6 Cuts That Could Create Cap Space for the Detroit Lions
The final whistle of the Super Bowl signals the official kickoff of speculation season in the NFL. The Detroit Lions are itching to build on a solid 2014 but need to find some more cap space to do so.
That means there are a few veterans who could be looking for work soon.
Some of these guys didn't do anything wrong. Their contracts just offer the type of out that might be hard to ignore when staring down the barrel of a Ndamukong Suh megacontract.
Others just haven't performed well enough to justify a continued investment. It's the unfortunate reality of playing in an ultra-competitive league.
But those are the breaks. Click through to find out which Lions may be rocking new colors come fall.
S James Ihedigbo
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Read this carefully—in absolutely no way do I see the Lions cutting bait with James Ihedigbo before the 2015 NFL season.
My job here is to bring you the facts with some analysis sprinkled over the top for taste. If Detroit cut Ihedigbo, the Lions would free up $1.625 million, per Spotrac.com.
Again, that doesn't mean it's probable. Just possible.
Ihedigbo is in the final year of a two-year deal worth $3.125 million total. His salary-cap number is $2 million with only $375,000 in dead money, resulting in the savings outlined above.
That sweet cap relief will never be realized though. Ihedigbo graded out as the 14th-best safety in 2014, per Pro Football Focus, and freed up Glover Quin to blossom as a free safety.
However, there were some early-season injuries and late-season struggles that could cause more than a few to ponder this decision:
"Lions benched S James Ihedigbo last week. Wonder if a repeat decision is merited after that angle.
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) January 4, 2015"
While Martin Mayhew will likely look for an Ihedigbo replacement in the draft, he's not going to let the veteran walk without a plan in place. Don't expect this move to come to pass despite some of the late-season struggles in pass coverage.
RB Reggie Bush
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All of the good vibrations of Reggie Bush's Motown revival have gone the way of Marky Mark's Funky Bunch. The Lions are preparing for a $5.3 million cap hit attached to a running back who didn't do a lot of rushing last year.
Bush followed up his 1,006-yard 2013 season with a paltry 297 yards, partially because he was only available for 281 snaps. In all, he's missed seven games in the last two years.
But the bigger concern could be Bush's declining explosiveness.
There were times when the old Reggie made an appearance, like his ankle-breaking touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys. However, those instances were few and far between as evidenced by his season-long rush of 26 yards.
| Rush Yds | Average | Rec Yds | Avg | TDs | |
| 2013 | 1,006 | 4.5 | 506 | 9.4 | 7 |
| 2014 | 297 | 3.9 | 253 | 6.3 | 2 |
The drop-off between the two years is severe enough that Detroit will entertain the thought of cutting Bush even though it would only represent a savings of $1.7 million. However, if the Lions designate him a post-June 1 release, they can split his $3.56 million worth of dead money between the 2015 and 2016 salary caps.
DE Jason Jones
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Jason Jones is a popular name in articles about Detroit's salary cap because of the potential savings he represents.
The former Seattle Seahawk is in the last year of a three-year deal worth $9.5 million. His cap hit creeps up $300,000 this year to $3.98 million while the dead money on his contract drops to just $833,334.
Thus, cutting Jones now would free up $3.15 million in cap space. That number makes it a seemingly easy choice if you poll the fans, and it's hard to blame them.
Jones didn't rack up the stats of Ezekiel Ansah or even reserve defensive end George Johnson. There were, however, a few big plays along the way, like when he single-handedly turned the Minnesota Vikings game around with two plays:
"Great series and game for #Lions Jason Jones who followed sack with block of FG. #MINvsDET
— Paula Pasche (@paulapasche) December 14, 2014"
There has been some pushback on Twitter about his value as a run defender. The theory is he sets the edge with his strength, effectively shutting down one side of the running game, which helps create one-dimensional offenses.
Mayhew will have to weigh that against the money he can apply to other problems. Time will tell if Detroit can afford almost $4 million for a run-stuffing defensive end.
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WR Ryan Broyles
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Few players have the fan-support-to-production ratio that Ryan Broyles enjoys. Kellen Moore might be the king of this category, but the NCAA's former all-time leader in receptions has a fervent fanbase for 10 catches in two years.
Most of it is probably borne of frustration. Corey Fuller and Jeremy Ross contributed sparingly throughout the year, so Broyles it the proverbial backup quarterback who could be better.
But the truth is the NFL doesn't employ the type of team-level conspiracies that create click-inducing headlines. If head coach Jim Caldwell thought he would help the team win or was better than the above duo, he would have played.
There isn't a ton of cash to free up here. Broyles' cap hit is so low that letting him walk would only give the Lions another $891,886.
And it appears that Martin Mayhew hasn't given up on the former second-rounder yet, as he told Kyle Meinke of MLive.com:
"He didn't get an opportunity to get in, but I look forward to seeing what he does this offseason and seeing his continual development," Mayhew said this week. "He'll be a year removed from that Achilles injury. I think he'll have a little bit more pep in his step this offseason.
"So I'll look forward to seeing him work.
"
The lack of savings and Mayhew's statement seem to indicate Broyles' return. However, I'd temper that enthusiasm. He couldn't beat out either Fuller or Ross last year, and next year brings another competitor in T.J. Jones. It might be best for all parties to part ways now and for Detroit to stash the cash for draft picks.
TE Brandon Pettigrew
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We go from fan favorite to fan-forsaken.
Brandon Pettigrew's fall from grace reached its nadir in 2014. His receptions had dropped by double digits every year since his career-high 83 catches in 2011, culminating in just 10 catches this past season.
Jeff Moss puts it in perspective pretty nicely:
"The same Brandon Pettigrew, mind you, who had less TDs this year than some 400 pound offensive lineman on the Baylor Bears.
— Jeff Moss (@JeffMossDSR) January 6, 2015"
Pettigrew has been relegated to a blocker in Joe Lombardi's offense. And that isn't going well, considering Pro Football Focus graded him as the 42nd-best run-blocking tight end and slotted him 61st in pass protection.
Unfortunately, cutting Pettigrew wouldn't bring much relief. His cap number sits at $3.8 million, and his release would only secure $800,000. This is one case where the Lions will probably bite the bullet and hope Pettigrew regains his former form.
LB Stephen Tulloch
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The hardest decisions in life can often be the most rewarding. That scenario is certainly true for Detroit.
Stephen Tulloch—a true team captain in every sense—could give the Lions the room they need to lock down Ndamukong Suh while still having enough maneuverability to find the few pieces needed to contend. Letting Tulloch find a new home would save the Lions $3.2 million if they made the move today or $4.5 million if they designate him a post-June 1 release.
Obviously, if they go the later route, that means $1.3 million would count against 2016's cap. But it's enough money to at least make Martin Mayhew go mute:
"Mayhew also declined comment when asked if Reggie Bush or Stephen Tulloch were potential salary cap casualties.
— Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) February 1, 2015"
No, we can't read too much into a non-comment from Mayhew. We can, however, look at the defense's performance after Tulloch's unfortunate injury and see that the unit still finished atop the rushing-defense heap.
Tahir Whitehead proved himself to be a capable starting middle linebacker. Tulloch may be considered a locker room leader, but it's very possible that he might fulfill that role in a different city.
All salary-cap numbers are sourced from Spotrac.com. All advanced stats, grades and positional rankings are courtesy of Pro Football Focus.
Brandon Alisoglu is a Detroit Lions Featured Columnist who has written about the Lions on multiple sites. He also co-hosts a Lions-centric podcast, Lions Central Radio. Yell at him on Twitter about how wrong he is @BrandonAlisoglu.
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