Top 5 Possible Detroit Lions Cap Casualties
By Justin Simon
Dec 16, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions guard
(67) is announced prior to the start against the Baltimore Ravens at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Rob Sims
Cap Charge: $3,775,000
Cap Savings: $2,575,000
This would be a shocker, but it’s not totally out of the realm of possibility. Sims, 30, has seen his play steadily decline over his time with the Lions. His play in the run game has been below par and unless he has a Dominic Raiola type revival this late in his career, the trend may continue to point down.
Sims did recently say that he had offseason surgery to help fix some past issues and hopefully that will help him earn out the end of the of his contract, or even get an extension.
Possible Replacement: Travis Swanson or Rodney Austin
If he’s healthy and on his game, Sims can help the Lions in 2014, but if he doesn’t show up healthy to training camp things could get interesting. Rodney Austin has already taken first team reps this offseason and the third year pro could get a longer look with the new coaching staff.
In the end, I’d put my money on the Lions keeping Sims. His cap number may seem high, but $3.775 million cap charge for the 2014 ranks 18th among NFL guards according to Over The Cap.