4 former Detroit Lions who won't live up to their new contracts

4. DT/DE A'Shawn Robinson

Team/Contract: Carolina Panthers/Three years, $22.5 million; $10.375 guaranteed

The Panthers have made significant investments in the trenches on both sides of the ball via free agency, and rightfully so. That included a three-year deal for Robinson that stood out, and made him a top-30 highest-paid "defensive end" in the league by annual average ($7.5 million per year). Classifying him as a defensive end at all is interesting, since he's better classified as an interior defensive lineman or simply a defensive tackle.

Robinson is undoubtedly a solid and experienced player a lot of teams wouldn't mind having (including possibly the Lions, had they not signed DJ Reader). But he was Pro Football Focus' 75th-ranked interior defensive lineman last year with the New York Giants, while playing 46 percent of their defensive snaps with 62 total tackles and six tackles for loss. His run defense grade from PFF was top-50 at the position (49th) though, for the league's fourth-worst run defense last season, and Carolina can certainly use some help there. He does line up at multiple spots across the defensive line, and that versatility has some inherent value too.

Robinson's best career PFF grades have clearly been in 2018 (with the Lions) and 2021 (with the Los Angeles Rams), but last year was a downturn compared to 2022 with the Rams that shouldn't be ignored.

Good for him to get paid like he did, but the Panthers overpaid Robinson when they probably didn't have to.