The Green Bay Packers rewarded one of their own, re-signing offensive guard Sean Rhyan to a three-year contract worth $33 million in total money and $11 million in guarantees.
It's not a terrible contract on paper, but it looks a lot worse when you see the bargain the Detroit Lions just got for one of the top-ranked interior offensive linemen on the open market. The Lions are reportedly signing former Carolina Panthers starting center Cade Mays on Day 1 of free agency with a steal of a deal: three years, $25 million in total money.
You always have to wait and see how things will play out with situations like this, but for the time being, it's looking like the Packers overpaid to keep one of their own when they could have looked to the outside for a better player at a more team-friendly contract.
Packers get outsmarted by the Lions with offensive lineman signing in NFL free agency
Rhyan's contract with the Packers could be worth up to $39 million in total money with incentives, and the Packers look like they may have panicked to get that deal done before the start of free agency. And seeing the offensive line market, they might have been justified in doing so.
Stay up to date with every Packers free-agent signing and departure here.
But then someone as solid as Mays fills one of the Detroit Lions' top needs at the center position, seemingly for pennies on the dollar.
Mays was the 71st-overall player on the FanSided NFL Free Agency top 101 board, and the third-ranked center on the market. Here's what they had to say about him before the start of free agency:
"There's a lot of potential in this ranking for Mays. He's already shown good ability as a pass-blocker, but the next step is seeing what he can offer as a run blocker moving forward," writes FanSided's Cody Williams.
Re-signing your own players right before free agency is a bit of a double-edged sword. When agents have had the chance to put out feelers and get a gauge of what a player's market is, the deadline can spark action, but it might mean overpaying to keep someone in your building.
It just feels like the Lions, to be blunt, got a better player for less money than the Packers did. Rhyan started 17 games back in the 2024 season, but started just 11 games last season, and his snap count went down. The Packers benched him at right guard before he took over for Elgton Jenkins at center. His performances were fine, but not enough to become one of the highest-paid centers in the league.
It comes days after the Packers missed out on another more affordable move, as Tyler Biadasz signed a $30 million deal with the Los Angeles Chargers.
The alternatives available at the center position were out there, but the Packers stuck with their guy. Considering the price they paid to keep him, and how much of a bargain a player like Mays was, they might already be regretting the investment.