The Detroit Lions head into training camp with room to maneuver, and that flexibility could matter once the regular season starts.
After a fairly modest free-agent haul, Detroit is sitting on roughly $14.7 million in available cap space. That gives the Lions enough cushion to chase help later in the year if injuries force their hand, which is exactly how they’ve benefited from carrying money into the season in the past. At the same time, that figure also keeps them in a tighter lane when it comes to absorbing a bigger contract at the trade deadline.
Detroit currently ranks 20th in cap space at this point in the offseason.
There’s also a new dead-cap hit on the books after Terrion Arnold’s release. Per OverTheCap, the Lions are carrying $6,662,882 in dead money. That number could change if the team chooses to void his guarantees in the event he’s found to have violated the NFL’s personal conduct policy, which would remove the base salary figures from the dead-cap charge and reduce it by about $4 million over the next two seasons.
The biggest financial decisions still ahead involve the final three members of the 2023 draft class. Jahmyr Gibbs has two years left under team control after the Lions picked up his fifth-year option, while Sam LaPorta and Brian Branch are both entering the last year of their deals.
Those extensions may not come easily or quickly. LaPorta and Branch both have injury concerns that could slow things down, and Gibbs may be waiting for the running back market to be reset from a financial standpoint. That leaves the Lions with a real amount of uncertainty as camp approaches, even with cap space available.
Here’s how the Lions’ top cap numbers currently stack up:
QB Jared Goff -- $37.6 million
WR Amon-Ra St.
Brown -- $33.11 million
DT Alim McNeill -- $28.966 million
OT Penei Sewell -- $28 million
CB D.J.
Reed -- $17.867 million
OT Taylor Decker -- $9.444 million
CB Terrion Arnold -- $6,662,882
RB David Montgomery -- $4,862,501
DT DJ Reader -- $3.729 million
C Frank Ragnow -- $3.6 million
OL Graham Glasgow -- $2.875 million
LB Alex Anzalone -- $1.2 million
QB Hendon Hooker -- $289,823
DL Brodric Martin -- $214,378
DE Ahmed Hassanein -- $172,419
And the projected extension numbers for the three key 2023 draftees are:
RB Jahmyr Gibbs -- Three years, $62.1 million ($20.7 million AAV)
TE Sam LaPorta -- Four years, $72 million ($18 million AAV)
S Brian Branch -- Three years, $51 million ($17 million AAV)
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Lions Fans Can Relax About One Awkward Taylor Decker Possibility
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Chicago is the obvious place to check, but the Bears already have a preferred plan at left tackle and do not appear to be shopping for a veteran answer there right now. Unless their situation changes in a big way, Decker landing in the NFC North looks more like a theoretical problem than an immediate one, which is a relief for a Lions fan base that would rather not spend the fall watching a former cornerstone protect a rival quarterback. [Read more 🡒]
How Many Lions Rookies Can Really Win Starting Jobs This Year
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Blake Miller looks like the cleanest path to an immediate role at right tackle, even if Larry Borom still has a chance to change the picture in camp or the preseason. Keith Abney also stands out because of how the cornerback room is set up, and with the competition there still taking shape, the Lions could have more than one rookie pushing for meaningful snaps sooner than expected. [Read more 🡒]