The Detroit Lions are just such a different team these days. There was a time where they were one of the most financially messed up teams in the league. Nowadays they find themselves with a ton of money left after free agency and the draft and it's just crazy to see. 

Per Over The Cap, the Lions are slated to have $40.3 million in cap space. That's third in the NFL. Only the Commanders and Patriots have more and it's not much more. 

We say slated becasue that figure is assuming that the NFL has approved the Lions request to void the contract of cornerback Cameron Sutton after he was released because he had a warrant out for domestic battery in March. So far no official word has been given on that.

Even without the Sutton money coming back, the Lions still have just over $30 million on the books. If they wind up getting that extra, which they should, then they'll be on a gravy train with biscuit wheels. 

What will they do with that money? That's going to be the big question. Today we have four things that the Lions can do with their excess cap space. Here they are:

Find that wide receiver 

Lions GM Brad Holmes said in an interview with 97.1 The Ticket that the Lions could be looking to add another receiver before or during training camp this summer. Having this large excess of money can help the team go out and get a good one. The Lions are able to facilitate a trade that would allow them to take on a bigger salary if they're looking to find themselves a definitive number two.

They're also able go out and make a deal for someone like Tee Higgins and then work up a new contract for him as well. 

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Sign some safety depth

There are still a lot of safeties left on the market right now. Guys like Justin Simmons, Quandre Diggs, Tashaun Gipson and Eddie Jackson are still out there looking for a new team. Maybe a reunion with Diggs is something that could happen. 

The questions here is do the Lions feel comfortable with what they have and is Brian Branch indeed moving back to safety? 

Save some of the money for in-season transactions

This is something they actually will do no matter what. Every team likes to keep about $10 million free to make moves during the season. Whether that's signing players to the practice squad or making trades during the trade deadline, it's good to have some money set aside. You never know what you'll need in November. 

Roll it over

The most likely option for the Lions is this. I know it's not sexy and it's not fun, but saving the money is a good. The Lions aren't done with extensions yet. They have a major one coming up with Aidan Hutchinson and then Alim McNeil is going to need a new deal and so will some other players. This will also give the team a head start on having money for next year's free agency. It's the most responsible thing to do and the Lions have shown to be responsible.

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