Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports that defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch has agreed to restructure his contract, saving the Lions $3 million in salary cap room.
Vanden Bosch’s old deal had two salaries left, paying him $5 million in 2012 and $5 million in 2013. In the restructuring, Vanden Bosch dropped his 2012 base salary to $925,000 and got back $4.075 million in the form of a signing bonus. Vanden Bosch lost no money in the deal, but he helped the Lions’ salary cap situation for this season.
The “signing” bonus will accelerate onto next year’s cap, however. Club president Tom Lewand and G.M. Martin Mayhew will decide how to deal with it then. It’s possible Vanden Bosch is playing his last season with the Lions. He is turning 34 in a couple of months.
On Monday, Florio reported that the Lions were just $2.3 million under the cap. Only the Texans had less room.
Vanden Bosch recorded eight sacks and four forced fumbles in 16 starts last season.