The Detroit Lions have made a number of additions and subtractions to their roster during free agency as the NFC North powerhouse looks to build a team that will put them in the best position possible to contend for a Super Bowl.
While there are plenty of reasons to be excited about the newcomers joining the fold in Detroit, one veteran on the defensive side of the football who elected to leave the Lions as a free agent could be regretting his decision sooner rather than later and Detroit fans know it.
Carlton Davis Will Regret Leaving Detroit in the Offseason
We are talking about none other than veteran cornerback Carlton Davis as the former Auburn Tigers standout chose to move on from Motor City to sign a three-year deal with the rebuilding New England Patriots.
For starters, the Lions are clearly much closer to contending for a title than the Patriots will be over the course of the next three seasons. Therefore, winning a second Super Bowl either isn’t something Davis is concerned with at this time, or he has a much different outlook on New England’s future than, essentially, every other NFL pundit out there.
Losing Davis was not an ideal scenario for Detroit but they managed to find a suitable replacement in short order as D.J. Reed joined the Lions on a three-year, $48 million deal. Reed brings a bit of everything to the table in terms of his skill set as a cornerback as over the course of his professional career he has accumulated totals of 414 tackles, six interceptions, and four forced fumbles during his time with the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets.
Reed might not have the same type of reputation as a cover corner that Davis does but he has proven he is not only durable but well-rounded in the facets of the game that matter the most on the defensive side of the ball. When you have a player in the fold that you can count on to be on the field week in and week out, Reed has started 60 games over the course of the last four seasons, which also saves you money, in this case, $12 million over the life of the three-year deal compared to what Davis signed for, then you have to consider the signing a win for the franchise.
Davis may have secured the bag with his $60 million deal but that extra money in the bank will not bring him any closer to competing for a championship like the Lions are expected to do this coming season.
