NFL Rumors: Detroit Lions don’t have enough cap space to sign draft picks

The city of Detroit infamously filed for bankruptcy in late 2013, but the financial problems of the city extend to financial problems with the team as well. While the Lions have been handicapped by taking most of their top players with high draft picks before the new CBA was struck, the team is just about broke — like flat broke.

So broke that they don’t have enough money to sign every single one of their draft picks in this upcoming NFL Draft in May. According to Chris McCosky of the Detroit News, even after the Lions cut veterans Louis Delmas and Nate Burleson, the team won’t have enough money to rebuild positions like wide receiver in free agency, let alone the draft.

"But for Lewand, the clock is ticking – loudly. Free agency begins March 11 and even after clearing $11.5 million by releasing Nate Burleson and Louis Delmas, the Lions don’t have enough cap space right now to sign all the players they will draft this year."

This causes a massive problem in not only starting off the Jim Caldwell era right, but giving Ndamukong Suh a long-term extension. Suh is going to be expensive and the fact that he’s signed with Roc Nation, the agency run by Jay Z who convinced the Seattle Mariners to give Robinson Cano every penny they had, doesn’t help ease tensions in the front office.

Detroit is strapped for cash, but the team can figure things out and move money around. The only question is can they reduce Suh’s cap hit in time, or will the 2014 season start out as embarrassing as the 2013 season ended?