The Detroit Lions lost cornerback Carlton Davis after trading for the veteran just one year ago. But on Tuesday, CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan proposed the Lions trade for a different veteran cornerback — Jalen Ramsey — to replace Davis.
Sullivan named the Lions one of three potential landing spots for the three-time All-Pro cornerback.
“The Lions are firmly within their Super Bowl window, so looking for experienced players who have climbed that mountain should be appealing to them,” Sullivan wrote. “That’s especially true in the case of Ramsey as the corner should be able to help the secondary after it allowed 244 passing yards per game during the regular season, the third highest in the NFL.”
Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier announced Tuesday that the team and Ramsey have agreed to explore trade options this offseason.
Sullivan didn’t specify what it might take the Lions to acquire Ramsey. That’s an important detail. Although Ramsey has three more seasons left on his contract after 2025, he turns 31 years old in October.
Ramsey may only be a short-term solution for the Lions. But he could also be a key addition for a team prepping for a Super Bowl run.
Could Lions Trade for CB Jalen Ramsey?
The Lions added both long and short-term answers at cornerback last offseason. But neither seemed to help the defense from a statistical standpoint in 2024.
Detroit again addressed cornerback in free agency this offseason. But Sullivan still argued the Lions could use Ramsey.
“Sure, the team signed D.J. Reed in free agency and spent their 2024 first-round pick on Terrion Arnold, but adding Ramsey to bolster the depth should be an endeavor worth exploring, particularly due to them also having the second-highest amount of cap space currently at about $42.3 million,” wrote Sullivan.
The Dolphins signed Ramsey to a three-year, $72.3 million contract extension last offseason. That made the veteran the highest-paid cornerback in the league on an average annual salary basis.
Miami and Detroit would have to come to a financial agreement through the trade. But while Ramsey is signed through the 2028 season, the Lions are unlikely to take on the bulk of the cornerback’s deal.
But that is another reason why the draft pick it would take the Lions to acquire Ramsey is important. The better the draft selection the Lions give up, the less they are likely to take on with Ramsey from a financial perspective.
As Sullivan explained, the Lions do have the cap space to accept a great deal of Ramsey’s contract. Over the Cap ranked the Lions with the second-most cap space in the NFL behind only the New England Patriots.
If the Lions are interested in Ramsey, the question is how much of that space will the team be willing to dedicate to the 31-year-old.
Other Potential Fits for Ramsey
Another factor in the Lions potentially pursuing the veteran cornerback is his trade market.
Right after the Dolphins announced their plan to trade Ramsey, trade rumors around the cornerback began to swirl. It’s possible lots of different teams will be involved in trying to acquire the veteran.
While the Lions could use Ramsey, they might prefer not to get involved in a bidding war.
Sullivan named just three potential destinations for Ramsey. Other than the Lions, Sullivan mentioned the Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals as his other trade suitors for the veteran cornerback.
