The Detroit Lions must navigate over 30 upcoming free agents this offseason, including restricted, unrestricted, and exclusive rights players. Right at the top of the list is cornerback Carlton Davis.
Obtained through a trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Davis enjoyed one of the finest seasons of his career with the Lions, helping to solidify a boundary cornerback position while also acting as a leader and mentor to Terrion Arnold.
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However, as has been true throughout his entire career, Davis couldn’t maintain his health, as he sustained a fractured jaw in Week 15 that concluded his season prematurely. In his seven years in the NFL, Davis has not participated in more than 14 games in any single season.
Given that he will rank among the leading cornerbacks available in free agency, the Lions will face competition for Davis’ availability, if they wish to re-sign him.
If Davis does not come back for any reason, TWSN’s Alex Frank thinks the Lions will substitute him with Buffalo Bills pending free-agent cornerback Rasul Douglas.
“I have admired Rasul Douglas for a long time,” he stated. “Since his time with the Packers, he has consistently been an excellent playmaker at cornerback.” The Lions require a player to team up with Brian Branch. Terrion Arnold is doing well, but he remains a work in progress.
“Detroit has the potential to secure a Super Bowl victory in 2025, so they must commit fully.” “Douglas is a component of fully committing,” Frank went on. “He has had five seasons with several interceptions and recorded four interceptions in two of his last four seasons.” He has six seasons with over 50 tackles and five seasons with ten or more passes defended.
“Douglas could provide the solution the Lions require in their secondary, which emerged as their greatest need following their Divisional round defeat to Washington.”
The Lions’ desire to re-sign Davis will depend on cost and their confidence in 2024 second-round selection and cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr., whom the team expects to step into a starting position by 2025.
Rakestraw can play from the slot or along the boundary, while Amik Robertson is capable of filling any position that the Missouri talent does not cover. Nonetheless, if Rakestraw Jr. lacks the Lions’ complete trust after his limited performance during his rookie season, they might consider re-signing Davis or acquiring another experienced player.
Douglas would serve as a reliable insurance option for Rakestraw JR., although it represents a decline from Davis considering their coverage figures for 2024. He possesses some experience playing in the slot, but excels most on the boundary.
As reported by Spotrac, Douglas is expected to secure a three-year, $35.7 million contract in free agency, averaging $11.9 million per year. According to Over the Cap, the Lions are expected to have $46.4 million in salary cap space, allowing them to afford that.
However, it is yet to be determined if the Lions will be willing to spend that much on Douglas, given that he might not even be a starter in Detroit.