Our 2025 Detroit Lions free agent collection continues. We’re breaking down each single determination the workforce should make with their pending free agent class forward of this offseason together with what their expectations have been coming into the 2024 season, how they carried out, and in the end their possibilities of returning to Detroit for the subsequent season.
Subsequent up within the collection is a participant who stepped up into the No. 1 cornerback position and made a giant distinction for a cornerback room that was principally younger and inexperienced in 2024: Carlton Davis.
Right here’s a have a look at our previously-written free agent profiles: WR Tim Patrick, G Kevin Zeitler, DT Kyle Peko, and LB Derrick Barnes.
Carlton Davis
Expectations heading into 2024
In the beginning of final 12 months’s free company, Detroit made it clear they have been going again to the drafting board when it got here to the cornerback place. In that preliminary wave of free agent frenzy, Detroit labored the telephones and traded a 2024 third-round decide for Carlton Davis and extra draft compensation in return.
In Detroit buying and selling for Davis, it appeared just like the Lions had realized Cam Sutton wasn’t fairly reduce out to be the workforce’s No. 1 nook after his first season with the Lions was an up-and-down expertise at greatest—Sutton completed with the Twenty second-worst passer score in opposition to in protection (113.9) amongst 135 qualifying cornerbacks. The Lions accomplished the commerce for Davis on March 11, however a bit over every week later, we’d study that Sutton had been charged with home battery for an incident that came about on March 7, which might then result in the Lions releasing him on March 21.
Davis had been an important piece to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers protection, however after making monetary commitments to gamers like Mike Evans and Baker Mayfield earlier than the beginning of free company—and franchise tagging Antoine Winfield Jr., who would find yourself turning into the highest-paid defensive again in NFL historical past later within the offseason—Davis was the odd man out.
However the Buccaneers loss gave the impression to be the Lions achieve contemplating the sort of expertise they have been getting in Davis. Regardless of the Bucs working numerous Cowl 3 underneath Todd Bowles, Davis had confirmed himself to be adept in man protection when given the chance—and a plus-defender in opposition to the run, two very coveted expertise in Aaron Glenn’s protection. Since 2020, Davis put up spectacular numbers when in man protection:
48.3% completion charge allowed
24.8% pressured incompletion charge
72.4 passer score allowed
4 interceptions vs. 5 touchdowns allowed
And possibly most significantly, he had established himself as a real No. 1 cornerback able to dealing with these robust assignments.
Accidents, nonetheless, have been the massive query mark. Since signing a three-year, $45 million deal in 2022, Davis performed in simply 25 of 34 common season video games, and he hadn’t performed greater than 14 video games in an NFL season since being drafted in 2018. Even with that spotty file of availability, the Lions want for a No. 1 nook was sufficient to justify the price of buying Davis. It proved much more worthwhile after Detroit drafted each Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw, two younger cornerbacks the workforce might now afford to convey alongside at their very own tempo with a trusted veteran like Davis within the room.
Precise position in 2024
Be aware: PFF grades mix common season and playoffs and mirror a minimal 20% snaps at that place
13 video games (13 begins): 56 tackles, 2 TFL, 2 interceptions, 11 passes defended, 2 fumble recoveries—697 snaps (t-Thirty first out of 222 cornerbacks)PFF Defensive grade: 74.5 (18th out of 128 qualifying cornerbacks)PFF Run Protection grade: 77.7 (twentieth out of 115)PFF Protection grade: 72.1 (twenty fifth out of 127)PFF Tackling grade: 64.4 (forty ninth out of 128)
Davis got here into Allen Park and instantly established himself as the highest exterior nook for the Lions. He was the bodily sort of participant Detroit’s protection wanted to man up in opposition to the highest receivers, and by midway via the season, Dan Campbell was reflecting on how necessary of a transfer it was to convey him in.
“That’s been an impressive addition,” Campbell stated after Week 10’s recreation in opposition to the Houston Texans. “And as a matter of truth, I instructed him Saturday evening, we’re within the particular groups assembly, I slip proper behind him—I feel I stated this yesterday, I stated, ‘Man, among the best strikes we made was buying you, getting you right here.’ And there’s nothing higher than a canopy nook who runs, hits, tackles, fills the run, no worry, and you then see what he’s capable of do with these takeaways yesterday.”
A non-negotiable attribute for cornerbacks and an indicator of defenses underneath Aaron Glenn is the emphasis positioned on stopping the run. Davis completed fifth amongst 115 qualifying cornerbacks in run-stop charge (5.1%), t-Eleventh in complete run stops (11), and t-Twenty eighth in complete tackles in run protection (15). Davis checked all of the containers when it got here to being a bodily nook who made a distinction in defending the run, and his presence on this respect was definitely missed after a fractured jaw suffered in Week 15 in opposition to the Buffalo Payments ended his season.
With that bodily model of play come some penalties, and whereas there have been some penalty flags thrown alongside the way in which—Davis was t-18th in penalties amongst corners—all of these flags occurred earlier than Week 8, together with 4 flags thrown in opposition to him in Week 4 in opposition to the Seattle Seahawks wherein he went toe-to-toe with DK Metcalf.
Outlook for 2025
Contract standing: Unrestricted free agent
After ending out the ultimate 12 months of his three-year, $44.5 million deal in Detroit, Davis is ready to enter free company within the prime of his profession at age 28.
Execs of re-signing
Bringing Davis again to Detroit accomplishes two necessary issues. One, it gives stability for a cornerback room that’s had a rotating forged of gamers move via its door. Two, it provides them a participant they’ll say with certainty goes to be the man, the No. 1 cornerback, come September. May Arnold be that man sometime? Completely, and the Lions are relying on him to be that man in some unspecified time in the future in his profession, however do we all know that proper now? Was there sufficient from Arnold’s rookie season to say he’s prepared for that position and people expectations in Yr 2?
Re-signing Davis assuages these issues and reaffirms the depth at cornerback from prime to backside in Detroit. It additionally gives these younger gamers like Arnold and Rakestraw a veteran to lean on and study from.
“And he’s good for that room, he’s a veteran man, he’s a man who’s been round it for some time,” Campbell stated about Davis in November of final 12 months. “There are issues that he understands and might sort of assist the younger guys with technique-wise or issues that you just see on the subject of recreation planning.”
Cons of re-signing
If the Lions really feel comfy with their present scenario at nook—beginning the trio of Arnold, Rakestraw, and Amik Robertson in some configuration—re-signing Davis might find yourself being detrimental from a developmental standpoint. Davis would doubtless find yourself blocking Rakestraw’s path to alternatives on the sector, however that value could be twofold contemplating the value tag of re-signing Davis.
There’s additionally the priority about accidents and whether or not or not Davis can keep on the sector. After all, these worries are mitigated a bit with the Lions depth on the place, however assuming the kind of cash a participant like Davis would command, it’s truthful to marvel if that kind of luxurious spending may very well be allotted elsewhere on the roster.
Is there curiosity from either side?
Throughout Brad Holmes season-ending press convention on January 23, the Lions normal supervisor echoed the reward from Campbell in regards to the stage of play and contributions of Davis throughout his first season in Detroit.
“… I believed we acquired excellent play from him [Davis]. I might be sincere, I believed that he performed higher this 12 months than he did the 12 months earlier than, that final 12 months in Tampa, and he’ll inform you that too. However I believed we acquired what we wished to get. Clearly, unlucky that we needed to lose him and be with out, however we’re conscious of not solely simply Carlton, (Lions G Kevin) Zeitler, however we’re conscious of numerous different guys which can be both on expiring contracts that had good contributions to our workforce this 12 months, or guys which can be worthy for an extension or in consideration for an extension. So, no intense motion but, however we’re very conscious of it and we’ll undergo our regular course of.”
So far as Davis’ curiosity, there have been some feedback he made at his introductory press convention again in March of final 12 months the place he famous his intrigue the course the Lions have been headed in as a company.
“This can be a nice group that’s trending upward, so I might like to be a part of a dynasty the place we will go and win a number of championships over the subsequent couple of years, that’s certainly one of our targets,” Davis stated about his targets for his time in Detroit.
These sort of feedback counsel that Davis was envisioning a long-term match with him in Detroit’s quest for championships—plural—however we’re almost a 12 months faraway from these feedback, so it’s laborious to say if Davis continues to be feeling the identical approach after the workforce fell quick within the playoffs—albeit with out him within the lineup.
Price?
It could be cheap for Davis to be in search of some monetary safety with a longer-term deal at 28 years outdated. It might very effectively be his final likelihood at cashing in on an even bigger contract at this level in his profession, however there are these lingering issues about sturdiness. He hasn’t performed greater than 13 video games in a season since 2020, so it’s a bit troublesome to challenge how that may play an element into how groups worth the veteran cornerback.
Final 12 months, L’Jarius Sneed signed a four-year, $76.4 million deal at 27 years outdated, however that was the primary contract past his rookie deal. He had performed 48 of 51 common season video games since 2021 at a reasonably excessive stage, and it was the Tennessee Titans who made that transfer, in order that feels value mentioning given their latest monitor file with contracts. A latest deal that may very well be comparable is the one Darius Slay signed after being traded from Detroit to Philadelphia. Slay signed a three-year, $50 million take care of roughly $26 million in ensures at age 29.
If Davis is actually motivated by competing for championships, Detroit is ready as much as be that workforce for the subsequent few years. A deal within the neighborhood of three years and between $45 and $50 million looks as if a good deal for each events, however the record of cornerbacks out there in free company this 12 months might simply drive up the value for Davis.
Conclusion
The Detroit Lions nonetheless have some uncertainty at cornerback for a 3rd straight offseason, however the challenges are completely different from final 12 months. As an alternative of changing key gamers, Holmes and Co. have the subsequent month to judge the in-house expertise earlier than making a choice of how one can transfer ahead.
The important thing query in all of that is whether or not or not Arnold is able to be the highest nook or if re-signing Davis, regardless of his damage historical past, is important. Robertson confirmed that potential to play exterior, and Rakestraw has that potential to take over within the slot, however each of their roles stay unclear. If Detroit lets Davis stroll, changing a real CB1 in free company might be troublesome, as top-tier corners hardly ever hit the market. Choices like D.J. Reed or Charvarius Ward could be expensive, and Rasul Douglas at 30 doesn’t appear to be an improve. Finally, regardless of sturdiness issues, Davis may be the most suitable choice to stabilize the cornerback place for 2025.
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