ALLEN PARK — The bag came calling, and Carlton Davis III answered.
After just one season with the Detroit Lions, Davis has agreed to a three-year, $60 million contract with the New England Patriots, including $34.5 million in guaranteed money.
The news was first reported by Fox Sports.
Under league rules, teams can begin negotiating deals with players from other franchises on expiring contracts when the NFL’s legal tampering window opens at noon on Monday. Deals can be officially signed on Wednesday at 4 p.m.
Davis leaving Detroit for New England leaves the Lions thin at cornerback, with only Terrion Arnold, Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Amik Robertson and Stantley Thomas-Oliver under contract.
As one of the most sought-after cornerbacks on the market, Davis joins a Patriots team currently undergoing a rebuild under new head coach Mike Vrabel.
The Lions acquired Davis and two sixth-round picks last offseason in a trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for a 2024 third-round pick, which the Buccaneers used to select Jalen McMillan in last year’s draft.
Davis’ addition to Detroit’s secondary proved to be an immediate upgrade, and he served as a mentor to Arnold throughout the season.
Before suffering a season-ending jaw injury during a Week 15 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Davis was on pace for career highs. He finished the year with 42 solo tackles, 11 passes defended, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in 13 games.
Additionally, the seven-year veteran allowed only two receiving touchdowns, and opposing quarterbacks completed just 55.3% of their passes when targeting him.
Davis’ injury left the Lions scrambling to replace his production and playmaking ability during their final three regular-season games, including a divisional-round playoff loss to the Washington Commanders.
With Davis out of the picture, the Lions could turn to Arnold as their new CB1 heading into the new season and look to add depth through free agency or next month’s draft in Green Bay.
Lions general manager Brad Holmes gave Arnold a vote of confidence in handling the role two weeks ago when speaking to reporters at the NFL combine in Indianapolis.
RELATED: Can Lions’ Terrion Arnold be a CB1? Brad Holmes says he can.
“Yeah, he just has to continue to work on his fundamentals, from a technique standpoint. He’s wired right. He’s got the right attitude,” Holmes said. “Again, he took some lumps early, had some aggressive penalties early. Like I said, at the end of the season, I think the waters kind of calmed halfway through. And he’s a very coachable player. He cares, he’s passionate (and) he’s prideful.”
