Last offseason, the Detroit Lions had a major hole on defense. They were desperate to bring in more talent at cornerback. Because of that, their biggest offseason move addressed that exact spot. They struck a deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to land Carlton Davis for a third-round pick.

Now, a year later, Davis is set to hit free agency, and all signs point to him planning to test the open market. With less than a week until the NFL’s legal tampering period, Davis tweeted, “I won’t make the same mistake twice. If you want your defense upgraded yall know who to pay. Turn on the Tape!”

Before that message, there was still some optimism that Detroit could keep Davis and possibly even re-sign him before free agency officially began.

However, that tweet makes it seem like staying with the Lions isn’t very likely. The current free agent cornerback class isn’t very deep, and Davis ranks as one of the top available players. He’s expected to draw strong interest and land a lucrative deal once teams can start making offers.

Davis had a productive year with Detroit despite dealing with injuries in 2024, holding opposing quarterbacks to a 55.3% completion rate when targeted. Meanwhile, the Lions still have a void at cornerback, since the two rookies they drafted last year have yet to prove themselves. That likely means Detroit will want to add a veteran, but winning a bidding war for Davis could be difficult.

The Lions are currently negotiating a contract extension with Aidan Hutchinson and will likely do the same with Kerby Joseph soon. Those deals will cut into their available cap space, and they have other areas they need to address as well. Davis should do well in free agency, but that would leave Detroit once again needing a reliable corner this offseason.