Veteran safety Tracy Walker left the Detroit Lions on Tuesday. With his high appreciation among the team’s supporters, it was difficult to see him go. However, it was an easy choice to make from a business perspective. Walker was scheduled to cost more than $12 million against the cap; however, he ended the previous season as a healthy inactive during the postseason, allowing Detroit to release him and free up $5.5 million in cap space. Although it may sound harsh, Walker’s firing was inevitable as soon as the season concluded.
When it comes to defensive end John Cominsky’s future, the Lions have a far tougher choice to make. Like Walker, Cominsky has a bloated cap hit going until 2024. Cominsky signed a two-year, $8.5 million contract last year, although his first year’s cap charge was only $2.3 million. With just $1.7 million of it guaranteed, that means his 2024 costs will be $6.3 million over the cap. To put it briefly, Detroit will have an additional $4.6 million in cap space if they choose to part ways with him.
Compared to the cap, is Cominsky worth $6.3 million? Answering that question is difficult. Cominsky’s cap hit places him 36th among edge defenders and 31st among interior defenders, according to Over The Cap. In terms of cap hits in 2024, Deatrich Wise, Tyus Bowser, Jarran Reed, and Shy Tuttle are comparable players. Thus, he isn’t exactly draining their bank account.
Although Cominsky’s cap hit is tenth highest among Lions players, he is still ahead of players like David Montgomery, Jared Goff, Taylor Decker, Frank Ragnow, Cameron Sutton, Aidan Hutchinson, Penei Sewell, Alex Anzalone, and Jared Goff. Cominsky, who completed the season behind Josh Paschal, a 2022 second-round pick, in the team’s defensive line rotation, is not as important to the squad as any of those players are.
Cominsky had earned his two-year contract when he signed it. He recorded 44 pressures (per PFF), 12 quarterback hits, 4.0 sacks, five tackles for loss, three passes deflected, and one forced fumble in 2022. Even though he played more than 100 snaps in 2023, his overall output decreased:
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