Last year, the Detroit Lions had a significant need on defense, particularly at cornerback. To address this, they made their biggest offseason move, trading a third-round pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for Carlton Davis.

Now, a year later, Davis is set to explore the free agent market, and it seems that’s exactly what he intends to do. With less than a week left before 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!”

Prior to this, there was still hope that the Lions could keep Davis, potentially even before free agency opened. However, this tweet makes that scenario seem unlikely. The cornerback free agent class isn’t very deep, and Davis is one of the top available players, meaning he’s likely to attract significant offers when teams can begin negotiations.

Davis had a solid season despite battling injuries in 2024, limiting opposing quarterbacks to a 55.3% completion rate when targeting him. The Lions still need help at cornerback, as the two players they drafted last season need to prove themselves.

This leaves the team in search of a veteran, but it will be difficult for them to win a bidding war for Davis. They’re focused on contract extensions for Aidan Hutchinson and Kerby Joseph, which will limit their cap space and attention. Free agency will likely treat Davis well, but it will probably leave the Lions in need of another cornerback this offseason.