Detroit Lions: 8 Players who could be gone in 2019
By Zac Snyder
Nevin Lawson
Tabor may be the most obvious Lions corner who could be on his way out, but he’s not alone. Nevin Lawson signed a two-year deal to return to the Lions last offseason, but has not been the dependable No. 2 corner to play opposite Darius Slay that the Lions so desperately need.
Lawson is still seeing a lot of playing time but that has as much to do with the lack of other options than anything else. Lack of other options has been what has kept Lawson on the field and it could also be what keeps him on the roster for 2019, though that remains to be seen.
It looked like Lawson could have been on the outs last year when his rookie contract expired but ended up returning to the Lions on a two-year, $9.6 million deal. That came with a cap number of $3.9 million this season jumping to $5.275 million for 2019. That would be fine if Lawson was settled in as a solid second cornerback but is a little rich for someone better suited for more of a depth role. As his fifth NFL season draws near completion, Lawson has still not recorded a professional interception.
The problem comes in whether or not the Lions can quickly find someone better for next season. Rookie corners are notorious for needing some time to develop and Tabor looks like a total bust when he should now be at the point where he could be taking on a bigger and bigger role. It’s here we see the cascading effects of the Teez Tabor mistake.
The Lions should be looking to draft one, if not two, corners in the 2019 NFL Draft and will also need to add a veteran in free agency if they want to improve over Lawson. Releasing Lawson would leave $1.125 million in dead money, freeing 4.15 million to be used in other ways.