The Detroit Lions have around $23 million in cap space with which to operate heading into the 2022 offseason, but the team could be looking to add more, which means there will undoubtedly be players that get shipped out of town before free agency begins in March.
Cut time is perhaps one of the most brutal realities for teams and players, and it’s a reality everyone must live with as rosters turn over and get reset.
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This year, the Lions might not have a ton of obvious players considering their roster is getting younger and changing in scope, but the team does still have some players who could be moving on when all is said and done thanks to either their contracts or the depth situation at positions they play.
Who could be soon asked to pack their bags as a result? Here’s a look.
Trey Flowers, Defensive End/Edge
Once a top free agent in his class in 2018, Flowers came to Detroit with much fanfare but did not exactly deliver upon being paid as if he was one of the best defenders in the league. For that reason, plus potential scheme fit issues within Aaron Glenn’s new-look defense that has transitioned to a 3-4 look, it could make sense for the team to move on from Flowers and save money.
Back when he signed with the Lions, Flowers signed a five-year, $90 million dollar deal with the team that does not expire until 2024. Detroit would have a $12.8 million dollar dead cap hit if Flowers was released in 2022. Releasing him would save the Lions $10 million for next year.
In his Lions’ career, Flowers has 73 tackles, 9.0 sacks and just 2 forced fumbles. This past season before an injury, he managed to put up only 24 total tackles and 1.5 sacks. For the money he is being paid and what he could save the team, that isn’t huge production to note and it makes him perhaps the most obvious cut candidate on the roster at the moment, something which most folks can agree on.
Will Harris, Safety
Given a potential purge at safety with names like Tracy Walker and Dean Marlowe potentially set to move on, Harris could end up playing a huge role for the Lions in the future if they keep him around.
Releasing Harris wouldn’t save the Lions a ton of money at just a $2.7 million savings on the cap hit according to Spotrac, but it could allow the team a clean break from a player drafted by Bob Quinn in a previous regime. Harris also struggled at times on the field with technique as this video breakdown shows:
His first few years in the league, Harris has not been a player who has made a huge impact statistically in the NFL. In fact, the Lions have seen Harris only put up modest stats in spite of him playing a major role in 49 total games. He’s collected 171 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 8 passes defended for the team while playing in the NFL.
Harris has struggled to find consistency and a role in the league so much so that the team has tried playing him at cornerback in a pinch. If veteran safeties are added as many are speculating, that could mean Harris might not have a role in Detroit, making him a potential candidate for release.
Michael Brockers, Defensive Line
The Lions added Brockers to the team last year in order to help their defensive line and pass rush, but he was far more inconsistent in his transition to Detroit than he had been in his other stop in the league.
Last year, he put up 52 combined tackles and 1.0 sack for the team. Those numbers were far off what he had accomplished with the Rams. Brockers carries a sizable $11.9 million dollar cap hit with just $1.9 million in dead cap penalties if cut, making him one of the most appetizing potential roster removals from a numbers standpoint given there would be a little penalty for the move.
Brockers had put up 395 total tackles, 28.0 sacks, 9 passes defended and 2 forced fumbles in his career in Los Angeles, and the team was hoping that they would see a bit more production. Cutting Brockers would save Detroit money, but may come at the expense of leadership.
The Lions have saw Brockers bring some of his patented pocket pressure as well as that leadership to the team last year. That leadership is a very important variable for a Lions team trying to change their entire culture, and to that end, Brockers might indeed stick around. All bets are off if the Lions want to save some money and also turn players like Levi Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill loose up front after intriguing rookie seasons.
John Penisini, Defensive Line
The Lions’ defensive line is a crowded place, with plenty of veteran players and young players fighting to stand out. Without rookie players going anywhere, that creates a situation where others have to step up their game in order to stay.
Penisini had a solid rookie debut with the Lions in 2020, putting up 1.0 sack, 1 fumble recovery and 35 total tackles with 12 starts. In 2021, that production dwindled considerably, with Penisini playing in 16 games but not drawing a single start with just 14 tackles and 1 pass defended.
Detroit won’t save a ton of money cutting Penisini given he would only account for a $937,794 savings against the cap, but it seems as if he could be a victim of a team that has changed personnel groupings up front and likes what players such as McNeill and Onwuzurike bring to the mix better.
It’s possible Penisini could get cut in order to find a better scheme fit elsewhere in the NFL where he may be used more than he was in Detroit last season.
Jeff Okudah, Cornerback
This might be the most intriguing yet controversial name on the list given Okudah is coming off a serious Achilles injury and is still young, representing Detroit’s third-overall selection within the 2020 NFL draft.
Last year, Okudah seemed to be making all the right strides, drawing rave reviews from coaches in camp. Once game action begun, however, he was exposed in a big way during Week 1 just before the injury, leading to several frustrating viral moments for rough play such as this:
Okudah hasn’t produced huge numbers with 51 total tackles, 1 interception and 3 passes defended and is looking like an injury risk early in his career. The Lions have also developed other players such as Jerry Jacobs and AJ Parker at cornerback, and witnessed the major emergence of Amani Oruwariye in 2021.
If Okudah returns, the team won’t be worse for it, but if they go all-in on a fix at cornerback as has been speculated as necessary by some, that could leave his future very much up in the air. The Lions would save over $9 million with a $10 million dollar dead cap hit, so financially it might make more sense to stick with Okudah.
His release is possible, however, if the team deems they simply want to start over.
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Lions Cut Candidates Include Veteran Lineman, Former Top Draft Pick