Romeo Okwara’s time with the Detroit Lions hasn’t gone exactly as planned. The veteran defensive end missed most of the last two seasons after tearing his Achilles in Week 4 of the 2021 campaign. That makes Okwara a prime candidate to be a salary cap-related cut this offseason.
Okwara is one of 15 players who appear on the list from USA TODAY of the top candidates to be released for cap-related issues. He is the only Lions player to appear and the team’s best candidate now that DL Michael Brockers is no longer in Detroit. Okwara has an $11 million salary in 2023 but has been jumped on the depth chart by promising youngsters Aidan Hutchinson, Josh Paschal and James Houston.
The Lions cut Brockers last week, freeing up $10 million in cap room. Dumping Okwara, 27, would free up an additional $7.5 million in 2023, the final year of his contract. Okwara’s deal does have a void year in 2024 that would soak up $3.5 million in dead cap room, but that hit comes no matter what his fate for 2023 might be.
