For a team that just set franchise records for wins (15) and points scored (564) in a season and didn’t change head coaches, the Detroit Lions have already had a busy offseason.
With that success, opposing teams have begun poaching talent from Detroit, starting with offensive coordinator Ben Johnson (now the Chicago Bears head coach) and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn (now the New York Jets head coach).
Brad Holmes joins ‘The Insiders’ to talk Lions’ offseason preparations
The Lions will also have over 30 players becoming free agents in the next month. Most will have the opportunity to join another team, as only four are set to be exclusive-rights free agents. Among those 30+ free agents, cornerback Carlton Davis will be unrestricted, and Sporting News Vinnie Iyer predicts that he’ll end up with the Los Angeles Chargers.
“The Chargers need to upgrade from Kristian Fulton, and Davis would be the ideal big target to put in Jesse Minter’s scheme,” Iyer wrote.
Davis, 28, played his college ball at Auburn from 2015-17, where he earned All-SEC and All-American honors In his final season. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took him in the second round of the 2018 NFL draft, and he earned starting reps right away.
For Tampa Bay, Davis recorded 324 tackles (12 for a loss), 73 passes defensed, nine interceptions, four fumbles recovered and three forced fumbles. He also helped the franchise win their second Super Bowl in their history.
The Lions added Davis (along with a pair of Day 3 picks) in a trade last offseason. In 13 games last year, he played 83% of the defensive snaps and recorded 56 tackles (two for a loss), 11 passes defensed, two interceptions, two fumbles recovered and a forced fumble.
While this would be a win for the Chargers, losing Davis would be a huge blow for a Lions defense that already struggled against the pass last season, allowing 247.1 yards per game (second-most in the NFL).
Detroit may need to completely overhaul their secondary, with Davis, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Kindle Vildor, Emmanuel Moseley and Khalil Dorsey all hitting the market. With over $50 million in cap space, the Lions can and should address the group with veteran additions.
