ESPN Suggests Surprise Cut to Help Lions Clear Cap Space for Offseason

Getty Romeo Okwara gets a sack on Josh Rosen in a 2018 game.

The Detroit Lions have already begun to set up the makings of a solid offseason, but things could get even more interesting if the team managed to have a bit more money to spend.

Already, some plans have emerged that could get the Lions plenty of money to spend this offseason. Some see that as a must for the team in order to generate enough cash to take the next step this offseason.

ESPN insider Bill Barnwell recently took a look at picking out a way to improve all 16 NFC teams in a new piece, and for the Lions, he suggested the team make some big cuts in order to open up some cap space.

As Barnwell wrote, the veteran trio of Michael Brockers, Halapoulivaati Vaitai and Romeo Okwara all must be sliced from the roster this coming offseason. Doing that, Barnwell writes, would help the team generate more funds right off the bat.

“The line starts with defensive tackle Michael Brockers, the longtime Rams standout who lost his role in the lineup and played just 12 defensive snaps after Week 5. Whether Brockers is cut or chooses to retire, Detroit will free up $10 million in room by releasing the 32-year-old,” he wrote in the piece.

From there, Barnwell would slice Vaitai from the roster, given the fact that he has proven to be injury prone. As he wrote, the cut would save the Lions close to $10 million dollars.

“Halapoulivaati Vaitai missed all of 2022 after undergoing back surgery, and while the Lions need someone to play right guard, it probably won’t be Vaitai. Designating him as a post-June 1 release would generate about $9.5 million in savings,” Barnwell said.

Finally, a surprise suggestion was revealed by Barnwell in the form of edge rusher Romeo Okwara, a player who hasn’t seen much time on the field given injuries lately, but who has a major cap hit.

“He has played just nine games over the past two seasons around a torn Achilles suffered in October 2021, and the Lions have Aidan Hutchinson and Charles Harris on the edge. Okwara is due $11 million in 2023, a figure he wouldn’t hit on the open market. A pay cut could make sense here, but moving on from him would free up an additional $7.5 million in space,” he wrote.

Out of this list, Okwara is the most surprising name given his age and the fact that the team re-signed him in 2021. After coming back following missing the near entirety of the 2021 season, Okwara posted two sacks and eight tackles late in 2022. He is still just 27 years old and has 23 career sacks. Perhaps, as Barnwell writes, a pay cut could make more sense for the Lions.

If the Lions do move on from these names, they could clear around $27 million of cap space to use for 2023. That could help the team be very aggressive on the open market when free agency hits.

Vaitai Represents Most Likely Lions Cut

If there’s one player that could make the most sense to be sliced from the roster above many others in addition to Brockers, it’s Vaitai.

Vaitai’s deal pays him a total of $45 million dollars for five years, and doesn’t expire until after 2024. Early on, Detroit didn’t get a huge return on investment from Vaitai thanks to the fact he was injured and played just 10 games in 2020.

That number increased to 15 in 2021 amid a bounce back season for the guard. 2022, however, saw Vaitai regress and have another back injury which cost him the season. Vaitai is now 30 years old, and was a top signing of Detroit’s former regime led by Bob Quinn. To that end, he could be a final purge by Brad Holmes.

Vaitai helped the Eagles win Super Bowl 52 after being a fifth-round pick in 2016, and is a veteran piece with position versatility up front. A big selling point when he came to Detroit was his ability to play either tackle spot or guard. He’s played mostly at guard, but has flashed at tackle.

The Lions will have to decide if his veteran savvy and versatility is enough to keep him around, or if they simply move on given health problems. Vaitai comes with a $12,448,194 cap hit this year, and cutting him comes with a $2,948,194 dead cap penalty.

Lions’ Top 2023 Offseason Needs

In terms of why the Lions could need more money, there’s a good reason. The team has a lot of heavy lifting to do this offseason on the defensive side of the ball.

The Lions finished 32nd in total defense this past season, and struggled against both the run and the pass. Against the run, they finished 29th with a total of 2,491 yards allowed and 22 touchdowns.

With this in mind, getting help along the defensive line and specifically at defensive tackle would be a good idea for Detroit. Any available defensive tackles are sure to generate free agent interest from the team given needs for upgrades there. That’s similar at linebacker given their role against the run and the pass, too.

In the secondary, cornerback could be on the menu for the Lions due to the fact that the team finished 30th in the league in pass defense, allowing 4,179 yards through the air. Any available veteran cornerbacks that fit the scheme are sure to attract interest from the team as a result of this.

Offensively, Detroit could look at another addition at wide receiver, and perhaps tight end as well after trading T.J. Hockenson this past season. In totality, though, the spot is far less needy than the defensive side of things.

Watch for these cuts or perhaps some other surprises to help the Lions’ offseason get going for 2023.