5 players who could be cut by the Detroit Lions this offseason

1. OLB/DE Trey Flowers

When Flowers landed on IR in early December, we explored what the offseason may hold for him. But Holmes also talked about Flowers during his season wrap-up press conference, and what he was non-committal on the the veteran’s future in Detroit.

“Yeah, you know Trey, you’re talking about the ultimate glue guy, ultimate leader,” Holmes said Tuesday. “He’s what we’re all about, in terms of grit and being just a football player. So it was unfortunate what he had to deal with, but again, those discussions are going to be forward down the road.”

Flowers carries cap hits of $23.2 million for 2022 and $23.6 million for 2023. Over the last two seasons he has missed a total of 19 games, with 3.5 total sacks and 19 pressures. In terms of average annual value in the five-year, $90 million he signed with the Lions in 2019, he is the fifth-highest paid outside linebacker in the NFL (via Spotrac).

The Lions can clear $10.4 by cutting Flowers, with $12.8 million in dead money. Designating him a post-June 1 cut would make $16 millon in cap space, with $7.2 million in dead money.

Flowers was well-attached to trade rumors leading into October’s deadline. That would be a slightly better path for the Lions to part ways this offseason. Whatever they do, including a contract renegotiation, a $1.625 million roster bonus due to him on the third day of the league year in March stands as a de facto deadline to do something with the highly-paid veteran edge rusher.