7 Under-Contract Lions Who Could Be Gone Next Season
The Detroit Lions and their next regime will have their work cut out for themselves in 2021.
They will have limited draft capital and plenty of high-priced veterans under contract who may not even fit the new schemes.
There are also big contracts looming for pending free agents, such as wide receiver Kenny Golladay and defensive end Romeo Okwara.
Despite the team needing all the help it can get, it may be time to cut loose some of former general manager Bob Quinn’s acquisitions.
If the new general manager wants a full rebuild, it won’t hurt much to try to go young and cheap and to trade exorbitant assets.
There will no doubt be some dead cap with players under contract next season. But, in a 2021 season with relatively low expectations, it’s about having financial freedom for the future.
Here are seven of Quinn’s free-agent signings that potentially may be playing their last game in Honolulu Blue this weekend.
*all cap figures according to Over The Cap
1.) CB Desmond Trufant
- 2021 cap hit: $12,500,000
- 2021 dead cap: $6,000,000
- 2021 cap savings: $6,500,000
Trufant was supposed to be the immediate Darius Slay replacement, after signing a two-year deal this offseason.
Unfortunately, the oft-injured cornerback remained oft-injured in Detroit. Even when he was on the field, he struggled mightily.
Per Pro Football Focus, Trufant was the worst-graded cornerback on the Lions' roster this season -- and that’s saying a lot.
Next season is the last year of his deal, and maybe he will stick around just for his veteran presence.
But, it sure looks like that's about all he provides at this point in his career.
2.) CB Justin Coleman
- 2021 cap hit: $11,029,000
- 2021 dead cap: $6,087,000
- 2021 cap savings: $4,942,000
Coleman started his time off hot with the Lions. Since, he has fizzled quickly.
Being one of the highest-paid slot corners is hard to justify at this time. His deal runs through 2022 -- technically through 2023, with a little over $2 million that year due to a prorated signing bonus.
Releasing the veteran would eliminate two years worth of money on the books after 2021.
Coleman isn’t horrible, but it may be worth it to cut ties to free up cap space down the line and to allocate it elsewhere.
3.) TE Jesse James
- 2021 cap hit: $6,429,000
- 2021 dead cap: $4,287,000
- 2021 cap savings: $2,142,000
What a swing and a miss here.
Quinn gave good money to James, and then subsequently draft T.J. Hockenson at No. 8 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Drafting a player at the same position didn’t help, but it sure doesn’t look like James is a legitimate starting-quality player, even when Hockenson's been out of the lineup.
Much like with Coleman, James accounts for money against the cap until 2023, despite only being under contract through 2022.
It’s time to rip the band-aid off and to eat the dead money, while still saving a little this offseason.
4.) QB Chase Daniel
- 2021 cap hit: $5,300,000
- 2021 dead cap: $3,000,000
- 2021 cap savings: $2,300,000
Make no mistake, there are not many backup quarterbacks in the NFL who would look good in this Lions offense without Golladay.
In saying that, Daniel is making too much money over the next two seasons. The Lions need a young developmental quarterback behind Stafford anyway.
Having a solid backup and paying for one handsomely make sense if the team is in a position to win.
The starter goes down for a few weeks, and then someone is there to keep the ship afloat for a playoff push. Unfortunately, that's not the case for the Lions next season.
Raj Mehta, USA TODAY Sports
5.) NT Danny Shelton
- 2021 cap hit: $5,250,000
- 2021 dead cap: $1,250,000
- 2021 cap savings: $4,000,000
Shelton is your classic 3-4 nose tackle. Depending on the new scheme, Shelton’s best attributes may not be put to good use.
Considering that $4 million could be saved by cutting Shelton, it makes sense to move on from him, if he isn’t a good match within the scheme.
There are not many Lions defenders who had stretches of good film in 2020. Shelton at least had some nice performances here and there. His services still could be beneficial for somebody.
6.) DT Nick Williams
- 2021 cap hit: $5,700,000
- 2021 dead cap: $1,000,000
- 2021 cap savings: $4,700,000
Quinn took a bit of a risk giving Williams a two-year deal this past offseason. Fortunately, the Lions could still recoup a decent amount of cap savings in 2022.
Williams was a late-bloomer and one-year wonder in Chicago.
Coming off a six-sack year, Williams has been only able to produce one sack with the Lions.
Being labeled as an interior pass-rusher, his price tag far outweighs his production.
7.) LB Christian Jones
- 2021 cap hit: $4,742,720
- 2021 dead cap: $2,185,442
- 2021 cap savings: $2,557,278
Yet another player who is only under contract through 2022, but still impacts the 2023 cap -- if he's on the roster next season.
Jones is a versatile player, and that was the big reason why ex-head coach Matt Patricia loved him.
However, he is more of a jack-of-all-trades and a master-of-none type of player. He doesn’t excel in any aspect of the game.
He isn’t fast enough to play off the ball in most defenses, and doesn’t possess the pass-rushing aptitude to play consistently on the edge.
In all likelihood, he won’t fit the defensive scheme of the new coach.
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