Detroit Lions trade Akeem Spence to the Miami Dolphins.
By Ash Thompson
The Detroit Lions have announced that defensive tackle Akeem Spence has been traded to the Miami Dolphins for a 2019 seventh-round draft pick.
When Akeem Spence joined the Detroit Lions in 2017, it was to serve as the team’s gap penetrating three-technique. It was a role that many saw him filling when he came out of college. He had spent the first portion of his career as the second fiddle to one of the NFL’s best in Tampa Bay, Gerald McCoy. Joining the Detroit Lions under defensive coordinator Teryl Austin was aimed at giving him the opportunity to step into the role he was better suited to play.
A lot has changed in a year. Teryl Austin’s gap shooting 4-3 defense is gone, as is the man who was running it. It has been replaced by Matt Patricia and Paul Pasqualone’s hybrid defense. The two schemes could not possibly ask for more different things from their defensive tackles. Under Austin, Spence was asked to shoot his gap and get upfield. In Pasqualoni’s defense, the defensive tackles will be playing a two-gap technique that requires them to hit their opponent head up and maintain the ability to go to either side. Spence is a terrible fit for his new job.
Spence agreed to a small reduction in his salary for the 2018 season earlier today. Many fans wondered what the point of reducing his number by $500k was. Apparently, it was to facilitate a trade with the Miami Dolphins. Florida’s Tax Laws are such that the difference in money Spence takes home will be minimal. Spence signed a three year, $9 million contract with a $2.25 million dollar signing bonus last offseason. The Lions get out of that deal with only $1.5 million in dead cap space immediately on the books. In return, the Lions receive a seventh-round pick according to the Detroit News’ Justin Rogers.
The Lions now have approximately $11.9 million dollars in salary cap space. This was not a move that created room for a free agent signing. This actually reduces the available money for the 2018 season and also removes a 2017 starter from the lineup. This was a move to get rid of a player, pure and simple.
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Unless the Lions are planning to flip the acquired draft pick for another player, all this does for the team is clear Spence completely off the 2019 books. He was going to have a $3.5375 million salary cap hit next year. Cutting Spence during training camp would have resulted in a smaller hit this year. It would also have caused a $750k hit next year.