Estimated 2022 Salary Cap-About $208 Million

[Just Want A Title]

It looks like the salary cap for 2022 is going about $208 million.  Where are the Lions project to be at taking into probably cuts such as Trey Flowers?  Would there be a free agent that should be a priority for the Lions?  Would you target a bigger name like Hassan Reddick or even JC Jackson?  My names to watch:  WR Michael Gallup, Jessie Bates III and LB Jermaine Carter.  Thoughts?

https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-s-salary-cap-expected-to-hit-208m-in-2022

https://www.profootballnetwork.com/2022-nfl-free-agents-top-free-agents-by-position-available/

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2950965-2022-nfl-free-agency-ranking-the-top-9-players-set-to-hit-the-market

 

Edited December 6, 2021 by Just Want A Title
Forgot something

[Sllim Pickens]

There are a few guys I really like that I think we should target.

Marcus Williams - We need an impact safety and he is familiar with Aaron Glenn.  Things seem to be falling apart down in NO and they are tight on cap space so I doubt they can keep him. 

Michael Gallup - He isn't a #1 but could be a solid #2.  This will lesson the demand for needing one in the draft.  Back up plan would be DJ Chark.  I would love to sign Mike Williams but guessing he will be more expensive than we want to pay but he could be a big help to our offense. 

I would like to see us sign another TE.  Someone like Uzomah or Maxx Williams.  Doesn't have to be a stud but someone who can come in and be helpful in run sets and 2 TE sets.  I think that would help both the short passing game and run game and rookie TEs take a while to acclimate and I don't really want to spend a top 3 round pick on one.  

I would love to add a LB but there are also a few I really like in the draft (Nakobe Dean, Devin Lloyd, Damone Clarke, Brandon Smith, Christian Harris) so I don't think this is a big name grab but would love someone like Jayon Brown. 

We could go grab a CB as well given we don't know how Okudah will return and Iffy is still a big question mark.  But I do like our young CBs and think they have played rather well down the stretch so I wouldn't blow a ton of money on adding a top end CB. 

[Just Want A Title]

7 hours ago, Sllim Pickens said:

There are a few guys I really like that I think we should target.

Marcus Williams - We need an impact safety and he is familiar with Aaron Glenn.  Things seem to be falling apart down in NO and they are tight on cap space so I doubt they can keep him. 

Michael Gallup - He isn't a #1 but could be a solid #2.  This will lesson the demand for needing one in the draft.  Back up plan would be DJ Chark.  I would love to sign Mike Williams but guessing he will be more expensive than we want to pay but he could be a big help to our offense. 

I would like to see us sign another TE.  Someone like Uzomah or Maxx Williams.  Doesn't have to be a stud but someone who can come in and be helpful in run sets and 2 TE sets.  I think that would help both the short passing game and run game and rookie TEs take a while to acclimate and I don't really want to spend a top 3 round pick on one.  

I would love to add a LB but there are also a few I really like in the draft (Nakobe Dean, Devin Lloyd, Damone Clarke, Brandon Smith, Christian Harris) so I don't think this is a big name grab but would love someone like Jayon Brown. 

We could go grab a CB as well given we don't know how Okudah will return and Iffy is still a big question mark.  But I do like our young CBs and think they have played rather well down the stretch so I wouldn't blow a ton of money on adding a top end CB. 

Devin Lloyd would make a great addition to our LB unit.  He shouldn't be taken with our first pick.  He won't be available with our second first round pick

[Sllim Pickens]

1 minute ago, Just Want A Title said:

Devin Lloyd would make a great addition to our LB unit.  He shouldn't be taken with our first pick.  He won't be available with our second first round pick

There is a decent chance he is available at our second pick.  I think Clarke is the one rising for the draft.  He will be a first rounder when its all said and done.  I think Dean goes off the board first and Harris/Smith both have the chance to move around into the first.  Lloyd very well could be an option, especially if the Rams lose a couple more games. 

[Lions017]

On 12/6/2021 at 9:50 AM, Sllim Pickens said:

There are a few guys I really like that I think we should target.

Marcus Williams - We need an impact safety and he is familiar with Aaron Glenn.  Things seem to be falling apart down in NO and they are tight on cap space so I doubt they can keep him. 

Michael Gallup - He isn't a #1 but could be a solid #2.  This will lesson the demand for needing one in the draft.  Back up plan would be DJ Chark.  I would love to sign Mike Williams but guessing he will be more expensive than we want to pay but he could be a big help to our offense. 

I would like to see us sign another TE.  Someone like Uzomah or Maxx Williams.  Doesn't have to be a stud but someone who can come in and be helpful in run sets and 2 TE sets.  I think that would help both the short passing game and run game and rookie TEs take a while to acclimate and I don't really want to spend a top 3 round pick on one.  

I would love to add a LB but there are also a few I really like in the draft (Nakobe Dean, Devin Lloyd, Damone Clarke, Brandon Smith, Christian Harris) so I don't think this is a big name grab but would love someone like Jayon Brown. 

We could go grab a CB as well given we don't know how Okudah will return and Iffy is still a big question mark.  But I do like our young CBs and think they have played rather well down the stretch so I wouldn't blow a ton of money on adding a top end CB. 

An impact safety would be a huge addition. I think that Walker is a really good player, but he's being asked to do way too much out there. It feels like he's always cleaning up other people's messes. 

I like a lot of these plans a lot. I agree about adding a receiver from that second or third tier of free agents - a guy like Gallup or Chark would be miles better than anything that we have. They're both better off as a #2 receiver, I think, but they could hold down the #1 role while a rookie gets acclimated. 

I still think that we need to draft someone early, but Gallup/Rookie/St.-Brown could be a solid trio, and then you'd still have Cephus to rotate in and maybe you bring back Raymond. That's not an elite group, but it would be enough to go from bottom of the league to at least "pretty good." 

I'd also consider a backup QB. Even if we don't draft one, it wouldn't hurt to bring in someone to push Goff or take over if he goes off of the rails. Tyrod Taylor, Jacoby Brissett, Mitchell Trubisky, etc. 

[Sllim Pickens]

12 minutes ago, Lions017 said:

An impact safety would be a huge addition. I think that Walker is a really good player, but he's being asked to do way too much out there. It feels like he's always cleaning up other people's messes. 

I like a lot of these plans a lot. I agree about adding a receiver from that second or third tier of free agents - a guy like Gallup or Chark would be miles better than anything that we have. They're both better off as a #2 receiver, I think, but they could hold down the #1 role while a rookie gets acclimated. 

I still think that we need to draft someone early, but Gallup/Rookie/St.-Brown could be a solid trio, and then you'd still have Cephus to rotate in and maybe you bring back Raymond. That's not an elite group, but it would be enough to go from bottom of the league to at least "pretty good." 

I'd also consider a backup QB. Even if we don't draft one, it wouldn't hurt to bring in someone to push Goff or take over if he goes off of the rails. Tyrod Taylor, Jacoby Brissett, Mitchell Trubisky, etc. 

I'd prefer drafting a young QB to groom behind Goff and take over that brings a little excitement for potential opposed to Blough or Boyle.  If we bring in a vet, I would look at Trubisky first to add some competition.  Taylor and Brissett dont do much for me.  There is a lack of upside there that just doesnt excite me.  

I agree that an early pick at WR would help a ton but also not forcing it.  If the elites are gone at the Rams pick then we use that pick on BPA.  Same at 33/34.  I don't want to pass on a Nakobe Dean, Lloyd, etc just to force a second tier WR.  But I would take a couple WRs in this draft, with one hopefully coming from the first three rounds and the other a high potential pick. 

[Lions017]

2 hours ago, Sllim Pickens said:

I'd prefer drafting a young QB to groom behind Goff and take over that brings a little excitement for potential opposed to Blough or Boyle.  If we bring in a vet, I would look at Trubisky first to add some competition.  Taylor and Brissett dont do much for me.  There is a lack of upside there that just doesnt excite me.  

I agree that an early pick at WR would help a ton but also not forcing it.  If the elites are gone at the Rams pick then we use that pick on BPA.  Same at 33/34.  I don't want to pass on a Nakobe Dean, Lloyd, etc just to force a second tier WR.  But I would take a couple WRs in this draft, with one hopefully coming from the first three rounds and the other a high potential pick. 

I think that the reason you might bring in a veteran is to help the other guys. At a certain point, if Goff isn't cutting it, you hope to have someone else that you can put in there that can make the team better. It's not fair to the development of some of our young receivers, for example, to not have a competent QB throwing them the ball. You also don't want another season that goes off the rails and you're looking at another 2 win season, because at that point you worry about guys wanting out or just not buying in anymore. A veteran also provides some flexibility - if someone falls to you in the draft that you like then that's great, but it doesn't mean that you 100% have to take someone. 

A lot of teams also just carry three QB's these days. Wouldn't hurt to have Goff, a rookie and another veteran. If we get another OC then maybe they bring in someone that knows that system. 

Edited December 7, 2021 by Lions017

[Sllim Pickens]

3 minutes ago, Lions017 said:

I think that the reason you might bring in a veteran is to help the other guys. At a certain point, if Goff isn't cutting it, you hope to have someone else that you can put in there that can make the team better. It's not fair to the development of some of our young receivers, for example, to not have a competent QB throwing them the ball. You also don't want another season that goes off the rails and you're looking at another 2 win season, because at that point you worry about guys wanting out or just not buying in anymore. A veteran also provides some flexibility - if someone falls to you in the draft that you like then that's great, but it doesn't mean that you 100% have to take someone. 

A lot of teams also just carry three QB's these days. Wouldn't hurt to have Goff, a rookie and another veteran. If we get another OC then maybe they bring in someone that knows that system. 

Goff has shown enough to be on the level of guys like Trubisky, Taylor, etc.  All guys with talent but don't necessarily win games for you.  I don't see the point with Goffs contract which we likely cant get out of until next year of bringing in another vet that is extremely similar.  Goff isn't trash, but he isn't Stafford.  He is what those other guys are.  A rookie and or another young QB with potential is fine.  I am over Boyle and Blough though.  They are a waste of roster space.  Might as well have a WR play QB if needed and try to win like NE did. 

[Just Want A Title]

What is our projected cap number assuming we cut Trey Flowers?

[Sllim Pickens]

15 hours ago, Just Want A Title said:

What is our projected cap number assuming we cut Trey Flowers?

https://overthecap.com/salary-cap/detroit-lions/

This shows us at $39.8M right now, if we cut Flowers we would have another $10.3M.  If we cut him post June 1, it would be an extra $16M.  Vatai would save us another 4.2M unless cut after June 1 he would then save us $7M.  Cutting Romeo Okwara after June 1 would save $6M so depending on how he recovers from the Achilles injury we could potentially be around $60M in cap space. 

[Lions017]

With the way that he has been playing I think that we should keep Vaitai for another year. He has been rock solid for us this year. At the very least keep him through training camp and cut him at the end if we have a rookie that looks good. 

[Nnivolcm]

It's going to be exciting watching this regime when they've finally broken free from the handcuffs Quintricia left them with. 

[LionArkie]

7 minutes ago, Nnivolcm said:

It's going to be exciting watching this regime when they've finally broken free from the handcuffs Quintricia left them with. 

I feel like it is so hard to evaluate anything this year due to last years regime. I actually think Quintricia was worse than the Millen years.

[Millenhater]

13 minutes ago, LionArkie said:

I feel like it is so hard to evaluate anything this year due to last years regime. I actually think Quintricia was worse than the Millen years.

I think that is recency  bias.  NOTHING was worse than the Millen years.  NOTHING.  Like possibly in all of sports.

[Millenhater]

1 hour ago, Lions017 said:

With the way that he has been playing I think that we should keep Vaitai for another year. He has been rock solid for us this year. At the very least keep him through training camp and cut him at the end if we have a rookie that looks good. 

I wonder if we can get him to take a pay cut/restructure this offseason