Stephon Gilmore stands out as Lions' top option after Cameron Sutton release

The Detroit Lions were rocked by a situation involving now former cornerback Cameron Sutton, and it has put a dent in what has been a very positive offseason.

Sutton was released last week after an arrest warrant was issued in Florida for his role in an alleged domestic violence incident. While the move was justified, it does leave a hole in the Lions' secondary. It was at least assumed Sutton could be a piece to the puzzle next season.

Without Sutton, the question becomes how the Lions will respond. There could be a need to add another veteran corner, and that was the case before the situation with Sutton played out.

Heading into free agency, Pro Football Focus' Brad Spielberger projected Gilmore as a fit for the Lions.

"Gilmore's trade from the Indianapolis Colts to the Dallas Cowboys this offseason got him back to playing contending football, and he hasn't skipped a beat at any point as he's moved around over the past few years. Gilmore still thrives in single coverage and can jostle with the more physical receivers who play through contact, timing his leap well on contested catches and jumping routes with top-end play recognition. A matchup with A.J. Brown in Week 14 had him playing inspired football after Brown allegedly called him old early on in the contest. Gilmore rose to the occasion and locked Brown down until the game was out of reach in the second half."

Gilmore remains unsigned through nearly two full weeks of free agency. His resume alone puts him toward the top of the available options, and while his best days are behind him he still has plenty left approaching his age-34 season. Last season with the Cowboys, he played all 17 games with two interceptions, 13 pass breakups, 68 total tackles and an 82.7 passer rating allowed.

At this point, there is a strong case for Gilmore as the best cornerback option for the Lions to pursue.

Stephon Gilmore is ideal free agent option to replace Cameron Sutton

Without Sutton, Detroit's cornerback depth looks a little suspect again. It was a major problem last season, with effort already done to fix it. With that in mind, the addition of Gilmore could offer Detroit a major advantage.

The Lions could still opt to draft a cornerback early if they signed Gilmore. In that situation, he could serve as a mentor for another younger player. Gilmore's brother Steven is on the roster, which could make Detroit appeal to him a little extra.

Best yet, Gilmore wouldn't cost any draft capital in a trade, nor would he be likely to eat up much salary cap space this year. Price-wise, it's hard to imagine the Lions could do better right now.

While the Sutton situation is unfortunate, the Lions have the chance to pivot quickly. Gilmore would offer them the best fit still available on the market.