One youthful safety’s late-season rise has rendered the presence of another seasoned safety unnecessary.
A source told the Free Press on Tuesday that the Detroit Lions plan to remove safety Tracy Walker, which would free up roughly $5.5 million in salary cap space.
Walker thanked the Detroit Lions supporters on Instagram, writing, in part, “I want to thank you for accepting me as a rookie and welcoming me into your family.”
“The future is bright and TIME (sic) is coming harder than ever for Year7 (sic).”
Walker, a third-round selection out of Louisiana in 2018, spent the most of his first four seasons in Detroit as a vital member of the Lions’ secondary. Before free agency opened in the spring of 2022, he inked a three-year agreement. However, in the third game of the season, he tore his Achilles tendon, and he only made a comeback as a backup the following season.
Walker began 2023 as the fourth safety in the Lions’ secondary, behind rookie slot cornerback Brian Branch and starters Kerby Joseph and C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
TAG, YOU’RE IT: The Lions are not anticipated to apply the franchise tag despite having 20 unrestricted free agents.
After Gardner-Johnson tore his pectoral muscle in a Week 2 defeat to the Seattle Seahawks, he started five games in September and October. However, in the second part of the season, Ifeatu Melifonwu replaced him as the starting quarterback.
Walker, 29, had a basic salary of $7.95 million for 2024; Melifonwu, 24, is younger and will cost $1.192 million less. In limited games, Walker has shown himself to be a more capable playmaker.
Melifonwu, who is about to enter the last season of his rookie contract, started six games during the regular season for the Lions last year and finished with two interceptions, three sacks, and one forced fumble. In his six-year career, Walker has had three interceptions, four sacks, and two forced fumbles.
Gardner-Johnson is scheduled to become a restricted free agent on March 13. As a result, the Lions will probably start Melifonwu and Joseph at safety and Branch at slot corner for the upcoming season. Two more unrestricted free agents for the Lions are backup defensive safety Will Harris and starting cornerback Kindle Vildor.
Walker will cost the Lions roughly $7.3 million in dead cap charges in 2024, but as of this past week, they were expected to be $48 million under the projected salary cap for that season.
