5 updated moves the Lions can make to clear over $46 million in cap space before free agency
On the brink of free agency, here's an updated list of five moves the Detroit Lions can make to clear a bunch of cap space.
Ahead of free agency, the Detroit Lions have re-signed a few players: kicker Michael Badgley, linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin, tight end Shane Zylstra and cornerback Emmanuel Moseley.
But those are all fairly minor moves. As of Tuesday afternoon, and pending the official terms of Moseley's reported one-year deal, the Lions have the seventh-most cap space in the league ($51.48 million, according to Over The Cap).
So the Lions don't really have to do anything to clear more cap room and do what they'd like to in free agency. But if a big move is on the radar, and that's a huge "if" even if it's easy to think they should do so, things could be done to make it happen. Having more money to spend is also never a bad thing.
Getting down to it, the Lions can clear a lot more cap space with some very simple moves. And we're not talking a bunch of outright cuts, with very few big cap numbers and maybe one rough contract that's still on the 2024 books. One such "obvious" cut, safety Tracy Walker, was made in February.
Updated and expanded from this similar list back in February, here are five moves the Lions can make to add nearly $47 million in cap space as free agency beckons.
5 moves the Detroit Lions can make to clear almost $47 million in cap space before free agency
Note: Unless otherwise noted, financial numbers and contract specifics are courtesy of Over The Cap.
Cut John Cominsky to free up $4.6 million
Cominsky one heck of a find for the Lions in 2022, going from a summer waiver claim they got do their high waiver priority to a key piece of the defensive line (four sacks, 12 quarterback hits and five tackles for loss). He was pretty much a lock to be re-signed last offseason, and he was brought back on a two-year deal to boot.
Cominsky played in 16 games and started 11 contests last season, while playing nearly the same number of snaps as he did in 2022 (569 vs. 556 in 2022). But he had just two sacks, then he was a surprising healthy scratch for the regular season finale even on the premise of giving him some rest before the playoffs. Over 97 postseason snaps (in all three games), he did not make an impact.
On a very short list of even vaguely potential cuts for the Lions, Cominsky unfortunately stands out. If additions are made along the defensive line, a $6.3 million cap hit will not befit his role.
Cutting Cominsky, before June 1 of course, would clear $4.6 million in cap space and leave behind a reasonable $1.7 million in dead money.
Cleared Cap Space Tally: $4.6 million
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