The Detroit Lions have installed a new regime in the Motor City, And those new employees are now hard at work reshaping the Lions’ roster. Their first step was to part ways with longtime quarterback Matthew Stafford, sending him to the Los Angeles Rams in a trade for a boatload of high draft selections and passer Jared Goff.
The pending Stafford trade is considered to be only the tip of the iceberg as a flurry of roster moves are expected in the coming weeks. That’s due in large part to the start of free agency soon and the fact the old regime had a penchant for signing several players from the New England Patriots, their previous employers.
Following the dramatic change under center, fans and media alike have been anxiously waiting for the other shoe to drop. That being the announcement of more players being moved. And now we have one.
According to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, the Lions have informed cornerback Desmond Trufant that they intend to release him at the start of the new NFL year, which begins on March 17. The move will save Detroit at least $3 million in salary cap space.
The Lions can save even more space if they designate Trufant’s release as a post-June 1 cut. Then that savings would jump up to $6.5 million, although his release still incurs a $6 million cap charge according to ESPN.
Trufant was signed just last March to a two-year, $21 million deal. Unfortunately, the former Pro Bowl corner would play just six games in the Motor City due to a lingering hamstring injury. The 30-year old corner would record 20 total tackles, four pass deflections, one interception, and 1.0 sack in 2020.
With Demond Trufant destined to play elsewhere this upcoming season, the logical question to ask is who’s next? Some seem to believe another cornerback, this time veteran Justin Coleman, could soon be released by the Detroit Lions as well.