5 Detroit Lions Who Will Be on the Roster Bubble in 2015

In the NFL, offseason means roster changes. 

Aside from free agency and the draft, teams must also make tough choices about which contracted veterans to keep and which ones are expendable.

The Detroit Lions have several players who could be let go for a variety of reasons. The salary cap is a definite factor, particularly if the team is forced to use the franchise tag to keep star defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

Other factors include age, health, changing scheme and potential upgrades from the outside.

Here are five Detroit Lions who figure to be on the roster bubble in summer 2015.

Jason Jones

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Defensive end Jason Jones is a good, versatile member of Detroit's impressive defense. He started at strongside end but also played quite a bit inside at tackle, especially after Nick Fairley's injury thinned the ranks of the tackles.

Jones bagged seven sacks and was responsible for 33 total quarterback disruptions (hits and hurries combined), according to Pro Football Focus. That is decent production, and he was also solid against the run.

Yet his minus-10.4 score graded out as the worst defensive player on the roster—terribly inefficient and inconsistent as a pass-rusher. Jones proved penalty-prone.

Worse, he seemed to really struggle at the most inopportune times. Take this astute commentary from the playoff loss in Dallas:

"

How Jason Jones could get out leveraged by Murray when lined up in a wide 9 is ridiculous. Play your gap, read your key.

— James Light (@JamesALight) January 4, 2015"

Keeping Jones would cost Detroit a whisker under $4 million. His dead salary-cap money is just $833,000, however. Cutting him saves more than $3 million.

Bringing back 2014 revelation George Johnson and his seven sacks and 32 quarterback disruptions would cost a lot less for the same production. With last year's fourth-round pick Larry Webster's anticipated development, Jones could be quite expendable.

Ryan Broyles

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Hopes have been so high for 2012 second-round pick Ryan Broyles. The wideout left Oklahoma as the NCAA's all-time leader in receptions thanks to his impeccable hands and uncanny knack for getting open quickly on short and intermediate routes.

Unfortunately, he's made little mark in his first three seasons.

Broyles has played in just 21 of a possible 48 regular-season games. Many of those were missed because of a torn ACL and a torn Achilles in back-to-back years. Yet he was healthy in 2014 but still an inactive scratch in 11 games.

Part of the problem is Broyles essentially plays the same role as Golden Tate in the Detroit offense. He's nowhere near as electrifying or dynamic as Tate, and he has also not proven to be an asset on special teams—an imperative for reserves.

He's pulled down just 10 catches in the last two seasons. Moreover, he publicly complained about his role (or lack thereof). That could be his ticket out of Motown.

While dumping Broyles doesn't save much cap room, it might be worth seeing if there's a trade market for his services. Perhaps he can be a deal sweetener during draft weekend, or dealt for a conditional late-round pick. It's pretty clear he's not in the long-term team picture.

Stephen Tulloch

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Starting middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch is perhaps the toughest decision of any on this list.

The pros for keeping him:

• He's a force against the run; one of the best gap-shooting linebackers in the league.
• The team respects his strong leadership skills.
• His pass-rushing value increased in the new-look defense.
• Off the field, Tulloch is one of the NFL's genuine great people.

"

Congrats @stephentulloch for the 2014 Walter Payton NFL #ManoftheYear nomination! http://t.co/zQKe3vAfWU pic.twitter.com/atBggDWBuq

— Nationwide (@Nationwide) January 8, 2015"

The case for cutting ties with the 30-year-old backer is compelling, too:

• He's coming off a torn ACL suffered selfishly celebrating a sack.
• Cutting him saves $3.2 million in 2015 and a cool $6 million in 2016.
• Replacement Tahir Whitehead was actually better versus the run.
• His coverage skills and range declined precipitously.

A healthy return would strengthen the defense. Whitehead would return to his valuable top reserve role, bolstering the depth chart. Tulloch's ebullient leadership style was visibly missing at times, too.

On the flip side, DeAndre Levy and Whitehead combined to cover the inside-backer role more than capably. With Kyle Van Noy (hopefully) making a big step forward in his second season after injuries sullied his rookie campaign, the Lions do have potential to remain a fantastic defense without him.

Brandon Pettigrew

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Many Lions fans openly questioned general manager Martin Mayhew when he re-signed tight end Brandon Pettigrew to a four-year, $16 million contract last offseason.

"

Brandon Pettigrew is just a terrible football player. I remain shocked by the contract the Lions gave him this offseason.

— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) December 14, 2014"

Pettigrew had underwhelmed as a former first-round pick and found no other suitable suitors when he hit unrestricted free agency. His 2014 season in Detroit validated all of the other teams who passed on his services.

His minus-11.1 Pro Football Focus score was the second worst on the offense, trailing only center Dominic Raiola. He absolutely earned the negative scores in every grading metric, from receiving to pass-protection to run blocking to penalties.

Pettigrew caught just 11 passes for 81 yards. By way of comparison, reserve Joseph Fauria caught six passes for 74 yards and added a touchdown while playing roughly one-fifth of Pettigrew's snaps.

Cutting Pettigrew would free up $3 million in precious cap room for 2015. This one sure seems pretty straightforward for Mayhew; Detroit needs to admit the mistake and move on from it.

Reggie Bush

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High-profile running back Reggie Bush has a cloudy future in Detroit. Much like Tulloch, there are compelling cases on both sides of the argument.

Bush is still capable of being a home-run threat out of the backfield the Detroit offense sorely needs. Defenses respect his presence, helping the Lions dictate matchups and decipher coverage schemes. 

The former USC star was at his best down the stretch, netting 110 yards on his final 20 carries and scoring two of his three rushing touchdowns in the final three games.

Bush believes he will be back.

"

#Lions Reggie Bush: "I have two years remaining on my contract. Unless someone tells me different, I plan on coming back."

— Rod Beard (@detnewsRodBeard) January 5, 2015"

Mayhew might indeed tell him different. Bush continually battles minor ailments, which makes his availability a question not even week to week but drive to drive.

It's hard to ignore all the plays where he ran sideways instead of forward, freelancing away from the designed blocking.

"

Reggie Bush runs about 36 yards to gain zero.

— Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) December 28, 2014"

He's clearly fallen behind Joique Bell in the pecking order. Reserve Theo Riddick offers the same basic skill package at a far more economical price.

Bush carries a cap figure of $5.27 million next year. He's an expensive luxury item for Detroit, a two-seat convertible for a team more in need of a full-sized pickup truck to carry the same load. Cutting him would save just over $3.5 million.

Cutting him would also make the Lions much thinner at running back. Bush proved his value to the team at the end of the season, impressing with his healthy legs and more strident rushing.

His fate will be one of the more interesting stories to follow as the offseason progresses.

All salary information is from Spotrac. All advanced statistics, grades and snap counts are from Pro Football Focus, which requires a subscription for premium content.