The Lions and Rams struck another deal Tuesday with everything seemingly being finalized Wednesday with Los Angeles sending veteran defensive lineman Michael Brockers to Detroit for a seventh-round draft pick in 2023.
The Los Angeles Rams continued their efforts to get under the salary cap, dealing defensive end Michael Brockers to the Detroit Lions in a trade that will become official when the new league year begins at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, per the Associated Press. What the Rams will receive in return is to be determined. Brockers spent all nine seasons of his NFL career with the Rams and was general manager Les Snead’s first draft pick when he took over the team in 2012.
Brockers finished with 51 tackles, matched a career-high with 10 quarterback hits, and recorded five sacks in 15 games. He finished with 10 pressures, two hurries, and five quarterback knockdowns. Entering the second year of a three-year, $24 million contract he signed last offseason, Brockers had a cap number of $9.833 million heading into the 2021 season. The Rams save $6.16 million in cap space with the deal.
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Brockers, who could’ve been a cap casualty out of camp given LA’s very real salary cap problems couldn’t come to terms with the Rams when it came to restructuring his deal finds himself in a somewhat awkward situation as he makes his way to Detroit. During the immediate wake of the Matthew Stafford deal that saw the Lions send their longtime QB to Los Angeles for Jared Goff, Brockers weighed in saying he thought LA’s acquisition of Stafford was a “level up” over Goff.
Anyways, with the Rams $33 million over the cap prior to this trade, the Rams will carry $3.67 million in dead cap money after the deal but save themselves $6.17 million in cap relief. He signed a three-year, $24 million dollar contract last offseason with LA after a free-agent deal with the Ravens fell through.
You can see the angle new Lions GM and former Rams front office staffer Brad Holmes was taking here somewhat doing his old team a solid in taking on a large contract while simultaneously taking advantage of his former club’s financial situation. At this stage for the Lions, a sporadic large contract doesn’t really pose a huge issue for a rebuilding team that’s looking to fill holes with some quality, serviceable players who can be that short-term bridge to younger talent. Meanwhile, Detroit, whose been cleaning cap space themselves all of a sudden have a pretty decent defensive line with Brockers now in tow while flanked with the recently signed Romeo Okwara and Trey Flowers who is still under contract.
