[CBFF] Lions sign Redding to monster deal

[Phil DeNomme]

A life time subscription to Playboy.

-----Original Message-----
From: cbff-bounces at chicagobearsfanforum.com
[mailto:cbff-bounces at chicagobearsfanforum.com] On Behalf Of Jerry Madsen
Sent: Monday, July 16, 2007 3:01 PM
To: CBFF
Subject: [CBFF] Lions sign Redding to monster deal

How much more will it now take the Bears to sign Tommie Harris?

Jerry

-------------------------------

Monday, July 16, 2007
Lions sign Redding to monster deal before franchise-player deadline
By John Clayton
ESPN.com

Last year, Rod Marinelli moved Cory Redding from defensive end to
defensive tackle in the belief he could be one of the best defensive
tackles in football.

Cory Redding
Redding

Defensive Tackle
Detroit Lions

Profile
2006 Season Stats Tot 	Solo 	Ast 	FF 	Sack 	Int
48 	39 	9 	2 	8 	0

On Monday, the Lions backed up that belief by making him the
highest-paid defensive tackle in football. Redding, the team's
franchise player in 2007, agreed to a seven-year, $49 million contract
that included $16 million in guarantees, including $13 million in
signing bonus and roster guarantees.

Redding will receive a little more than $20 million over the first
three years of his contract.

Redding's agreement beat a 4 p.m. Monday deadline for franchise
players. Had he not reached an agreement, Redding would have been
forced to only accept a one-year deal with no chance of an extension
until next season. Under those circumstances, Redding might have held
out the entire training camp.

Now, he will be present for the start of camp and will work with Shaun
Rogers in what Marinelli believes will be one of the more dominating
interior defensive lines in football.

Redding's agent, Kennard McGuire, was unavailable for comment while he
worked out the final paperwork to submit to the league before the
deadline.

Initially, Redding wanted to hit the free-agent market and leave the
team. Marinelli and the organization decided to franchise him and try
to talk him into taking a long-term deal. Last Monday, both sides had
a major breakthrough in negotiations when the Lions came within
$400,000 a year of Redding's demands.

Talks slowed down last Friday and Saturday and the possibility of no
long-term deal existed. On Monday morning, the Lions increased their
offer and signed him for $7 million a year.

The Redding deal tops the five-year, $33.24 million contract given to
Vikings defensive tackle Kevin Williams.

The 6-foot-4, 290-pound Redding was taken in the third round of the
2002 draft and started nine games as a defensive end as a rookie. In
the past three years, he had 48 starts. Last year, he had career highs
in tackles (47) and sacks (eight).

Senior writer John Clayton covers the NFL for ESPN.com.

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