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3 cuts for the Detroit Lions to possibly clear more than $25 million in cap space

By Brad Berreman

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 18: Trey Flowers #90 of the Detroit Lions lines up during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field on October 18, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 18: Trey Flowers #90 of the Detroit Lions lines up during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field on October 18, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /
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Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /

2. OG Halapoulivaati Vaitai

With three years left on his deal to spread out the signing bonus hit over, the Lions created $1 million in cap space for the rest of 2021 season by restructuring Vaitai’s contract late in the season.

The move raised Vaitai’s cap hit for 2022 from $8.4 million to $8.73 million, while bumping the dead money for cutting him (before June 1) up one million to $5.2 million. The cap savings for releasing him before June 1, 2022 also dropped from $4.2 million to $3.5 million.

Vaitai is a middle of the road right guard being paid like a fairly premium offensive tackle, in the midst of a five-year, $45 million contract. The Lions could sign an inexpensive free agent guard to compete with him, or the draft could bring an option in. Among Detroit’s top five along the offensive line, who never played a game together this season, Vaitai is by far the most vulnerable to losing his starting job. And if it came to that, he’d be a pretty expensive backup (albeit one with some versatility).

Designating Vaitai a post-June 1 cut would create $7 million in cap space, while leaving $1.7 million in dead money. With that $7 million to possibly create, now we’re getting somewhere on the track to possible create more than $25 million in cap room.

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