According to the sports salary website Spotrac, the Lions will have an estimated $43.2 million available in cap space. That ranks 17th in the NFL and right below the estimated league average of $45.7 million.
The Lions are aware they can’t be frivolous about their spending this year and they likely won’t be major players in free agency. Heading into free agency last year, they had about $40 million in cap space — 11th at the time — and they spent big on free agents Trey Flowers and Justin Coleman.
Free agency opens March 18 and the Lions will have to be judicious about which players they let go and which players they keep.