“Dead Money” Weighing Heavy On Lions ‘08 Salary Cap
April 9, 2008 on 9:10 pm | In Uncategorized |“Killer” Kowalski is reporting on MLive.com that the Lions have $15.2 million in “dead money” on their current payroll books due to trades, releases, etc. This large amount of money tied up in players who are no longer on their current roster is about $5 million above the league average, and will eat up about 10% of their total cap space.
The Lions have experienced heavy roster turnover and have suffered from an excessive number of draft busts that have ultimately put them into this financial bind. The Lions should be able to sign all of their upcoming draft picks ($700,000 to $1.2 million under their cap), and may explore other options to massage their final cap figures, but they will ultimately be hamstrung by this “dead money”, should they need to add any more players due to injury.
Speaking of the draft, after recently broadcasting brazenly whom the Lions were planning on visiting with prior to the draft, Rod Marinelli and the Lions front office staff have been very quiet as the draft rapidly approaches.
I am encouraged that names like Gosder Cherilus, Jerod Mayo, Jordan Dizon, and Derrick Harvey have been associated with the Lions rather than the flashier names Matt Millen normally has gravitated towards.
Whether this extra “dead money” hampers the Lions ability to consider attempting to trade up into the back end of the first round, remains to be seen.
The Roy Williams trade rumors are dying a very slow death. The Lions claim that they will not trade Williams, but where there is smoke there is always fire. The Lions will demand a lot in any trade for Williams, given the relatively weak class of available wide receivers in the ‘08 draft.
Williams recent comments that he would like to play in Dallas do not help to snuff out these rumors, either. Williams, never at a loss for words, has mostly taken the high road, but I would like to see him avoid comment for the immediate future. His value only increases, not decreases, in a situation shrouded with secrecy.
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This is what I’ve been saying all along. The Lions would have been better off if they had no first round draft picks to sign to bonuses which will continue to haunt them after they have been cut. Damn it all straight to hell.
Comment by Angry Lion Fan f/k/a Hondo — April 10, 2008 #
In ‘09, most of this money will be off of the books. That doesn’t mean Millen won’t continue to blow picks, though.
When we draft that 1st round running back, who invariably will hold out, and then subsequently blow out in his knee in week 4, that “dead money” will be replenished, and the Lions will still suck.
Wait a minute, I am supposed to be turning over a more optimistic leaf. Millen will finally get it right, and select an offensive tackle, and then trade back into the first round and select a defensive end (the falling Philip Merling?) and both will end up being draft steals!!!!
Come on Yuk, the bitterness has to stop. Look, the Tigers are now 1-6, whaddya think about that? Whoo Hoo!!!
Comment by Steve — April 10, 2008 #
Millen will select something shiny and amusing to the untrained eye. I can’t escape the bitterness until the Tigers are at least .500. Go Wings.
Comment by Angry Lion Fan f/k/a Hondo — April 10, 2008 #