The Detroit Lions have released tight end Will Heller, according to Lions beat writer Tim Twentyman.
The Lions have released TE Will Heller. He was going to count more than $1 million against the cap next year.
— Tim Twentyman (@ttwentyman) March 12, 2012
Heller, a nine-year veteran, has played in every game during the past three seasons for Detroit. His best season came in his first season with the Lions when he caught 29 passes for 296 yards and three touchdowns. This past season, Heller caught just six passes for 42 yards.
The Lions have been doing whatever they can to clear up salary cap space, including restructuring the deals of Matthew Stafford, Nate Burleson and Ndamukong Suh. Once free agency opens, Detroit is hoping to have enough cap space to fill a few crucial needs.
For more on the Detroit Lions, check out Pride Of Detroit. For more on the NFL free agency in general, head to the specialized hub for 2012 NFL free agency or sbnation.com/NFL.