CB additions should impact team’s defensive scheme
The way Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell sees it, cornerback Carlton Davis III is going to remove some restrictions on the team’s defensive scheme with his ability to limit what opposing offenses are able to do.
Campbell needed zero convincing to bring Davis on board this offseason. That sentiment was rooted in familiarity, both from matching up against the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive back twice last season, to a shared history in the NFC South, when Campbell was on the coaching staff in New Orleans.
The coach feels he has a clear understanding of what the Lions are getting in the defender, and it’s something he believes his team has lacked since he took the job in 2021.
“I had a good feel of Carlton,” Campbell said Tuesday morning at the league meetings. “We didn’t really want to throw at him. We knew he was a good cover guy and he’ll tackle on the perimeter. There are just things he can do where he can take his side of the field away, at times. Just to have some of that, man, goes a long way for the rest of the defense, and what (defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn) is going to be able to call. Man, that’s going to help, and that’s really something we felt we haven’t had here since we’ve been here.”
The Lions picked up Davis in a trade earlier this month, sending a late-third-round pick to Tampa Bay to get the deal done. General manager Brad Holmes made the initial contact in those conversations. He had a sense, based on the player’s contract, combined with Tampa Bay’s cap situation and quality depth at the position, Davis could be available. And like with Campbell, there was comfort in familiarity, going back to Holmes scouting Davis coming out of Auburn while still working with the Los Angeles Rams.
“I think it made sense on their part, and, obviously, we wanted to replenish at that position,” Holmes said. “We’re just trying to see a guy that we’ve always liked that fit our defense.”
Prior to completing the Davis trade, the Lions already had been making a push to sign Amik Robertson as part of that plan to replenish their cornerback room. But when the Buccaneers agreed to the swap, the Lions believed it could kill Robertson’s interest. Instead, they found the competitive
fire that showed up on his tape also applied to his willingness to still come to Detroit and fight for a job.
That resonated with Campbell in a big way.
“One of the things I loved, we were going back and forth with Amik, and then we make the Carlton trade, and we’re like, ‘Well, we’re going to lose Amik. I mean, we just traded for a corner,’” Campbell said. “He’s like, ‘Are we going to get this done or not?’ He wanted to come. To him, he’s coming in to compete to start. He wants to come in and earn his right. I love that about
this kid. He fits us 100%.
“….His tape was outstanding,” Campbell said. “People say, ‘Well, he’s 5-8,’ but he doesn’t play like he’s 5-8. This guy plays like a big corner. He’s aggressive, he’s competitive, he’s got good mancover skills, and he’s smart. He’s a ball guy, you know? He’s a football player.”
The man-coverage skills of Davis, Robertson and Emmanuel Moseley — who the team re-signed coming off a second ACL tear — offer the Lions a chance to alter the identity of their secondary. Last year, adjusting to his personnel and some league-wide trends, Glenn had the Lions playing far more zone-coverage schemes than previous years.