Defensive End George Johnson Signs Offer Sheet With Tampa Bay

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have made an offer to George Johnson that he signed last night.  The financial numbers were not yet disclosed but the offer is for a 3 year deal.  The Detroit Lions offered Johnson an original round tender as opposed to a second round tender when they made their restricted free agent offers this offseason.  The move, saving them over 800,000, was likely made to save them space to re-sign Ndamukong Suh in the offseason.  When Suh left for Miami, the offer to Johnson started to concern fans.  An original round tender means that if Detroit, who has 5 days to match Tampa Bay’s offer, chooses not to match the deal, they receive no compensation for losing him.  With the Lions only having 4 million in cap space currently, the odds of the Lions matching the offer really depend on what Tampa offered him financially and how the contract was structured.