participation in camp, he has yet to sign a contract with the team. This suggests that he is in the process of ironing out the kinks that are typical of second-round rookie contracts, but he will likely secure a deal in the future.
Let us explore the reasons why those contracts can be somewhat complex, and why this does not necessarily imply that Ratledge is not a certain bet to become a Lion in the long term.
Ratledge is consequently rendered an outsider. The guard is a second-round draft choice, which complicates the negotiation process in comparison to Williams, who would have demanded a deal in the same range. Spotrac anticipates that Ratledge will remain in place for four years and will generate $7.6 million.
Ratledge could very well compete for a starting role this season, which makes negotiations just a little tricky for the Lions and the rookie as he’s likely seeking a deal like Spotrac’s projection, or even higher, for his services. The former Georgia Bulldog, who received a grade of 74.4 from PFF, has the potential to replace the departing Kevin Zeitler.
Consequently, the location of Ratledge’s selection may be less significant than the reason for his selection. He has the potential to commence, which would attract a contract that exceeds the $7.6 million estimated by Spotrac. It appears that there is no current conflict between the Lions front office and the rookie in terms of a contract; however, we will observe what can be accomplished between the two parties.
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