At the end of the first week of NFL free agency, the Detroit Lions added two defensive backs to help offset a couple of losses in the secondary while also adding youth. Both Christian Izien and Roger McCreary provide some versatility to play a couple of roles in Detroit. And now that the contract details are out, it’s also clear that the Lions were able to add these young, experienced players on very affordable deals.
Here’s a close look at each player’s contract details.
DB Christian Izien — 1 year, $2 million ($1M guaranteed)
- Base salary: $1.25 million ($505,000 guaranteed)
- Signing bonus: $495,000
- Per game roster bonus ($15k per game): $255,000*
- Workout bonus: $45,000
- 2026 cap hit: $1,955,000
- Dead cap if cut: $1 million
*Only $210,000 of Izien’s roster bonus will count against the cap this year, since he only played in 14 of 17 games last year. If he earns the full $255,000 in 2026, $45,000 will be deducted from the Lions’ 2027 salary cap.
Izien, who is expected to compete for a primary backup role at nickel, safety, or both, gets $1 million in guarantees in Detroit and can earn an additional $300,000 through game and workout bonuses. With a cap hit just under $2 million, Izien’s cap hit ranks outside the top-50 at safety (57th) and 88th at cornerback. The money is not enough to necessarily guarantee a roster spot, and with half of the deal not guaranteed, Izien will have plenty to compete for this offseason.
It’s a raise from Izien’s rookie contract, but I’m not sure the Lions could’ve gotten more value from a 25-year-old defensive back with 15 career starts and 45 games played.
CB Roger McCreary — 1 year, $1.4 million ($987,500 guaranteed)
- Base salary: $1.215 million ($800,000 guaranteed)
- Signing bonus: $187,500
- 2026 cap hit: $1,262,500
- Dead cap if cut: $987,500
McCreary’s guaranteed money nearly matches Izien’s, but there are significantly fewer opportunities for McCreary to earn more—unless there are incentives not outlined in the public reporting of his deal. He’ll simply have to fight to make the roster and earn the entirety of his base salary—beyond the two-thirds of it that are guaranteed.
Again, this seems like a low-risk, high-upside signing. McCreary, too, is young (26) with a significant amount of experience (38 starts, 61 games).
Earlier this offseason, the Lions let versatile cornerback Amik Robertson walk in free agency. Robertson signed a two-year, $15 million contract with the Commanders, including $7.35 million guaranteed. So it’s clear the Lions are taking a cheaper approach to complement their secondary this year. They also re-signed Rock Ya-Sin to a one-year, $3.2 million deal.
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