The Detroit Lions are in a good position salary cap wise this year, only bolstered by the projected increase that seemed to exceed expectations. They also don't have a lot of obvious cut candidates, though it's fair to assume Za'Darius Smith will have his contract restructured or he could be cut with a proverbial "gentleman's agreement" he'll be re-signed.
So it takes a deeper dive to come up with a clear-cut top cut candidate for the Lions, though Smith is on a few lists with his contract structure and the easy cap savings in mind. Over The Cap, using their valuation diamond to define player contract value below a "median starter" at their position, had five Lions on their list of top 100 cut candidates for 2025.
Two on the list make no sense and aren't happening (Alex Anzalone, Amik Robertson), and two are subject to a level of speculation (DJ Reader and Smith). Which leaves us with one that stands above the others.
Lions' cut candidate makes some sense, like it or not
Part of Over The Cap's calculation for their cut candidates list includes percentage odds of a negative fate. With that additional criteria, the gap is widened among Lions who are that top-100 list.
Kalif Raymond carries a cap hit just shy of $6.4 million for 2025. While he led the league in punt return yards last season despite missing five games with a foot injury, his role in the Lions' offense continued a downward trend (17 receptions for 215 yards in 12 games, 27 percent share of offensive snaps in those games). A cap hit north of $6 million for a return man, even one as good as Raymond, stands out. He also has a $250,000 roster bonus due on March 17.
The way the Lions' value intangible qualities, and what he brings as a punt returner, makes Raymond an unlikely cut candidate. There are of course different implications for a pre or post-June 1 cut if they did do it, with a post-June 1 cut clearing about $4.8 million in cap savings.
Remove Raymond's name from his offensive production the last two years, and he would likely stand out a lot more as a potential cut candidate for the Lions. The main reasons he doesn't is his name, his production as a punt returner and the praise he gets from the coaching staff. But there are some cost savings to be had, and Raymond's trending insignificance as an offensive piece is not going away. On an enviably short list of cut candidates for Detroit, there's a case for Raymond to be at the top.
feed