NFL teams may have financial reason to pass on former Lions CB Terrion Arnold

According to Mark Inabinett of AL.com, the attorney for former Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold recently said that Arnold expects to sign with a new NFL team "within 30 days" even though Arnold is facing eight felony charges in Florida regarding his arrest linked with a robbery and kidnapping that reportedly took place in February.

On Thursday, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk explained why all 32 NFL teams may pass on acquiring Arnold anytime soon. 

Team may have to pay for basically stashing Terrion Arnold on its roster

"It’s hard to imagine any team claiming the balance of Arnold’s guaranteed first-round contract on waivers," Florio wrote. "The NFL could put him on paid leave before the opening of training camp, which would require Arnold’s new team to pay him until the criminal case is resolved. And if the Lions released Arnold for 'personal conduct that adversely affected' the team, which would avoid the guarantees, the team that claims him on waivers wouldn’t have that luxury. Cutting Arnold after claiming the contract on waivers would mean owing him the full amount of the remaining compensation ($4.848M)."

The Lions officially cut Arnold earlier this week, and ESPN noted that he was released from custody on Tuesday after he posted a $1M bond. Per Matt Baker of The Athletic, Judge Christopher C. Sabella rejected the prosecution’s motion to keep Arnold in jail until trial and also rejected the prosecution's request to require Arnold to wear an ankle monitor as part of his release. Whether or not Arnold has to eventually wear a monitor may be determined by his employment status. 

How Terrion Arnold's status with the NFL could affect his off-the-field life

"The judge was reluctant to excuse Arnold from wearing an ankle monitor," Florio added. "The deciding factor presumably was the reality that Arnold would be practicing and playing football for the Lions. If so, the ruling should be that Arnold must wear the monitor until he’s signed by a team and the contract is submitted to the court. Then, if/when he’s released again (or if he is placed on paid leave), the monitor would be reattached."

Per Inabinett, attorney Harvey Steinberg said that Arnold "has been contacted by three other NFL clubs regarding his services" since being released by the Lions. The identities of those teams are unknown, and it's unclear if any of those franchises will accept the risks associated with signing Arnold that Florio mentioned.