Lions swapping starting CBs, signing D.J. Reed after losing Carlton Davis III

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Allen Park — Shortly after it was reported that the Detroit Lions were losing starting cornerback Carlton Davis III on Monday, the team found a high-level replacement, reaching a three-year agreement with D.J. Reed. The players share an agent and both deals were confirmed via their agency’s Instagram account.

Contracts with external free agents cannot be finalized until the start of the new league year, Wednesday at 4 p.m.

A former fifth-round pick out of Kansas State, Detroit will be the fourth NFL home for the 28-year-old Reed. The 5-foot-9, 188-pounder started his career with the 49ers, spent two seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, and is coming off a three-year stint with the New York Jets.

Reed has a long history of being stellar in coverage. According to the NFL's Next Gen stats, he's impressively held opposing quarterbacks to a passer rating of 80.4 or worse when targeted each of the past five seasons.

Reed has broken up 49 passes and intercepted six during that five-year stretch. If there’s a blight on the resume, it was penalty issues the past two seasons. He was flagged 11 times in 2024, including eight defensive pass interference infractions.

Reed played in the slot early in his career but has primarily been outside the past several seasons, including all three with the Jets. He played a healthy amount of man coverage for the team (31.1% in 2024), fitting a schematic preference the Lions intend to maintain.

According to a Fox Sports report, Reed's three-year deal will be worth up to $48 million. That's 20% less than the annual average value being reported for Davis, who told The Athletic he was seeking a deal that would make him one of the 10 highest-paid players at his position. On Monday, the first day teams could negotiate with pending free agents, the New England Patriots obliged with a three-year pact worth up to $60 million.

Davis departs Detroit after just one season. Acquired in an offseason trade from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a year ago, he made 13 starts for the Lions in 2024, helping stabilize one of the weakest positions on the roster. Unfortunately, he finished the season on injured reserve after breaking his jaw while making a tackle.

Comfortable and productive playing both man and zone coverages, Davis has battled durability issues throughout his seven-year career. He's missed multiple games every season, including 20 the past four years.

In New England, Davis will be paired with first-year defensive coordinator Terrell Williams, who served as Detroit's defensive line coach last season.

Reed joins a group in Detroit that he'll anchor along with last year's first-round pick, Terrion Arnold. They'll be supplemented by veteran Amik Robertson — who played much of last season in the slot — and last year's second-round pick, Ennis Rakestraw, who battled his own injury issues as a rookie, which contributed to limiting him to 46 defensive snaps in 2024.

In addition to Davis, most of Detroit's depth at the position has expiring contracts. Emmanuel Moseley, Khalil Dorsey and Kindle Vildor are all free agents. That means the Lions will have more work to do at the position this offseason, whether in free agency or the draft.