Finding help for star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson along the defensive line is still a priority for the Detroit Lions now that we're in April. Their front seven is good but not great, and they must give defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard more weapons to work with.
That's why, now that the New York Giants have opened the door to land a bona fide mauler for the interior of their defense, the Lions can't afford to miss this opportunity. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter on Monday, defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence has requested a trade.
As great as it'd be to add Lawrence, his $26.9 million cap hit next season could make a trade easier said than done. The Lions would need to turn the page on an expensive contract to facilitate a trade, which is why turning the page on DT Alim McNeill makes too much sense to ignore.
Alim McNeill Should be on Borrowed Time with the Lions
Back in 2024, the Lions signed McNeill to a four-year deal worth a whopping $97 million, according to Spotrac. He's signed through the 2028 campaign and will make a base salary of $23.85 million in 2026 with a cap hit of $28.99. That's way too much money for a player with 12.5 sacks in five years, including just one last season.
Conversely, Lawrence may be coming off the worst season of his career (0.5 sacks), but he's a two-time All-Pro, three-time Pro Bowler, and certified mauler with 30.5 career sacks who had 9.0 just two years ago, not to mention an elite force against the run.
McNeill was coming off two strong seasons, but injuries limited him to just 10 games last season. He posted the worst Pro Football Focus grade of his career (52.1) and was even worse against the run (47.2). He only had nine solo tackles, eight run stops, and 23 total pressures.
While he's not a terrible player by any means, McNeill is making way more money than he's worth, and the Lions would be better off with a proven headhunter like Lawrence shutting down the interior of the defense.
That said, letting McNeill go might not be simple.
Trading him would be an ideal solution, given that they'd clear $11.1 million in cap space before June 1 or $20 million with a post-June 1 designation, according to OverTheCap. That doesn't seem likely, though, given his steep salary and declining play. It's also unlikely that the Lions will release him before June 1, as it would result in a dead cap hit of $15.74 million. That number drops to $2.85 million after June 1, making it way more manageable.
The Lions are an aspiring Super Bowl contender, and they need to act as such. They can't be too cautious while everybody else in the division gets better; they need to be aggressive, swing for the fences, and add the players they need to get back to the top of the NFC North. If that means giving up on or moving a former draft pick to make room for a star, so be it.