Three potential cuts for the Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions have the 10th-most salary cap space heading into 2023 with $15.854 million. There’s no question the Lions need to revamp their 32nd-ranked defense, and that process could begin with a couple of releases to not only open a roster spot or two but also add some significant funds to beef up the team’s bank account heading into free agency.

Below are three players the Lions could potentially cut to create more cap space:

Michael Brockers, defensive tackle

At 32, Brockers appears to be well past his prime. Limited to just six games this season, he’s been quite the disappointment in his two years with Detroit, mustering just one sack, eight pressures and six hurries. 

His production doesn’t justify his inflated $13.975 million cap hit in 2023, and with Alim McNeill (29 pressures, 22 hurries, one sack), Isaiah Buggs (20 pressures, 11 hurries, one sack), and Benito Jones (16 pressures, 13 hurries, two sacks) all having solid seasons this year, it makes little financial sense to keep Brockers around.

Cutting him would cost $3.97 million in dead money, but Detroit would save $10 million against the cap—money that could be used to pay another starter or two.

Romeo Okwara, defensive end

A breakout 2020 season in which he recorded 10 sacks, 61 pressures and 42 hurries earned Okwara a three-year, $37 million extension with the Lions. However, that contract has looked regrettable ever since. Okwara has been limited to just nine games over the last two years, accounting for only three sacks in the limited time he’s been on the field.

Aidan Hutchinson’s monster rookie year coupled with productive seasons from John Cominsky (44 pressures, 32 hurries, four sacks) and James Houston (17 pressures, eight sacks) leaves reason to believe Detroit will be just fine on the edge without Okwara.

Cutting the 27-year-old DE before June 1 doesn’t make much sense as it would cost more in dead money ($7 million) than it would save ($3.5 million). However, a post-June 1 designation would cost Detroit $3.5 million in dead money but save an additional $11 million.

Halapoulivaati Vaitai, guard

Although his first two years in Detroit were fairly solid—he started all 25 of the games he appeared in—Vaitai didn’t play in 2022 due to season-ending back surgery, and $12.44 million is a hefty price tag for a player who hasn’t seen a meaningful down since 2021.

Although Evan Brown is a free agent, he played well enough in 2022 to warrant being brought back. And Detroit likely won’t have to break the bank to do so. A post-June 1 release for Vaitai would result in $2.94 million in dead money but save $9.5 million, which the Lions could turn around and reinvest in the offensive line.