The Detroit Lions suffered significant losses to both their coaching staff and roster following the departures of several key players, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
Among the personnel losses was veteran cornerback Carlton Davis III, who signed a three-year, $54 million contract with the New England Patriots after spending just one year in Detroit.
While Davis performed strong overall, the Lions' secondary struggled. Based on recent developments, the Patriots' newest corner may sabotage his new team from within before even playing a snap.
Carlton Davis looks good in the laundry. pic.twitter.com/8HfJNvJHVq
— Boston Cream 🍩 (@itsbostoncream) May 23, 2025
Former Lions CB Carlton Davis III Could Sabotage Patriots from Within
Originally a second-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Davis spent six years there before joining the Lions. He surrendered just a 77.0 passer rating and 55.3% completion percentage when targeted in coverage, ranking 29th out of 222 qualified corners at Pro Football Focus.
Those are fantastic numbers, suggesting why Davis received such a large contract. The issue isn't so much with his production, but there are clear warning signs.
He could be a perfect partner for Christian Gonzales, yet he's already 28 and has benefited from a strong pass rush. Davis wasn't good enough to convince the Lions to keep him, and there's an opportunity cost with the money spent.
He's being paid like a top-10 player at his position, and though he may be that, Davis doesn't fit the timeline New England is going for. By drafting Drake Maye and building slowly under new head coach Mike Vrabel, the Patriots are making it clear they don't expect to compete for a championship immediately. It'll take time, so it may make more sense to let younger players develop since Davis likely won't be at his peak when this roster is ready to truly gun for the playoffs.
There's also the possibility that Davis makes the defense a bit too good, robbing the franchise of a more valuable draft pick in a year it doesn't intend to win the AFC East anyway.
Maye could shock the world with Vrabel, who has a great reputation for elevating underwhelming rosters. That said, signing Davis felt like a "win now" move for a "win later" organization desperate to create some juice around it.