The Detroit Lions have a ton of free agents that they hope to re-sign when the new league year begins next month. According to Over The Cap, the Lions are projected to have $51.8 million in cap space, which should be enough to make several moves.
Detroit fans hope one of those moves is re-signing veteran cornerback Carlton Davis III. The veteran cornerback joined the Lions last offseason in a trade from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The 28-year-old defensive back immediately signed a restructured one-year, $14.5 million deal.
Davis recently appeared on the “Slightly Decent” podcast and spoke highly of Lions head coach Dan Campbell. The veteran defender talked about Campbell taking accountability in the locker room after the Lions lost in Week 2. He also brought up how the Detroit head coach talks to his players on a personal level.
"Dan, he’s the type to talk to you damn near every day: at practice, just walking through the locker room, Davis said (h/t Jeremy Reisman of Pride of Detroit). He literally sat me down like—he done did this a couple times during the season (where) I had a good game, and he’d come up to me like, ‘Boy, you’re playing your ass off.’ He’ll just say that to you. After the game like, ‘Boy, you’re more than just a cover corner. You’re physical, too!’ And he’ll say that in front of the whole team. He’ll praise you in front of the whole team. That’s the first time a coach has ever did that."
Davis mentioned that Campbell also praises other players on the team for anything good they do on the field.
Based on his experience with the Lions this season, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Davis back in Detroit. Campbell has created a culture where players want to play for him and each other, and that has led to success.
Before he suffered a season-ending jaw injury in Week 15, Davis played at a Pro Bowl-caliber on the boundary. He had 56 combined tackles, 11 pass deflections, two tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, and two interceptions.
Davis was also stellar in pass coverage under the direction of then-defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. The 6-foot-1 cornerback produced a career-best 55.3 completion percentage allowed on targets, a 77.0 pass rating allowed when targeted, and only gave up two receiving touchdowns.
If the Lions can find a way to bring back Davis and pair him with Terrion Arnold, the Lions could have one of the best cornerback duos in 2025.