Though the 2022 NFL new league year does not officially begin until March 16, you can bet that Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes is working very hard to figure out which moves he can make to give the Lions additional salary cap to work with during the offseason.
In an article recently published in The Athletic, Chris Burke evaluates some moves the Lions could make to free up some cap space.
When breaking down what the Lions could decide to do with DE Michael Brockers, Burke says he is “filing this one away for the trade deadline.”
He notes that Brockers could have some solid trade value if he plays well for the Lions leading up to the deadline.
From The Athletic:
DE Michael Brockers
2022 cap hit: $8.975 million
Cap savings if cut: $1 million ($5 million if traded)
Dead money if cut: $7.95 million ($3.95 million if traded)
File this one away for the trade deadline. Brockers is too valuable up front — and in the locker room — for the Lions to even consider eating his 2022 contract. Should the 31-year-old Brockers stay healthy and play well early next season, though, he’d be a very attractive piece for a playoff contender (assuming Detroit isn’t one itself).
His 2023 cap number is almost $12 million, but $2 million of it is tied up in a prorated signing bonus; the other $10 million is non-guaranteed base salary. That means a team could acquire Brockers as a rental on a very reasonable price tag ($7 million base) at some point this year.
Nation, how do you think this plays out?
