In his first meeting with Detroit media last March, Carlton Davis promised he would be the "lockdown corner" the Lions desperately needed. Then he went out and delivered, surrendering a 77.0 passer rating and a 55.3 percent completion rate in his coverage with two interceptions, 11 pass breakups and two fumble recoveries in 13 games this season.
Of course Davis also missed the end of the season, sidelined by a broken jaw. That continued a general trend of him being banged up, as he has missed at least four games in four straight seasons. Those durability concerns add a layer to things as he now heads into free agency.
That said, there's a strong case for Davis as the second-best free agent cornerback available this year. His prowess in man-coverage particularly stands out, and he's not afraid to get involved defending the run to complete his reputation as one of the most physical cornerbacks in the league.
The Lions would certainly like to have Davis back on a multi-year deal, but entering his age-29 season he can and should see what else might be out there on the market. There's a chance another team will be willing to go to more years and more money per year than the Lions are.
The list of potential Davis free agency suitors can certainly be longer, but let's hone in on these six teams as the biggest threats to the Lions' effort to bring him back.
6 teams who could be the biggest threats to the Lions re-signing Carlton Davis
6. Pittsburgh Steelers
Davis' physical nature seems to scream "Steelers." According to Pro Football Focus, the Steelers ran Cover 1 at the fourth-highest rate in the NFL this past season, and as also noted by PFF that's a "scheme Davis is well acquainted with from his time in Detroit."
With around $40.7 million in cap space, the Steelers could make a noticeable offer to Davis.
5. San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers themselves have a significant free agent at cornerback in Charvarius Ward, so they could just allocate significant resources to re-signing him and they wouldn't be wrong. But if it looks like Ward will go elsewhere, there's a case for them to pursue Davis as an upgrade pivot.
As PFF named the Steelers and 49ers top potential landing spots for Davis they noted how
new (returning) 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is likely to want to replicate the Cover-1 heavy scheme he used as the New York Jets' head coach with great success. Davis obviously fits that kind of philosophy like a glove, and San Francisco seems equipped to make a viable offer with over $43 million in effective cap space.