NFL salary cap to be slightly higher than expected for 2013?

When the projected NFL salary cap number for 2013 leaked out a couple months ago, it was pegged at $121 million. This was only up from $120.6 million in 2012, meaning a big increase wasn't expected for this year.

While there still is not expected to be much of an increase, it looks like the $121 million number may have actually been a bit low. When the 2013 salary cap number is actually set later this offseason, Pro Football Talk reports that it could be $121.5 million. That's only a $500,000 increase from the previous projected number, but hey, every little bit helps for teams like the Detroit Lions.

Speaking of the Lions, they are currently a little more than $3 million under the $121 million salary cap number, according to the Free Press. You could bump their cap space up to around $3.5 million if the $121.5 million number turns out to be the actual salary cap.

Considering the Lions were well over the cap at this time a week ago, they've created a lot of room by cutting Titus Young, Stephen Peterman and Kyle Vanden Bosch. They still have a lot of work to do, though. The Lions need to make other moves (either releasing players or restructuring contracts) in order to create more cap room. Not only do they need room to re-sign their own free agents, but they need additional space to go out and improve their team via free agency.

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