Detroit Lions in market for 'high-end corner.' Here are 6 to watch in trades, free agency.
The NFL's new league year officially begins March 13 at 4 p.m., though the wild window of offseason roster moves begins next Monday at noon, with permitted negotiations between teams and agents of pending unrestricted free agents.
The Detroit Lions are looking to make moves to try to push the team over the top after coming up a win shy of a Super Bowl appearance.
Nuggets of news and rumors are starting to trickle out, as the entire NFL world gathered in Indianapolis last week for the scouting combine to meet and watch top prospects in the NFL draft pool, and work on other league business such as trades and extensions.
The post-combine news leak has started as the event wrapped its final day Sunday, and Lions-related news items came forward.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler had a strong note on the Lions' presumed activity in the cornerback market, a spot which may be their top need this offseason.
"The word out of Indy is that Detroit is pretty set on adding a high-end corner, so the Lions are one to watch," Fowler wrote.
The Lions have ranked near the bottom of the league the past three seasons on defense under head coach Dan Campbell, finishing the 2023 year 27th in pass defense (247.4 yards allowed per game) and 30th in yards per pass play allowed (7.15).
Lions general manager Brad Holmes has in the past addressed outside cornerback through free agency, but there are cornerback prospects they could target in April's draft such as Toledo's Quinyon Mitchell (most likely a trade-up) and Missouri's Ennis Rakestraw Jr. with the 29th overall pick.
Here are some options, both through a potential trade and free agency, the Lions could target when the new NFL season officially begins.
Cornerback trade targets to watch
L'Jarius Sneed, Chiefs
Age: 27.
2023 stats: two interceptions, 14 passes defended, 78 total tackles in 16 regular season games.
Career stats: 10 interceptions, 40 passes defended, 303 total tackles in 57 games (2020-23).
Buzz: Let's start with the biggest name on the trade block as of right now. The Chiefs are expected to place the franchise tag on Sneed and are open to facilitating a trade to move the lockdown cornerback if the two sides cannot agree on a long-term deal. Sneed was one of the top coverage defensive backs throughout 2023, not allowing a touchdown as the primary defender until the divisional round, per ESPN, and helped anchor Kansas City's top-ranked pass defense. A deal for Sneed could require a lot of draft capital, as well as committing a hefty chunk of cap space. The Lions have the eighth-most cap space, according to overthecap.com, with $52 million.
DAVE BIRKETT: Pros and cons of Lions trading for Chiefs CB L'Jarius Sneed
Marshon Lattimore, Saints
Age: 27.
2023 stats: One interception, eight passes defended, 48 total tackles in 10 regular season games.
Career stats: 15 interceptions, 86 passes defended, 375 total tackles in 90 career games (2017-23).
Buzz: Let's jump into the two names ESPN reported could be on the trading block, starting with Lattimore. He's a four-time Pro Bowler and signed a five-year, $97 million extension with the Saints in 2021, meaning he is under contract through 2026, and recently restructured his 2024 base salary to an option to reduce the cap hit to $1.2 million. Lattimore would add a bevy of experience to Detroit's secondary, and has familiarity with Campbell and Lions coordinator Aaron Glenn's defensive system, after Glenn previously worked as the Saints defensive backs coach. Lattimore has missed significant chunks of the past two seasons due to injury (lacerated kidney and broken ribs in 2022, ankle in 2023).
Carlton Davis III, Buccaneers
Age: 27.
2023 stats: Two interceptions, nine passes defended, 52 total tackles in 12 regular season games.
Career stats: Nine interceptions, 73 passes defended, three forced fumbles, 328 total tackles in 76 career games (2018-23).
Buzz: The other cornerback mentioned on the trade block was Davis. He has one year remaining on his 3-year, $45 million contract signed in 2022, with a cap hit of $20.4 million for 2024. Davis carries lots of playoff experience like the other two options, and has shown a knack for being a playmaker Holmes craves on defense. Davis has had an extensive history with injuries, missing at least three games each season of his NFL career, and would be an expensive one-year option if his deal is not restructured. If the name sounds familiar, Davis was on the receiving end of Craig Reynolds' crushing block in the Lions' Week 6 win over the Bucs.
Free agency cornerback targets to watch
Stephon Gilmore, Cowboys
Age: 33.
2023 stats: Two interceptions, one forced fumble, 13 passes defended, 68 total tackles in 17 regular season games.
Career stats: 31 interceptions, 140 passes defended, 561 total tackles in 165 career games (2012-23).
Buzz: Chicago's Jaylon Johnson is the top cornerback slated to hit the open market, but Bears leadership has reportedly indicated a willingness to re-sign the 24-year-old, so let's look at Gilmore. Long been considered one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, even taking home a Defensive Player of the Year in addition to his two All-Pros and five Pro Bowls, and delivered a solid 2023 season for the NFC East-winning Cowboys. Though he is in the final years of his career, he still showed he can be a No. 1 corner with championship pedigree. Signing in Detroit could also reunite him with his brother, Steven, who joined the Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and made the team.
Kendall Fuller, Commanders
Age: 29.
2023 stats: Two interceptions, nine passes defended, 79 total tackles in 15 regular season games.
Career stats: 16 interceptions, 75 passes defended, 486 total tackles in 117 career games (2016-23).
Buzz: Another veteran option on the open market could be Fuller, who spent the past four seasons on the Commanders. He was a part of the secondary which ranked last in most categories in 2023, but would provide playmaking and ball skills to the secondary, while also carrying some playoff experience and a Super Bowl ring from his time with Kansas City. Fuller has also avoided the injury bug, missing just three games in the past three seasons.
MORE BUZZ: Lions late draft picks, Packers trash talk made this NFL combine feel different
Chidobe Awuzie, Bengals
Age: 28.
2023 stats: Zero interceptions, six passes defended, 57 total tackles in 15 regular season games.
Career stats: Six interceptions, 62 passes defended, 369 total tackles in 86 career games (2017-23).
Buzz: The third option we will look at out of the plethora set to hit the open market is Awuzie, who spent the past three seasons with the Bengals. He returned in 2023 from an ACL injury suffered in 2022. Awuzie doesn't quite have the accolades or championships like Gilmore or Fuller, but was a big part of Cincinnati's run to the Super Bowl in the 2021 season. Awuzie is most likely done in Cincinnati, as the Bengals have targeted cornerback early in recent drafts with D.J. Turner (Michigan) and Cam Taylor-Britt.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions in market for 'high-end corner.' Here are 6 to watch.
