Getty Brad Holmes and Rod Wood mix it up during Lions training camp in July 2021.
The Detroit Lions have begun the tough decision to make roster cuts for 2022, and with that news comes the reality that some players will be moving on from the team.
Other new players could be coming into the fray, however, and the Lions have plenty of money to bring a few moderately priced depth free agents into the mix for the coming season.
So where does the team stand? As of now, the Lions are in decent shape, even though they maintain one of the lowest cap totals in the league with less than $10 million dollars under the cap.
As Sports Illustrated writer Albert Breer pointed out, the Lions have in the neighborhood of $9.6 million dollars left to spend, which is par for the course for most of the NFL.
Cutdown tomorrow. 13 teams w/less than $10M in cap space.
1) 49ers $2.91M
2) Giants $5.02M
3) Jets $5.23M
4) Patriots $5.96M
5) Rams $8.05M
6) Ravens $8.61M
7) Chiefs $8.84M
8) Eagles $9.09M
9) Steelers $9.21M
10) Vikings $9.41M
11) Bucs $9.55M
12) Lions $9.64M
13) Texans $9.67M
“Cutdown tomorrow. 13 teams w/less than $10M in cap space: 49ers $2.91M, Giants $5.02M, Jets $5.23M, Patriots $5.96M, Rams $8.05M, Ravens $8.61M, Chiefs $8.84M, Eagles $9.09M, Steelers $9.21M, Vikings $9.41M, Bucs $9.55M, Lions $9.64M, Texans $9.67M,” Breer tweeted.
Though that might not seem like a ton of money, it’s more than enough for the Lions to grab a few impact players that might be able to help them on the open market.
The Lions are in decent shape heading toward one of the busiest timea of year for an NFL front office. Now all that’s left to be seen is what players or positions they may look to target.
Positions Lions Could Look to Add During Cuts
The Lions have some spots that they could choose to upgrade during the waiver period just ahead of rosters, and this applies to both sides of the football.
On defense, the Lions could have a need for a defensive lineman, particularly a plugger for the middle of their line or a space eater. Last week, the team had Malcom Brown in for a visit, so he could be a potential solution. Detroit has better depth at linebacker, but could look for an addition there. Perhaps another safety could be in-play as well.
In terms of the offensive side, the team is mostly set. Detroit needs to address the backup quarterback spot most of all, though, and could do so with a trade or a signing. A name like Mason Rudolph could make the most sense for the team given his ability to start in a pinch.
The Lions have better depth, so don’t expect them to go wild with the signings. A few clear needs have presented themselves ahead of the season, however. With this amount of money, the team could be aggressive to fill them out.
Recapping a Busy Lions’ 2022 Offseason
Though it might not seem like the team has much money, the Lions chose a more cautious approach and targeted mostly their own free agents this past March and April
After signing players like Josh Reynolds, Kalif Raymond, Charles Harris, Alex Anzalone and Tracy Walker, Detroit looked outside the home for some value buys. The Lions signed DJ Chark to a one-year deal, in addition to names like linebacker Jarrad Davis, cornerback Mike Hughes, tight end Garrett Griffin and linebacker Chris Board.
While Davis and Griffin have already exited, all of those players were solid upside buys for the Lions in terms of players who could come in on short contracts and perhaps play their way into a role for the future.
During the draft, the Lions added Aidan Hutchinson, Jameson Williams, Josh Paschal, Kerby Joseph, James Mitchell, Malcolm Rodriguez, James Houston and Chase Lucas to the mix. Overall, the hope is that these players can provide the team the kind of depth they crave during the 2022 season.
So far, it seems as if the Lions will have much improved depth. Whether that translates to the need for more outside additions remains to be seen, but at the very least, the team has some cash to operate with.
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Lions Cap Space: A Look at Detroit’s Current Total Before Roster Cuts