The Detroit Lions saw plenty of change this offseason, and it resulted in the departure of several familiar faces. While the loss of eight assistant coaches, including offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, has drawn the most headlines, another big change was when Carlton Davis III signed a three-year, $54 million contract with the New England Patriots.
The loss of Davis was softened when the Lions signed D.J. Reed to a three-year, $45 million contract shortly after the news broke. But as Davis made his Patriots debut, he made an immediate impact that suggests the large financial commitment may have been worth it.
Ex-Lions CB Carlton Davis III’s Deflection Plays Key Role in Patriots Debut
Davis made a big play in the first quarter of New England’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday afternoon. While the Raiders jumped out to a 7-0 lead, quarterback Geno Smith tried to force a pass to tight end Brock Bowers in the coverage of Davis. Davis reached up and deflected the ball in the air, which went into the hands of safety Jaylinn Hawkins for a big interception.
The pick set up New England for its first touchdown of the season as QB Drake Maye orchestrated a 12-play, 82-yard drive that ended with a two-yard touchdown pass to wideout Demario Douglas. But that drive doesn’t happen if Davis doesn’t use his 6-foot-1 frame to tip the ball and create the turnover.
Davis came over to Detroit in a trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season and played well, allowing 43 catches for 583 yards and three touchdowns with six pass break-ups and two interceptions on 43 targets. But Davis missed last year’s playoff run with a broken jaw, and the Lions opted to go with Reed, who came at a cheaper price point and whose 66.1 Pro Football Focus grade in coverage was higher than Davis’ 52.6 grade.
Reed has also made an impression on the Lions staff without playing a game. Detroit defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard noted that Reed has “meant everything to our defense” during the preseason and “added a level of maturity” to the cornerback room.
With both highly paid corners impressing their new teams, the Lions will hope to get a similar impact when Reed makes his Detroit debut when the Lions take on the Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon.