At the start of NFL free agency last month, the Detroit Lions saw one of their key defenders exit the Motor City for a huge payday from another team. Veteran cornerback Carlton Davis signed a three-year, $54 million deal, which includes $34.5 million guaranteed for the New England Patriots.
The Patriots were one of the few teams with an exorbitant amount of cap space, and they used it to attract a few free agents on the defensive side of the ball. Davis goes from playing next to Terrion Arnold to joining a Patriots defense under new leadership, but he’ll get to play with Christian Gonzalez.
According to Spotrac.com, Davis’s new contract ranks 16th among active cornerbacks, which isn’t bad. However, his $34.5 million guarantee ranks 10th with Paulson Adebo, who signed with the New York Giants.
Davis had an outstanding 2024 campaign under then-defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn after the Lions acquired him from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the offseason. Detroit immediately signed the veteran defensive back to a restructured one-year, $14.5 million deal, which paid off for both sides.
The 28-year-old cornerback had 56 combined tackles, 11 pass deflections, two tackles for loss, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, and a forced fumble in 13 games.
Davis also boasted a 55.3 completion allowed on targets (second-best in his career), a 77.0 pass rating allowed when targeted (career-high), and only gave up two receiving touchdowns.
According to Pro Football Focus, the veteran defender recorded a 77.7 run defense grade (26th among 222 qualified cornerbacks) and a 72.1 coverage grade (38th) last season. Davis did all this while the Lions lost several players in the front seven to injury.
Now, could he replicate these numbers with the Patriots as their CB2? It's possible, but their defense will be undergoing an identity change, while the Lions have already established who they are.
Davis got paid by the Patriots to be a frontline starter over the next few years. Lions fans will watch to see if he’ll play at a Pro Bowl level this upcoming season or if he takes a small step back.