5 cornerbacks Detroit Lions could trade for to replace Cameron Sutton
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Here are some cornerbacks the Detroit Lions could trade for to replace the departed Cameron Sutton.
After his lackluster performance on the field in his first season with the team, a chunk of Detroit Lions’ fans wanted Cameron Sutton gone. He is gone now, however unfortunately under the broader circumstances after a warrant for his arrest was made public this past week. The team released him the next day.
The trade to acquire Carlton Davis from the Buccaneers and the signing of Amik Robertson has greatly lessened the Lions’ need a cornerback. But it was resurfaced a bit more in the wake of the situation with Sutton, if only on the idea of adding another experienced player to the mix before the draft.
To paraphrase what general manager Brad Holmes said earlier this offseason, “you can never have too many corners.”
So it’s unlikely Holmes does nothing to address Sutton’s absence/departure, even if it’s not until the draft. But a rookie would be stepping into a fairly significant role right now, as currently constituted. A veteran addition, in free agency or via a trade, is in play.
Of course one notable potential cornerback trade target is off the board. L’Jarius Sneed is on his way to the Tennessee Titans, and he’s of course getting the big contract that probably took the Lions out of the mix to get him as things went on.
Here are some remaining, and possibly available, cornerbacks the Lions could trade for to replace Sutton.
5 cornerbacks Detroit Lions could trade for to replace Cameron Sutton
5. Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos
Addressing any lingering idea about Surtain to the Lions here specifically to dismiss it. If they weren’t going to pony up all the costs for Sneed, rightly or wrongly, they probably wouldn’t do if for Surtain. Yes, Surtain is three years younger, coming up on his 24th birthday in April. But he is approaching getting a contract that may reset the top of the cornerback market, and the Lions’ looming future contract extension investments are well-documented.
As young as he is, Surtain should be considered a building block for the future in Denver. They won’t have the residue of the Russell Wilson situation forever, and they’ll need good/great players in place for their next phase. They won’t give Surtain away, and he could (should?) be an exception to the recent history of cornerbacks being acquired for no better than a third-round pick.
But Surtain does fall into the category of cornerbacks the Lions could try to trade for, hence why he’s here. It’s just not very likely to happen, and never has been all that likely to happen.
4. Caleb Farley, Tennessee Titans
It’s a vast understatement to say things have not gone well for Farley so far in his NFL career. A back injury delayed the start of his career in 2021, then a torn ACL ended that rookie season early. He played in nine games in his second season (2022), then more back trouble kept him off the field completely last season.
As mentioned, the Titans were the team that acquired Sneed. They also signed cornerback Chidobe Awuzie in free agency to overturn and improve their top two cornerback spots. General manager Ran Carthon has expressed some naturally expected optimism that Farley can get/stay on the field and be a factor next season, but that’s hardly a realistic idea.
Carthon is also not the general manager who drafted Farley, so parting ways would be easier. But cutting him outright is not beneficial to the Titans cap-wise this year, and they may not want to add to the dead money they already have.
Two significant occurrences of back trouble in three years is not a great thing for Farley, in terms of how many years his career may even last. Health is the obvious thing, but the Lions could give up an incredibly conditional late-round pick to find out about a former first-round pick who has little or no place on his current team.
3. Andrew Booth, Minnesota Vikings
Booth would be a dictionary definition of a buy-low. His rookie season in 2022, after the Vikings took him in the second round, was limited by injuries and he only played six games. He suited up for all 17 games last year, but he played a total of 272 snaps (151 defensive snaps, 121 special teams snaps). In that small sample last season, his Pro Football Focus coverage grade was solid (69.1; would’ve been top-50 among cornerbacks if he had enough snaps to qualify).
The Vikings could certainly use a little cornerback help, but the recent signing of Shaquill Griffin bumps Booth down the depth chart more than he already is. If a cornerback is drafted next month, Booth has virtually no path to playing time.
Booth ostensibly still has the talent that had him as a potential first-round pick coming out of Clemson two years ago. And it’s getting to the point he won’t have the opportunity to possibly realize that potential in Minnesota. A conditional seventh-round pick (and a bag of deflated? footballs), might get the job done to take a complete flier on 23-year old cornerback. If nothing else, Booth pretty clearly needs a change of scenery.
2. Marshon Lattimore, New Orleans Saints
Lattimore is easy, almost too convenient, to tie to the Lions as a trade target. Head coach Dan Campbell, and more importantly defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, were on the Saints’ coaching staff for the first four seasons of Lattimore’s career. Glenn was the Saints’ defensive backs coach in that time, helping Lattimore win Defensive Rookie of the Year (2017) and earn three Pro Bowl nods (2017, 2019, 2020).
The Saints restructured Lattimore’s contract earlier this offseason to pave the way for a trade, reducing his base salary to the veteran minimum $1.2 million for this year. But he also has a $13.79 million roster bonus that triggers right before the regular season starts. So the cost for an acquiring team this year is more like $15 million. With that bonus trigger in mind, the Saints don’t benefit cap-wise from trading him before June 1.
With the cap implications that are coming from releasing Sutton, and the likely void of his $10.5 million base salary for this year, the Lions may have some new-found cap space some time around June 1.
Lattimore has three years left on his contract, including 2024. He has missed 17 games over the last two seasons, with an overall drop-off in his play as well. It’s hard to full say he is in decline going into his age-28 season, but it’s not a reach the Saints may think he is and thus the trade cost could be lower.
Lattimore has a strong case to be No. 1 on this list, but someone else gets the nod.
1. Greg Newsome, Cleveland Browns
Before free agency started, with a report from the Washington Post the Browns were ready to trade one of their top three cornerbacks, Jeff Risdon of Lions Wire added the Lions had interest. With a looming fifth-year option decision by May 2, Newsome stands as a better trade candidate than Denzel Ward or Martin Emerson if Cleveland is going to deal a cornerback.
Newsome has had some stretches of high-level play so far in his career, mixed with inconsistency. He carries himself with a level of confidence and swagger that he doesn’t always consistently back up on the field. But such is the nature of playing cornerback, rooted in having a short memory and not playing scared. The Lions have added some swagger at cornerback, with Carlton Davis and Amik Robertson, but there’s never too much swagger in a cornerback room if they can back it up with their play.
Newsome has allowed a passer rating below 86.0 in all three of his NFL seasons. He has played outside and in the slot in the last two seasons, along with a notiecable number of snaps as a box player. Missed tackles were a bit of a thing last season, but he is willing participant against the run with 14 pass breakups last year.
Risdon’s trade proposal for the Lions to get Newsome, of course before they traded for Davis, was the No. 73 pick in this year’s draft and a 2025 fourth-round pick.
Having giving up their other third-round pick this year in the deal for Davis, trading No. 73 tilts to very unlikely now. But if the Browns would take picks after this year, say 2025 and 2026 along the same line as Risdon’s proposal, it could be a done deal to bring Newsome to Detroit.
