The Detroit Lions have done a wonderful job bringing in some fresh faces to supplement a few glaring holes while keeping some continuity by bringing back several players from last season. Additionally, with the initial free agency wave now over, we can clearly see the team’s salary cap situation heading toward the draft.
With the help of Over the Cap, below are the 2023 cap hits for the players the Lions have signed this off-season:
Cam Sutton- $3,280,000
David Montgomery- $2,845,588
Alex Anzalone- $2,500,000
John Cominsky- $2,300,000
Isaiah Buggs- $1,700,000
Matt Nelson- $1,300,000
Will Harris- $1,232,500
Ross Pierschbacher- $1,010,000
Craig Reynolds- $940,000
Emmanuel Moseley- Awaiting details
Graham Glasgow- Awaiting details
Michael Badgley- Awaiting details
As you can see, the cap hits are very reasonable this season. They are leaving the Lions with a current cap space of about $18.4 million. General Manager Brad Holmes structured the deals to be backloaded while adding voided years, giving the Lions flexibility to maneuver the rest of free agency and the draft, especially with five of their seven draft picks in the top 100.
A helpful tool through OTC, it provides an effective cap space number that considers the top 51 contracts and the potential rookie class contract numbers. These estimations give an estimated amount of cap space the team might have afterward. For example, OTC estimates the Lions will spend roughly $8.3 million to sign their rookie class.
Looking back on the 2022 draft class and the cap hits the players had at the respective draft picks the Lions are slated with this year, the cap hit came close to $13 million, and that’s if the Lions stay with their current draft picks. But, of course, that is considering the money they might shell out to priority-free agents.
Using the effective cap space number provided by OTC and past transactions, the Lions could have roughly $5-$10 million left in cap space, depending on how the contracts are structured after signing their rookie class.
Currently, the Lions are sitting comfortably with their salary cap at the top of the league in available funds, giving them flexibility if they decide to go after any other free agents. In addition, they could still maneuver funds around with possible restructures, with Halapoulivaati Vaitai and Romeo Okwara giving the Lions extra breathing room if needed.
