Tuesday afternoon, it was reported that the Detroit Lions were trading cornerback Jeff Okudah to the Atlanta Falcons for a fifth-round pick, No. 159 overall. Regardless of whether or not you like the move, one of the benefits the Lions get beyond their return on investment is a significant amount of new salary cap space for the 2023 season.
After being drafted third overall in the 2020 NFL draft, Okudah was in the final year of his rookie contract and had a salary cap hit of nearly $10.7 million. The Lions also held a team option to add a fifth-year onto Okudah’s contract, estimated to cost over $11.