The Lions have landed a new center.
Detroit has agreed to a three-year, $25 million deal with Cade Mays, with $14 million fully guaranteed, per NFL insider Aaron Wilson. Mays started 12 games for the Panthers last season in his fourth year in the league.
At 6'6, 325 pounds, Mays fits the Lions' bigger-bodied prototype at center. He did miss three games last year due to a nagging ankle injury, but he should add some much-needed stability to the middle of Detroit's offensive line, which took a significant step back last year after the surprise retirement of Frank Ragnow.
Mays graded out better as a pass-blocker than run-blocker in Carolina. He ranked 21st overall out of 32 centers who played 50 percent of their team's offensive snaps last season, per PFF, but ninth in pass-blocking. Former Lions center Graham Glasgow, for comparison, ranked 29th overall at the position last season.
Mays' new deal will place him among the 10 highest-paid centers in the NFL. On a day that top free agent center Tyler Linderbaum landed $27 million per year from the Raiders on a three-year, $81 million pact that makes him the highest-paid interior offensive lineman in NFL history, $8.3 million per year for Mays is solid value for Detroit.
Mays is one of three centers who has not allowed a sack the last two seasons (on at least 500 pass-blocking) opportunities, Connor McGovern of the Bills and Tanor Bortolini of the Colts being the others. McGovern, also regarded as a strong run-blocker, just agreed to a four-year, $52 million deal to stay with Buffalo.
Mays, who turns 27 in April, also has guard flexibility, having played there in his first two seasons with the Panthers. He was a sixth-round pick out of Tennessee in 2022.