The Detroit Lions have made quite a few changes to their roster since the 2015 NFL Draft. In addition to signing several undrafted free agents, they have added some veteran free agents to their roster and released a few players as well. Following all of those moves, the Lions now have 90 total players on their roster:
| Position | Player | 2015 cap hit | Final year | Position | Player | 2015 cap hit | Final year |
| QB | Matthew Stafford | $17,721,250 | 2017 | DE | Ziggy Ansah | $5,071,228 | 2016+TO |
| Dan Orlovsky | $665,000 | 2015 | Jason Jones | $3,983,334 | 2015 | ||
| Kellen Moore | $830,000 | 2016 | Darryl Tapp | $665,000 | 2015 | ||
| Anthony Boone | $436,000 | 2017 | Devin Taylor | $660,146 | 2016 | ||
| RB | Joique Bell | $3,500,000 | 2016 | Larry Webster | $585,146 | 2017 | |
| Ameer Abdullah | $755,659 | 2018 | Corey Wootton | $665,000 | 2015 | ||
| Theo Riddick | $607,750 | 2016 | Phillip Hunt | $585,000 | 2015 | ||
| George Winn | $510,000 | 2015 | Kerry Hyder | $435,000 | 2016 | ||
| Zach Zenner | $436,666 | 2017 | DT | Haloti Ngata | $8,500,000 | 2015 | |
| Desmond Martin | $435,000 | 2017 | Tyrunn Walker | $1,750,000 | 2015 | ||
| FB | Michael Burton | $481,089 | 2018 | Gabe Wright | $565,289 | 2018 | |
| Emil Igwenagu | $585,000 | 2016 | Caraun Reid | $557,220 | 2017 | ||
| WR | Calvin Johnson | $20,558,000 | 2019 | Jermelle Cudjo | $660,000 | 2015 | |
| Golden Tate | $5,350,000 | 2018 | Xavier Proctor | $435,000 | 2016 | ||
| Jeremy Ross | $660,000 | 2015 | Roy Philon | $435,000 | 2016 | ||
| Corey Fuller | $510,000 | 2015 | LB | DeAndre Levy | $4,500,000 | 2015 | |
| TJ Jones | $536,550 | 2017 | Stephen Tulloch | $5,800,000 | 2016 | ||
| Ryan Broyles | $1,170,432 | 2015 | Tahir Whitehead | $713,000 | 2015 | ||
| Lance Moore | $665,000 | 2015 | Josh Bynes | $785,000 | 2016 | ||
| Greg Salas | $585,000 | 2015 | Kyle Van Noy | $1,159,569 | 2017 | ||
| Andrew Peacock | $435,000 | 2016 | Travis Lewis | $674,793 | 2015 | ||
| Vernon Johnson | $438,333 | 2017 | Julian Stanford | $660,000 | 2015 | ||
| Erik Lora | $435,000 | 2015 | Brandon Copeland | $460,000 | 2015 | ||
| Jarred Haggins | $435,000 | 2017 | Jerrell Harris | $435,000 | 2016 | ||
| TE | Brandon Pettigrew | $3,800,000 | 2017 | Kevin Snyder | $435,333 | 2017 | |
| Eric Ebron | $2,783,897 | 2017+TO | CB | Darius Slay | $1,442,537 | 2016 | |
| Joseph Fauria | $589,168 | 2015 | Rashean Mathis | $1,625,000 | 2016 | ||
| Jordan Thompson | $435,000 | 2016 | Alex Carter | $607,187 | 2018 | ||
| Casey Pierce | $437,333 | 2017 | Bill Bentley | $817,278 | 2015 | ||
| OT | Riley Reiff | $2,543,450 | 2016 | Nevin Lawson | $510,146 | 2017 | |
| LaAdrian Waddle | $588,334 | 2015 | Quandre Diggs | $463,838 | 2018 | ||
| Cornelius Lucas | $516,666 | 2016 | Josh Wilson | $665,000 | 2015 | ||
| Corey Robinson | $449,477 | 2018 | Chris Owens | $585,000 | 2015 | ||
| Michael Williams | $435,000 | 2016 | Mohammed Seisay | $510,000 | 2015 | ||
| OG | Laken Tomlinson | 2018+TO | Crezdon Butler | $587,500 | 2015 | ||
| Larry Warford | $849,250 | 2016 | S | Glover Quin | $3,572,500 | 2017 | |
| Manny Ramirez | $3,000,000 | 2015 | James Ihedigbo | $1,975,000 | 2015 | ||
| Al Bond | $437,000 | 2017 | Isa Abdul-Quddus | $1,500,000 | 2015 | ||
| Torrian Wilson | $438,666 | 2017 | Don Carey | $995,000 | 2016 | ||
| C | Travis Swanson | $699,868 | 2017 | Nate Ness | $585,000 | 2015 | |
| Darren Keyton | $435,000 | 2016 | Isaiah Johnson | $439,000 | 2017 | ||
| Taylor Boggs | $585,000 | 2016 | Brian Suite | $435,666 | 2017 | ||
| Braxston Cave | $435,000 | 2016 | Nathan Lindsey | $435,000 | 2017 | ||
| K | Matt Prater | $1,437,500 | 2016+TO | ||||
| Kyle Brindza | $437,500 | 2017 | |||||
| P | Sam Martin | $625,075 | 2016 | ||||
| LS | Don Muhlbach | $665,000 | 2015 |