Detroit Lions sign DL Anthony Lucas

Detroit's signing of Anthony Lucas earns a C+ Contract Value Index (CVI), a fair-market valuation that reflects the modest investment behind a depth piece designed to contribute immediately without demanding premium dollars. At $1.03M AAV over three years ($3.1M total), this is a replacement-level commitment — the kind of low-risk, low-ceiling deal teams deploy when they need bodies on the defensive line but lack both the cap flexibility and draft capital to pursue higher-tier talent. For a Lions squad sitting at 9-8 and fighting for playoff position, Lucas represents organizational prudence: short money, no guaranteed burden eating into future flexibility, and a tenure short enough that poor production doesn't handcuff the front office. The CVI lands at C+ rather than C because the structure avoids the worst pitfalls — no bloated guaranteed funds, reasonable annual hit, and an out-clause architecture that doesn't punish Detroit if the deal underperforms. That said, there's no upside here; this signing is about filling a rotation slot and moving on, not about finding hidden value or unlocking a late-career renaissance. For a contending team in the NFC North, the math works defensively but offers no leverage in negotiations or roster flexibility down the line.