In a move that has a lot more to do with the Lions salary cap situation for the rest of 2021, the team has created some room by restructuring the contract of right guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai.
Detroit converted the remaining $1.335 million of Vaitai’s 2021 base salary into an immediate signing bonus. With the way the bonus amortizes over the remaining three seasons on Vaitai’s five-year deal, the move frees up $1 million in cap room for the rest of this season. It bumps up the contractual hit on Vaitai’s deal to just over $302,000 for each remaining year.
It also gives the Lions less incentive to dump Vaitai in the offseason. Releasing the veteran after the season now saves just $3.5 million in cap room instead of $4.2. It seems quite unlikely the team had any interest in dumping Vaitai, who has played well as the right guard and has also served as an invaluable mentor to rookie right tackle Penei Sewell.
The Lions had very little wiggle room to sign any free agents or practice squad players over the final two weeks, and that’s a real issue due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks that have plagued the Lions and just about every NFL team lately.
