Nobody can accuse the Lions of being cheap. When they decided they really wanted undrafted offensive tackle Ryan Pope, they outbid over 20 other NFL teams for his services. Detroit guaranteed almost $150,000 as a base salary and gave the San Diego State tackle a $20K signing bonus.
According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, Pope’s deal is the biggest given by any NFL team to a 2019 undrafted free agent, or UDFA.
The investment in Pope appears to be a very good sign for the Aztec standout to stick around Detroit, at least on the practice squad. A well-built 6-7 and 320 pounds, Pope was projected by many analysts as a Day 3 prospect but fell out due to concerns over technique.
Detroit does not have much depth at offensive tackle behind starters Rick Wagner and Taylor Decker. Last year’s fifth-rounder, Tyrell Crosby, played as the swing tackle in 2018 but could be headed for the vacant starting right guard spot. Free agent Andrew Donnal couldn’t stick last year. That helps explain the significant investment in Pope.
