The Detroit Lions have been busy shifting numbers around to create some salary-cap space.

They’ve found some willing partners too. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, quarterback Matthew Stafford, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and wide receiver Nate Burleson have reworked their contracts to create significant cap savings for the club.

Suh’s new deal could save the Lions as much as $6 million vs. the cap this year. Burleson’s re-worked deal freed up $2.17 million in room and Stafford could create a savings of as much as $7.2 million by converting an $11.5 million base salary to mostly a bonus.

These players were not giving money back but restructuring to create space for the Lions to pursue free agents, namely some of their own players like linebacker Stephen Tulloch, cornerback Eric Wright and left tackle Jeff Backus. The Lions were roughly $11.5 million over the cap on Sunday.

Follow me on Twitter: @BradBiggs

Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune