In the wake of Terrion Arnold's legal situation and subsequent release, everybody and their brother has ideas about what the Detroit Lions should do to help their situation at cornerback. Of course the available options are not robust right now, and one of the best ones (Rasul Douglas) has now signed with another team.
Beyond free agent cornerbacks, there are some options on the trade front for general manager Brad Holmes to pursue. Of course we shouldn't expect a significant move, lest precious draft capital that hasn't been made much of lately be parted with.
It's also possible, with Arnold having only been lined up to compete for a starting job with zero promises, the Lions feel like they can roll with who they have left at cornerback unless/until shown otherwise.
Which is not to say standing pat would be a good plan. But it could be the early plan that eventually sticks until at least into the season.
Proposed trade would not comfortably solve the Lions' CB problem
Of course some teams could be proactive and signal to the Lions they have a cornerback they'd be willing to trade. On that general idea, Ernesto Cova over at Horseshoe Heroes recently offered Indianapolis Colts cornerback Charvarius Ward as a potential trade match for Detroit.
"Given the limited options available at this point in the offseason, Ward might actually be their (the Lions') best bet. He's a star-caliber player, but given his history of injuries, they can probably get him for a third-round pick."
"The Colts would be getting a Day 2 pick for a guy with a history of injuries and a big contract..."
There's genuine question wondering if the Colts would even trade Ward, which Costa mentioned.
"In a normal situation, the Colts would never even consider the possibility of moving on from a guy like Ward. Then again, this team has no margin for error whatsoever after their late-season collapse in 2025."
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Ward has been a top-10 graded cornerback by Pro Football Focus in three of the last four seasons. But over the last two seasons, as he has played 19 of a possible 34 regular season games, he has zero interceptions and 14 total pass breakups.
Cova noted how Ward has considered retirement upon dealing with "multiple ailments and concussions", which isn't ideal any way you slice it. He also has two years left on the three-year, $54 million contract he signed with the Colts in 2025.
Mix those things with the notion of giving up a third-round pick to get him, and Ward would be pushed hard toward the unlikely side of the equation when it comes to cornerbacks the Lions could trade for.
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