Players the Lions Should Trade to Shed Salary

The Detroit Lions put together a really underwhelming campaign in 2019. Finishing 3-12-1, they ended the season on a nine-game losing streak. This likely caused a lot of unrest in the front office and coaching staff, and Detroit might need a big bounce-back campaign in 2020 for everyone to save their jobs.

Currently around the middle of the pack in terms of cap space, the Lions might need to make some changes if they hope to make any big-time additions this offseason. With that in mind, here are three players they could look to trade to clear up cap space.

1. Darius Slay, Cornerback

Darius Slay isn't a surefire bet to be back with the Lions in 2020. / Justin Edmonds/Getty Images

Darius Slay has established himself as a top-tier cornerback, but there have been quite a few rumblings that he could get traded this offseason. His contract is set to expire at the end of the 2020 campaign, and if the two can't agree on a price, a trade may be the best course of action. Trading Slay would save Detroit around $10 million in cap space.

2. Ricky Wagner, Offensive Tackle

Ricky Wagner has the fourth-highest cap hit on the Lions. / Tim Warner/Getty Images

Ricky Wagner is solid, but he's likely a little overpaid considering he has a cap hit of $11.9 million. That's the fourth-highest figure on the team, and it's hard to argue Wagner is that valuable. He's still solid, though, and some team could be willing to take flyer on him.

3. Devon Kennard, OLB

Devon Kennard has had 7 sacks in back-to-back seasons. / Justin Edmonds/Getty Images

Devon Kennard has been a really solid veteran since signing with the team in 2018. He's recorded 7.0 sacks in both seasons, but he has eighth-highest cap hit on the team. He's a great veteran who could help out a pass-rush needy team, and the Lions could save about $5.7 million if they move on from Kennard this offseason.

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Max Staley is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Max Staley also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username mstaley1212. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.