5 Detroit Lions players who 'robbed the team blind' this year

2. EDGE Charles Harris

After a disappointing 2022 campaign, Harris also took a bit of a pay cut to stay with the Lions last offseason. Over the first 4-5 games this season, he got the playing time to foster a rebound and ideally be a factor for the Lions' pass rush opposite Aidan Hutchinson.

But Harris barely played in Week 6, then was a healthy scratch in Week 7. He played even less over the following five games, then was a healthy scratch two more times in Week 14 and 15. In the last two games, he has played eight defensive snaps.

Harris' time with the Lions is over as soon as this season is. You could argue it's been over since about Week 6, and there's a chance he's let go soon as the crunch for roster spots fully comes. All with a cap hit this year that was still $5.16 million.

1. CB Cameron Sutton

The Lions closed a free agent deal with Sutton very quickly last March, and he is the only perimeter cornerback currently on the roster who is under contract for 2024 other than undrafted rookie Steven Gilmore.

The structure of Sutton's three-year, $33 million deal made his 2023 cap hit just under $3.3 million ($1.1 million base salary. But even with that, the Lions signed him to be a No. 1-type cornerback and he has not been that this year. And it's an open question moving forward if he can be that.

Sutton has played every game this season, and 99 percent of the defensive snaps for the Lions (1,004 total snaps entering Week 18). But he has zero interceptions, just four pass breakups and a 113.0 passer rating allowed.

Sutton's cap hit bumps up to $12.68 million in 2024 (fifth-highest on the team right now, according to Spotrac) with a $10.5 million base salary. The Lions will be hoping for better than they got from him this year, with some hope (reliance, even) that he starts being better in the playoffs.

Again, "robbing the team blind" this year is very relative regarding the Lions, with few massive salaries or cap hits to drive the idea. But there's no doubt these five players have not delivered much this season, relative to the investment made in them, a decision to keep them around or a situation/opportunity they could have taken better advantage of.