Two days after the Detroit Lions contested the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offer sheet for restricted free agent George Johnson, the two sides agreed to a trade.
The Lionsannounced Wednesday that the team shipped Johnson and a seventh-round pick (No. 231 overall) to Tampa in exchange for a fifth-round pick (No. 168).
On Monday, the Lionscontested the offer sheet Johnson signed with the Bucs, asking for clarification on the terms of the deal. The trade will make that arbitration moot.
Johnson will get his three-year, $9 million deal from the Bucs, per NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport.
Contesting the offer sheet seemed like the Lions were trying to keep their rotational defensive end who compiled six sacks off the bench in 2014. It was always likely that -- given its cap space -- Detroit would have found it difficult to match whatever offer the arbitrator came back with -- unless he or she tossed the offer sheet out completely.
The Lions could have been angling to pry at least a minor win -- likely moving up double-digit spots late in the draft -- out of the situation. Moving up 63 spots in the draft is a decent haul for a player Detroit looked likely to lose for zilch.Â
In the end, the Bucs get the first piece to solving their edge-rushing problem. They're a near lock to add more aid during the NFL draft.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast discusses the Philip Rivers-Marcus Mariota trade speculation and plays "What's More Likely?" Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
