Kerry Hyder

Detroit Lions defensive end Kerry Hyder (61) is one of many Detroit players who will face an important final three games as they fight for new contracts for 2017.

(AP Photo)

DETROIT -- Rarely has a Detroit Lions final stretch of the season meant as much for the here and now as the three games they're staring down right now. Not only is a division title in clear sight, but they're currently in line for a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs.

Challenges against the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers will sort out the present, but they'll also lend a helping hand to the team's evaluation of the future. The league's hard salary cap places teams in a constant state of long-view management, with all of them walking the line between winning now and competing in the long haul.

On Wednesday, the league notified the teams that the 2017 salary cap would shoot to $166 million, USA Today's Tom Pelissero reported. That's an increase of better than $10 million per team from the $155.27 million mark from this season that saw a boom in free-agent deals such as the $20 million guaranteed the Lions gave receiver Marvin Jones to replace a retired Calvin Johnson.

That increase is going to provide a little extra wiggle room for the Lions in who they want to bring back and for players in negotiating what they can get. Here are some key Lions set to be free agents whose play this season and in this final stretch will help dictate what they and the team might opt to try:

WR Anquan Boldin (36)

OT Riley Reiff (28)

OG Larry Warford (25)

OLB Josh Bynes (27)

DE Devin Taylor (27)

WR/PR/KR Andre Roberts (28)

LS Don Muhlbach (35)

FS Rafael Bush (29)

DT Kerry Hyder (25 years old)

Here are the rest of the Lions free agents to be: