Eye-popping stat should have Lions fans very excited for the arrival of Cade Mays

The Detroit Lions have made an early splash in the busy legal tampering period of the free agency process, reportedly agreeing to a three-deal with center Cade Mays.

By adding Mays, the Lions have shored up arguably their biggest hole of the offseason at center. The franchise released Graham Glasgow, who struggled at the position last year. After aquiring Juice Scruggs in a high-upside trade for depth last week, it was obvious the Lions weren't done.

Mays comes into the mix as a clear upgrade given his age and experience at the position. Fortunately, he has fantastic metrics as well. Mays has gone two seasons without giving up a sack at center, which should be welcome news for Jared Goff.

On the whole, Mays is a better pass protector than he is a run blocker, but he isn't terrible for the ground game, either. For Detroit's purposes, having an improvement in terms of interior pocket pressure figures to be a significant win. Last year, Goff was doomed by pressure up the middle in a way that he hadn't been with Frank Ragnow playing.

While Mays may not be on Ragnow's level just yet, there's reason to think the Lions will get much better in the trenches due to his arrival alone. Not giving up a sack in over 750 snaps is a significant feather in the cap of Mays, and proves he is ready to take the next step in terms of being a big-time option for a contender like Detroit.

Lions' addition of Mays projected to 'age well' by NFL media personality

During NFL free agency, the amount of money that gets thrown around is borderline insane. Often times, it doesn't work out for the teams involved, with plenty of players flaming out and quickly becoming cap casualties a few years later.

In terms of Mays, there's a good chance the opposite is true. The deal can be a rare win-win for a player and a team in terms of both parties coming out ahead after linking up in the market. That's due to not only the contract which the Lions are reportedly giving to Mays, but the fit of the player with the team, too.

NFL.com analyst Gregg Rosenthal liked what he saw from Detroit signing Mays early on financially and otherwise, and tweeted that he believes the deal can be one which ages well for the franchise in the coming seasons.

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In terms of money the Lions. didn't get tied down into a long-term agreement with Mays where they were paying him over $20 million dollars, such as Tyler Linderbaum and the Las Vegas Raiders. To land a solid player to anchor the offensive line and not have to go over $10 million is a win for the Lions. Detroit can attend to other needs effectively with the savings, especially on the defensive side.

If Mays comes in and locks down the center position for the next few seasons, the Lions will be in fantastic shape in terms of their roster health. There's reason to think that will be the outcome when all is said and done.