Lions Cut QB Chase Daniel, DT Danny Shelton

The Lions couldn’t find a taker for quarterback Chase Daniel. The backup has been released, along with defensive tackle Danny Shelton (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport).

The Lions kicked off their offseason by trading Matthew Stafford to the Rams for Jared Goff plus draft picks. Daniel, they thought, could have fetched them some later round capital, but no one wanted to take on the remainder of his three-year, $13.05MM deal.

Daniel has hardly played, but coaches still love him as a veteran backup. He has just five career starts under his belt, and just three since the 2014 season. The most recent of those came in a 2019 spot start with Chicago. The Missouri product has also spent time with the Saints, Chiefs, Eagles, and Bears. Now, a team looking to groom a young QB could add Daniel as a mentor.

Shelton — who entered the league as the No. 12 pick in the 2015 draft — never lived up to his draft status, but he’s built a solid career as a run-stuffer. The 345-pound lineman played a key role with the Pats in 2019 and found a home as the Lions starter this past season. Unfortunately, after eleven starts, his season was ended by a knee injury.

Together, the cuts will save the Lions over $4MM with $4.25MM in dead money.

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