Detroit traded for cornerback Carlton Davis, how does the trade grade out for the Lions?
The Detroit Lions had an active Day 1 of free agency. They started by re-signing one of their players, Graham Glasgow. Later in the day, they agreed to terms with a free agent in Marcus Davenport, and they closed out the night by trading with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to land cornerback Carlton Davis. Lions general manager Brad Holmes is doing work all around, and it’s fun to see it unfold.
The Lions got the help they needed in the secondary with this trade as the team’s biggest weakness in 2023 was at cornerback and they got it at a fair price. Here are the full trade details:
Lions get:
- CB Carlton Davis
- 2024 sixth-round pick (Either pick 200 or 220. It’s unclear which pick)
- 2025 sixth-round pick
Buccaneers get:
- 2024 third-round pick (92nd overall—the Lions’ original third-round pick, not the Vikings’ pick acquired in the T.J. Hockenson trade)
With Davis landing in Detroit, the Lions’ secondary issues are solved! Or are they? How did this trade turn out grade wise and was it a wise move by the team?
How good is Carlton Davis?
Hello, CB 1. Yes, we said this about cornerback Cameron Sutton back in 2022, but we mean it this time. Davis wasn’t the top cornerback in Tampa Bay either, as Jamel Dean had that job, but he was still a very solid number two cornerback. In his career so far, Davis has 324 tackles, 73 pass deflections, 12 tackles for loss, nine interceptions, four fumble recoveries, and three forced fumbles.
Davis is going to be the main cornerback you can trust in man coverage against a number one wide receiver. According to PFF, in man coverage during the regular season last year, Davis allowed 15 catches on 25 targets for 238 yards, getting four pass deflections and an interception, allowing a QB passer rating of 75.1, and most importantly, not allowing a touchdown. Zone coverage is a little bit of a different story for Davis, as he allowed 31 catches for 487 yards, getting three pass deflections, one interception, and allowing a passer rating of 122.3, along with allowing four touchdowns.
How does this affect the Lions?
This trade helps the Lions out in the secondary, and I think it means that cornerback isn’t going to be a top pick for the team in the NFL Draft in April. The team will still get some help at the position, this trade certainly doesn’t mean they are done, but I see the highest they go at cornerback now is the second round with Sutton and Davis locking down the top two spots.
This trade also helps the secondary by, again, bumping Sutton down to the number two cornerback spot, which suits him better and gives him a stronger chance at doing well on the field. It helps the secondary out overall and gives them a young veteran, as Davis is still only 27. He can continue to develop and become a solid cornerback for years to come in Detroit.
The issue with the trade is Davis is in the final year of his three-year extension he signed with the Bucs back in 2022. The Lions are most likely going to extend Davis and rework his contract, which currently carries a whopping $14 million salary for 2024.
Was he worth the price?
The trade overall seemed very fair. The Bucs get a late third-round pick, and they free up some salary cap space that was needed after re-signing quarterback Baker Mayfield and wide receiver Mike Evans. The Lions get a starting cornerback that can help their rough secondary, and they get two sixth-round picks to offset some of the lost draft capital.
Now if the Lions choose to extend Davis and rework his contract, that will be the biggest factor in this trade. If the Lions only give Davis one extra year, it isn’t the best move. Their best move would be to extend Davis for another three or maybe four years, locking him in Detroit until 2028. How much they re-sign him for will be interesting because the team has other players they needs to re-sign first, like offensive tackle Penei Sewell, quarterback Jared Goff, and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. Putting Davis ahead of players that have been here a while would be interesting, to say the least.
Final thoughts and grade
Grade: B+
Overall, this was a good trade for both teams, and the Lions got some good help overall in the secondary. They now have their top two cornerback spots figured out without trying to risk a rookie in a tough spot early on in his career. You have some depth behind them, but you still leave the door open for a rookie to come in as, at best, the number three guy who won’t be forced onto the field right away. That gives them the opportunity to develop behind David and Sutton.
The team could still sign another free agent cornerback to help with depth and take a cornerback later in the draft to be a deep depth addition. This move changes their draft focus at least a day, and means they don’t have to jump into the top cornerback market in free agency. Davis will be a great addition to the team and with the biggest weakness getting addressed early, it’s clear that Holmes is ready to make the moves necessary to get the defense back on track.
If the secondary can improve on coverage, and the defensive line can generate a pass rush, this defense could take another leap in 2024. The defense made a nice adjustment from 2022 to 2023, but with moves like this, 2024 could be a top-10 type of year for this unit.
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