June 1st Cuts Are Usually Overrated. For the Lions, That’s Still True
June 1st arrives every year with the promise of cap space drama and roster shake-ups. Most of the time it delivers about as much excitement as a Matt Patricia press conference. The Lions are no different.
Here’s the thing about post-June 1st cuts: they sound way more important than they actually are. Yes, teams can spread dead cap over two years instead of eating it all at once. That creates some breathing room. But by June, most of the real roster decisions have already been made during the actual offseason when players and agents are paying attention.
For a team like Detroit that’s operating in a legitimate contending window, preserving future cap space matters just as much as creating current space. Brad Holmes has been methodical about this stuff since day one. The man doesn’t panic cut players for short-term relief when he’s building something sustainable.
Don’t Expect Any Major Moves Unless Brock Wright Becomes Expendable
The Lions just don’t have players sitting around who become better financial decisions to cut after June 1st. Holmes structures contracts in a way that pushes money down the road, which is smart team building but doesn’t create these magical cut candidates.
There is maybe one exception: Brock Wright. If Detroit wanted to move on from him, they could save $3.5 million.
The math makes sense when you look at the tight end room. Sam LaPorta is obviously the centerpiece. Tyler Conklin brings solid blocking ability that’s actually better than Wright’s, plus he can catch passes. Then you’ve got Zach Horton, Thomas Gordon, and rookie Miles Kitselman filling out the depth chart.
If Wright ends up as the TE3 in that group, he’s making decent money for a third tight end. But here’s the flip side: $3.5 million isn’t exactly franchise-altering money. For a team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations, keeping an extra capable depth piece might be worth more than the modest savings.
The smart money says they stand pat. Wright has been a reliable contributor when called upon, and depth matters when you’re trying to make a championship run. But if Holmes sees something in the numbers that we don’t, Wright could be the rare post-June 1st casualty.
Think they’ll actually cut Wright or is this much ado about nothing? Let me know what you’re seeing in the comments.
