The Detroit Lions certainly didn't pinch pennies for a Carlton Davis replacement after he joined the New England Patriots in free agency, as one of their first big offseason moves was luring standout starter DJ Reed away from the New York Jets with a big deal of his own.
Often overshadowed by All-Pro Sauce Gardner, Reed became one of the best No. 2 cornerbacks in football and would have been the No. 1 option on a good chunk of teams. The Lions invested in him heavily, giving him a three-year contract that will pay him $48 million throughout.
ESPN's Seth Walder was extremely complementary of the work that Lions GM Brad Holmes did in replacing Davis with Reed, even going as far as to call this move the best signing in all of free agency. With Detroit operating on a somewhat frugal budget as they save up for extensions, this deal looks like a home run.
Not only does Walder believe that Reed was a quality signing at $16 million per season, but he also believes that he is actually an upgrade over Davis. With Davis getting $20 million per season with the Patriots, Reed may end up being the better value play in this contract.
ESPN analyst calls Lions' DJ Reed signing best move of offseason
The average yards per coverage snap allowed for NFL cornerbacks on the outside is 1.1, and Reed was below that benchmark in each of the last four seasons. Reed will be a welcome sight on a defense that will need to make up for the loss of defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
Reed will not only provide high-end cornerback play, but he could be a perfect veteran mentor for a very young secondary. Detroit could roll out four potential rookie contract players, including two 2024 cornerback draft picks in Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw, so having that veteran moxie will be important.
If Reed is as good as he was in New York, and Rakestraw returns from injury to push Amik Robertson for snaps, the secondary could be one of the best in the game. Arnold will improve, and both Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch will fight for All-Pro recognition.
Reed is by no means going to be an All-Pro lock, but he has been perpetually underrated due to playing large chunks of his career on bad teams. The Lions may finally give him the shine his play has deserved a long time ago.