The re-escalation of the situation around Terrion Arnold, and his subsequent release, has left the Detroit Lions with a bit of a depth problem at cornerback. They have a number of options to fill key roles around No. 1 cornerback D.J. Reed, but there are question marks abound until shown otherwise.
Of course there aren't many available options, actual or hypothetical, who land as very appealing at this point in time. Any free agent who's available in mid-July has warts, and most anyone who's possibly available on the trade market would invite questions about why their current team doesn't want them.
And of course, cost has to be considered. In particular, unless their hand is really forced by injury or underperformance, the Lions aren't going to surrender notable draft capital to trade for someone.
But until what is seen as a needed move is made, there will be cornerback options matched with the Lions.
Lions may have a sneaky solution to their cornerback issue
Among three proposed trades for the Pittsburgh Steelers to make before the 2026 season starts, Andrew Vasquez of Steelers Wire matched cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. with the Lions.
"It's no secret Samuel has been tied to trade speculation in recent weeks, as reports indicate he could see a reduced role in a loaded cornerback room. The Lions, who released starting cornerback Terrion Arnold following his legal troubles, would be an ideal landing spot."
Completing his recovery from a neck and shoulder injury that ended his 2024 campaign with the Los Angeles Chargers delayed Samuel finding a new team for last season.
The Steelers signed him to their practice squad in November, and he played 222 defensive snaps over the final six regular season games (three starts). He had one interception and one pass breakup during that run, with an overall Pro Football Focus grade (70.1) that would've been top-30 among cornerbacks if he'd had enough snaps to qualify.
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Samuel wouldn't put any kind of dent in the Lions' balance sheet, with just a $1.215 million base salary for this year. He's also just 26 years old (27 in October), with 50 starts on his resume. As long as the neck/shoulder issue is behind him, he could be worth a swing.
The Steelers' cornerback situation likely has to go a certain way - rookie Daylen Everette fully seizing a notable role - for Samuel to move all the way to being a trade candidate before Week 1. But it's certainly in play, and it's very possible the Lions already have him somewhere on their radar for if or when they do consider making a move to add a cornerback.
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