The Detroit Lions have a new outside cornerback, and he’s only 27 years old.
The Detroit Lions are acquiring Buccaneers cornerback Carlton Davis III, per a report from NFL Network.
Here are the terms of the trade, per Tom Pelissero:
Lions get:
- CB Carlton Davis
- 2024 sixth-round pick (Note: the Bucs have picks 200 and 220 in the sixth round. It’s unclear which pick this is)
- 2025 sixth-round pick
Buccaneers get:
- 2024 third-round pick (92nd overall—the Lions’ third-round pick, not the Vikings’ pick acquired in the T.J. Hockenson trade)
Davis, the Buccaneers second-round pick in 2018, signed a three-year, $45 million contract with Tampa upon the expiration of his rookie contract. Over six seasons with the Bucs, he has tallied nine interceptions and 73 pass breakups, with at least nine per season since his rookie year. He finished second in the NFL in pass breakups in 2019 (19) and 2020 (18).
Davis is only 27 years old, but he is on the final year of his contract, in which he’s currently slated to have a $14 million salary. It’s possible the Lions extend Davis and convert some of that salary into a bonus to ensure he doesn’t take up that much cap space this season.
The Lions went into the offseason with cornerback being one of their biggest needs. Kindle Vildor, Will Harris, Jerry Jacobs, Khalil Dorsey, and Chase Lucas are all set to become free agents on Wednesday. Currently under contract are just Cameron Sutton, Brian Branch, Emmanuel Moseley, Steven Gilmore, and Craig James.
Last year, Sutton and Jacobs were, for the most part, the starting outside cornerbacks, but the two struggled to keep opposing quarterbacks in check. The Lions finished the 2023 season 21st in passer rating allowed and 31st in yards per attempt.
This story is developing. We’ll update as news comes in.