Getty Bills cornerback Tre'Davious White at Highmark Stadium on December 17, 2022.
The Detroit Lions will need to address some holes in their secondary this offseason, and a house-cleaning on the other side of Lake Erie could help them accomplish part of it.
The Lions are in danger of losing cornerback Jerry Jacobs and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who are both headed to free agency, but have the potential to make an All-Pro addition after the Buffalo Bills released cornerback Tre’Davious White this week as part of a cost-cutting spree. The Athletic’s Colton Pouncy named White as a potential addition for the Lions to add a steady veteran to their secondary.
Lions Could Take Chance on Top Cornerback
Pouncy noted that chasing White could be a risk for the Lions, as the cornerback is coming off back-to-back major injuries over the course of the last three years. White suffered a torn ACL in 2022, then returned last season only to go down again with a torn Achilles.
White’s recovery could stretch into the season, but Pouncy believes that could also give the Lions a chance to make a low-cost addition to their defense.
“We know [Lions general manager Brad] Holmes likes the idea of prove-it deals,” Pouncy wrote. “Hard to imagine a better fit than White. He’d be joining a contender, and the Lions could give him a chance to re-establish himself as a top corner in the league.”
Free Agent: Tre’Davious white
His career stats:
• 7 seasons (82 games)
• 311 tackles, 12 TFL
• 68 passes defended, 18 INTs
• 6 QB hits, 3 sacks
• 5 FF, 5 FR, 1 TD
• 2x pro bowler, 2x all-pro
The Lions pulled off a similar move last offseason, signing Emmanuel Moseley after he had been lost to a torn ACL the previous year. It didn’t work out for the Lions, as Moseley suffered another torn ACL just two snaps into his first game back.
White was a casualty of a roster overhaul in Buffalo, with the team releasing several veteran players this week in a sweep that generated more than $30 million in cap space. The Bills also released veteran center Mitch Morse and safety Jordan Poyer, and restructured the contract of edge rusher Von Miller to lower his base salary and add incentives.
Lions Working on Secondary
The Lions started to address their secondary this week, announcing on March 5 that they were bringing Moseley back on a one-year deal. They may need to find help in the back end of the secondary, with speculation that Gardner-Johnson could return to the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason.
There could be other additions coming, however. Christian Booher of SI.com’s All Lions speculated that the team could target former All-Pro Stephon Gilmore as another affordable addition to the secondary. Booher noted that Gilmore already has a connection to Detroit’s roster and could provide some much-needed depth and leadership.
“In his prime, Gilmore was one of the league’s top shutdown corners. Though he may be past that mark, he’s still capable of being a very productive member of an NFL secondary,” Booher wrote.
“With the Lions in desperate need of help in the defensive backfield, Gilmore would be a natural fit on a short-term contract. Detroit also has an advantage in the free agency sweepstakes, as the organization currently has Gilmore’s brother, Steven, on its roster.”