Lions release OL Joe Dahl

The Lions are moving on from one of their offensive line regulars from recent years. They opted to release Joe Dahl on Monday, per a team announcement.

A backup over the first three years of his career, Dahl became a primary starter during the 2019 season. Detroit opened last season with Dahl as one of its starting guards, but he only stuck with the first unit in four games.

Dahl signed an extension to stay with the Lions in 2019 but ended that season on IR due to a back injury. A groin malady halted Dahl early last season. While he returned from IR midway through, he did not stick as a starter.

With this release, the Lions will create just more than $3M in cap space. The rebuilding team figures to make several retooling-type maneuvers ahead of the 2021 league year. With the legal tampering period having just begun, the now-Brad Holmes-run team is barely over the cap.