The Detroit Lions have officially made their first cap casualty of the NFL offseason. The team has some serious decisions on their hands as several marquee players are looking for new deals. However, with certain contract extensions come other releases and Nate Burleson is finding that out the hard way.
Burleson's four-year run with the Lions is officially over. The wide receiver confirmed to the Detroit Free Press that he was informed of his release stating, "It's a hard decision for them to make, but I can't blame them for making it."
The 32-year-old receiver certainly has some playing time left in him. He has been a consistent performer for Detroit running as Calvin Johnson's sidekick. A hand injury kept him out for a good portion of the 2013 season, but he returned late in the year and looked just as productive despite the Lions' overall struggles.
The release of Burleson was simply based on cap space and not production. Prior to his release, the team already had $135 million committed to the roster. With the salary cap being projected at $126 million, cut had to be made. The Lions were making Ndamukong Suh's contract extension their first priority as Burleson's deal hurt negotiations.
The wide receiver was scheduled to be a $7.5 million cap hit. Releasing Burleson saved the team $5.5 million, leaving just $2 million in dead money. While Burleson stated that he preferred to remain with the Lions and was willing to work out a new contract with the team, Detroit opted to simply release him.
So where does Burleson head from here? His first bit of interest could come from the New England Patriots. Owner Robert Kraft has stated he will not overpay for free agents this offseason. The team would ideally like to re-sign Julian Edelman to a new contract after a breakout season under Tom Brady, but he will be looking for a nice pay raise after working off a minimum deal all 2013. If Burleson was willing to take a pay cut to play with Matthew Stafford, he might be willing to do the same with Tom Brady.
The New York Jets are another option for the veteran. The team is expected to release Santonio Holmes, leaving them incredibly short-handed at the wide receivers position. While the Jets are looking at free agent Emmanuel Sanders, Burleson might be the better deal in terms of cap space.
Burleson could find a lot of interest surrounding him in free agency. He can still put up solid numbers and would be a solid bargain for any team looking for another receiver.
