Open thread: How should the Lions replace Carlton Davis?
Dec 21, 2024
Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images
What is the best solution for the Lions to fill the opening at starting cornerback now that Carlton Davis is likely out for the year? The Detroit Lions have a lot of injuries right now, but for many of the positions, it’s clear how the Lions will proceed. With no David Montgomery, we’ll almost certainly see more Craig Reynolds. Along the interior of the defensive line, Levi Onwuzurike is a natural replacement for Alim McNeill.
But the situation may not be as straightforward at cornerback.
With Carlton Davis likely out for the remainder of the regular and postseason, Detroit will need to find a new player capable of starting at outside cornerback. And as coach Dan Campbell noted as the beginning of the week, there are several options for that.
“E-man (Emmanuel Moseley) is somebody we have on the roster,” Campbell said. “You see him, we’ve already got (Kindle) Vildor, who helped us out, finished that game out, you’ve still got (Terrion Arnold) TA, and you’re right, (Brian) Branch, he’s somebody we’ve got to talk about. What do we do with Branch, do we keep him where he’s at, do we move him? We’ve got Amik (Robertson), does Amik stay inside, does he go outside? (Lions S Ifeatu Melifonwu) Iffy, start his clock this week?”
There are several different options the Lions could pursue, so today’s Question of the Day is:
How should the Lions replace Carlton Davis?
My answer: I’m going to split this into two sections: what the Lions will do, and what I think they should do.
I think for this week, the Lions will go the simplest route and replace Davis with Vildor. The Lions like Vildor a fair share, and he’s a veteran that has also played in Soldier Field quite a bit as a former Chicago Bear. The Lions defense has gone through so much shifting and substitution that it would make sense on some level to avoid further disruptions.
What I’d like for them to do is to put Amik Robertson on the outside and slide Emmanuel Moseley in at nickel. Obviously, I have no idea where Moseley is at in terms of his health and level of play. He hasn’t played any real time on defense in three years, so there is a significant risk there. However, Campbell sounded optimistic about his progress this week.
“This is the best week he’s had since he’s come back from the injury,” Campbell said. “I just think he looks so much more comfortable, he’s moving around well, and it’s been really two great days for him.”
If there’s a week to just try something out, this may be it. The Bears offense will be the worst one they face the rest of the way.
The one thing I don’t really want the Lions to do is move their safeties around. Yes, Brian Branch already plays a fair amount of nickel, but that last line of defense has been the best aspect of Detroit’s defense all year. I’d rather the Lions not mess with it.
What’s your ideal fix to Detroit’s cornerback situation this week? Scroll down to the comment section and let us known.