Lions Dealt Bad News on Vital Free Agent's Interest Around the League

It's no secret that the Detroit Lions defense was decimated by injuries during the 2024 season. Despite that, Detroit's secondary was much improved from last season. That's thanks in large part to the addition of cornerback Carlton Davis.

The Lions acquired Davis via trade from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on March 13. Detroit sent Tampa Bay a third-round pick (2024) and two sixth-round picks (2025) in exchange for Davis. Davis' acquisition allowed the Lions to run more man-to-man coverage this season.

Unfortunately, Davis' contract with Detroit is set to expire after the Super Bowl. While the Lions will aim to keep Davis around, it's likely they will have competition from the rest of the market. In a recent article, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler mentioned that some teams have Davis as the No. 2 corner in this free agency class and have the Jacksonville Jaguars as a team to watch.

Lions Rumors: Lions in Jeopardy of Losing Cornerback Carlton Davis in Free Agency This Offseason

" Some teams have Davis as the No. 2 corner in the class. Watch for Jacksonville to potentially make a move here. The Jaguars likely won't be huge spenders in free agency, but they want to fortify their secondary."

- Jeremy Fowler- ESPN

Davis had an outstanding 2024 season with the Lions. According to PFF, the 28-year-old finished the season as the 21st-ranked player at the position, finishing with a coverage grade of 72.1.

Furthermore, Davis finished the 2024 season with 56 tackles, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble, and a competition percentage of 55.3%. The boost Davis gave to the Lions cornerback room masked some of the growing pains of rookie Terrion Arnold.

Arnold will only continue to improve entering next season. That said, losing Davis this offseason would still be a huge negative for Detroit's defense. Keeping Davis would allow the Lions to potentially have two high-level cornerbacks.

Moreover, it would allow them to continue running a heavy-man scheme. Even though defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn became the head coach of the New York Jets, the Lions' defensive philosophy is likely to stay the same.

This is because Detroit promoted linebacker coach Kelvin Sheppard to defensive coordinator. Sheppard has spent all three seasons of his coaching career in Detroit under Glenn. Although he may possess a few different defensive ideas than Glenn, it's likely they share a similar mindset since Sheppard learned from Glenn.

All in all, while retaining Davis this offseason could be difficult, the Lions will do everything they can to keep him in Detroit.

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