Tag: Detroit Lions roster moves

Lions officially release CB Desmond Trufant

Lions officially release CB Desmond Trufant after one injury-filled season

It took quite a bit longer than expected to happen, but Desmond Trufant is no longer on the Detroit Lions. The team released the starting outside cornerback several days after reports surfaced that the move was coming. Detroit announced the release in the same press briefing that confirmed the re-signing of LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin.

The Lions attempted to trade Trufant but found no takers for the 30-year-old veteran and his $9.5 million base salary in 2021. Now Trufant is free to sign with any team.

The release has some salary cap oddities. The Lions will eat $6 million in dead cap due to guarantees in Trufant’s two-year, $20 million deal he signed last offseason. But the move frees up $6.19 million in cap room for the 2021 season for Detroit.

Trufant played in just six games with the Lions in an injury-ravaged season. He picked off one pass, broke up four and notched a sack amongst his 20 total tackles.

All contract info is referenced from Over The Cap.

Lions will release DT Danny Shelton, save millions in cap room

Cutting Shelton saves $4M in cap room

The Detroit Lions are set to release starting nose tackle Danny Shelton to help free up salary cap space. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported the pending move on Tuesday morning and it was quickly confirmed by a team source.

Shelton is entering the second season of a two-year, $8 million deal he signed before last season. Cutting the 28-year-old nose tackle will save the Lions $4 million against the salary cap for 2021.

In 12 games, all starts, for the Lions, “Feast Mode” notched 37 tackles and one sack playing nose tackle. Last year’s rookie, John Penisini, is poised to take over Shelton’s role.

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Report: Lions are releasing QB Chase Daniel

Cutting Daniel saves over $2 million in cap room

Backup quarterback Chase Daniel is the latest Lions player heading out of Detroit. The team is releasing the veteran after one season, according to a report from Ian Rapoport from the NFL Network.

Daniel, 34, signed a three-year, $13.1 million contract at the beginning of the 2020 free agency period to become Matthew Stafford’s new backup. The deal included a $2.25 million signing bonus. Cutting Daniel saves the Lions some considerable cap room for 2021. While swallowing some dead money with his bonuses, the Lions still free up $2.3 million in cap space. If Daniel is designated as a post-June 1st cut, the number jumps to $3 million.

Daniel playing sparingly in four games in Detroit, completing 29 of his 43 pass attempts for 264 yards. He threw one TD and two INTs. The team has been trying to trade Daniel but found no takers.

Dumping Daniel leaves just Jared Goff–once the trade is finalized next week–and David Blough on the Lions roster at quarterback.

Lions release veteran guard Joe Dahl

Dahl started 21 games in 5 seasons in Detroit

The Detroit Lions announced they have released former starting guard Joe Dahl.

It’s not an unexpected move. Dahl was due a salary of $2.675 million in 2021 as well as some roster bonuses, but he was not projected to be more than the top reserve guard on the team. Releasing the 28-year-old saves the Lions $2.84 million against the salary cap in 2021.

Dahl joined the Lions as a fifth-round pick out of Washington in the 2016 NFL draft. He worked his way into a starting position in 2019 after spot-starting and swinging between right and left guard in his first three years. He lost the starting gig to rookie Jonah Jackson in 2020.

Dahl should find a taker on the open market. Because he was cut, he will not factor into any compensatory draft pick equations.

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Lions release veteran guard Joe Dahl

Dahl started 21 games in 5 seasons in Detroit

The Detroit Lions announced they have released former starting guard Joe Dahl.

It’s not an unexpected move. Dahl was due a salary of $2.675 million in 2021 as well as some roster bonuses, but he was not projected to be more than the top reserve guard on the team. Releasing the 28-year-old saves the Lions $2.84 million against the salary cap in 2021.

Dahl joined the Lions as a fifth-round pick out of Washington in the 2016 NFL draft. He worked his way into a starting position in 2019 after spot-starting and swinging between right and left guard in his first three years. He lost the starting gig to rookie Jonah Jackson in 2020.

Dahl should find a taker on the open market. Because he was cut, he will not factor into any compensatory draft pick equations.

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Lions sign free agent TE Josh Hill

Hill spent his first 8 seasons with the Saints

The Detroit Lions announced on Saturday they have signed free agent tight end Josh Hill.

Hill comes to the Lions from the New Orleans Saints, where he spent the last eight seasons. The Saints released Hill earlier this offseason to save cap room, which made Hill available to sign before the NFL’s free agency period officially kicks off on March 17th.

Primarily an in-line tight end, Hill started 61 of his 117 career games. He was used as a blocker and in motion in the Saints offense but does have some receiving ability; Hill caught between 14 and 25 passes six seasons in a row and has 15 career TD catches in 116 receptions.

Hill projects to instantly replace Jesse James as the No. 2 tight end in Detroit. The Lions released James this week in a cost-cutting move of their own.

Terms of the deal were not immediately available.

Lions have released TE Jesse James per reports

The move frees up at least $2.1M in salary cap room

One of the bigger swings and misses in free agency in Lions history has mercifully come to an end. The Lions have released tight end Jesse James after two underperforming, underwhelming seasons.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to report the move.

Releasing James frees up at least $2.1 million in salary cap room for 2021. If the team designates James as a June 1st cut, the figure goes up to $5 million. There is no indication on the contractual fine print of his release.

James signed with the Lions prior to the 2019 season after four seasons with modest success in Pittsburgh. Then-GM Bob Quinn turned some heads by paying the career backup $25 million over four years.

It was obvious from the very first training camp session in 2019 that the move might not work out. James just didn’t have the athleticism or the consistency to his blocking to handle the role designed for the No. 2 tight end in Darrell Bevell’s offense. He caught just 30 passes for 272 yards in two seasons in Detroit, a lower total than any of his final three years in Pittsburgh.

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Report: Lions will release CB Justin Coleman

Coleman is due an $8.95 million salary in both 2021 and 2022

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It appears Justin Coleman’s time in Detroit is coming to an abrupt end. A report from Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, quickly echoed by other sources, indicates the Lions will release the slot cornerback after just two seasons in Detroit.

Coleman played the first two years of a four-year, $36 million contract signed as a free agent prior to the 2019 season. The former Seahawks standout was expected to solidify the slot corner position in Detroit, but it just did not come together as expected. Coleman struggled with penalties and missed tackles, as well as speedy receivers, in 2019. Those issues were more prevalent in 2020, a season that also saw Coleman miss five games with an injury.

The Lions will save at least $4.94 million in cap room in 2021 as a result of the anticipated move. The savings goes up to $9 million if the team designates Coleman as a post-June 1st cut when he is officially released. He was due $8.95 million in base salary in both 2021 and 2022.

Lions re-sign Mike Ford to a new contract

Ford was set to be a restricted free agent

The Detroit Lions are bringing back cornerback and core special teams player Mike Ford. The team announced on Monday it has re-signed Ford to a new contract, the terms of which have yet to be disclosed.

With Ford back in Detroit, the Lions no longer have any restricted free agents pending. The Lions faced a deadline of extending a tender offer to Ford, but signing him to a new contract ends any drama there.

Ford has played three seasons in Detroit, appearing in 31 games and starting seven. He consistently shows speed and energy at both CB and on special teams, though his coverage skills can be clunky. He did grade out with the highest PFF coverage score on the team in 2020 with an 87.6, albeit in just 26 coverage snaps.

He joined the team as an undrafted rookie from SE Missouri State following the 2018 NFL draft and has worked his way up from the practice squad. Ford has shown enough to the new coaching staff to bring back for at least one more season.

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Lions release LB Christian Jones and OL Russell Bodine

The moves free up over $3.4 million in cap room

The Detroit Lions announced two more players will not be back with the team. Detroit released linebacker Christian Jones and offensive lineman Russell Bodine.

Jones played three seasons in Detroit and started 42 of 45 games. His best season was his first, logging 69 tackles and showing versatility at playing all over the formation. His play declined and so did his playing time, with the 30-year-old playing less than half the defensive snaps in 2020.

Bodine was a reserve offensive lineman signed during the 2020 season. He never played for the Lions and hasn’t taken a regular-season snap since 2018 in Buffalo.

Cutting the two players saves the team some valuable salary cap room. Jones saves the Lions at least $2.56 million, and that figure goes up if he is designated as a post-June 1 release. Bodine’s release frees up $850,000. Both figures are per Over The Cap.

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