They held on to him for more than a week, just to see if there were any takers in the trade market. On Wednesday, shortly after the new league year opened, the Detroit Lions released cornerback Desmond Trufant.
Trufant's release, which frees up $6 million in cap space, was widely expected after it was first reported nearly two weeks ago.
He was due $9.5 million in base salary this fall, with $3.5 million of that guaranteed. Had Trufant remained on the roster for another three days, the Lions would have guaranteed another $1 million in salary.