Is cutting Ngata worth the $5.7 million anymore?

It’s been a full week now since the Detroit Lions made any moves in free agency. With just $3.1 million in cap space, according to the NFLPA, there really isn’t all that much the Lions could do even if they wanted.

That can be frustrating to some fans, as it appears while general manager Bob Quinn has aggressively attacked Detroit’s offensive line problems, the defensive issues remain somewhat unaddressed.

The Lions will be getting nearly $6 million in cap space once DeAndre Levy’s contract is officially off the books in June, but the Lions could use some money now while there are still a handful of decent players on the market.

Back in February, we discussed other ways Detroit could clear up cap room, and the easiest and most profitable way would be to cut veteran defensive tackle Haloti Ngata. The aging defender is set to cost the Lions $7.7 million in cap room, while his release would clear up $5.7 million of that. So today’s Question of the Day is:

Do you think the Lions should cut Haloti Ngata for $5.7 million in cap savings?

My answer: No. While Ngata will certainly be making more than he’s worth at this point, I don’t think Detroit could get someone more valuable on the market with that money right now. Johnathan Hankins is still out there, but rumor is, he’s acting for $10+ million per year, and that’s way out of Detroit’s price range, with our without Ngata’s cap hit.

While I’ll openly admit that Ngata is rapidly declining, don’t let his poor statistical output fool you. He still has value. He’s a capable space filler, he has invaluable knowledge of the game and he should be great for the growth of a player like A’Shawn Robinson.

I find it highly unlikely Ngata is around next year, but at this point, there’s no point in dropping a player like Ngata when the depth at defensive tackle is already bare. Cutting Ngata would only make a bad situation worse along the defensive line, while only adding a little scratch to the piggy bank. No, thanks.

Your turn.