During the offseason, we’re debating the biggest talking points about the Detroit Lions.
Detroit Lions Offseason Toss-up #5: The Lions signed free agent cornerback Cassius Vaughn Monday, who had a decent year last year. Is there anything from that move that suggests the Lions have now eliminated cornerback as a need during the draft? Will or should they still draft one high in May?
Chris Burke: I’ve been telling pretty much anyone who will listen since about the combine that the Lions are going to go elsewhere, at least in Round 1. They’re invested in Chris Houston, they believe in Darius Slay, and they’ve spent multiple other picks at cornerback in the past couple of drafts. Now, add in a part-time starter in Vaughn, and the desperation level just isn’t there.
I think they will add one or two cornerbacks later in the draft — Round 3 or with their multiple Round 4 picks. But that’s about as far as I see them reaching for help there.
Max DeMara: A few months ago, I wouldn’t have agreed with you, but since you’ve been preaching, I’ve been listening as well as watching the signs out of Allen Park. Detroit simply isn’t going cornerback high this season. They did with Slay in round two last year, and must be confident that Vaughn can be a decent enough contributor to get into the mix. In addition to Houston and Slay, there’s players like Jonte Green, Chris Greenwood and Bill Bentley, all of whom are young and can play a role.
With all the buzz about Sammy Watkins, Anthony Barr and others, it’s becoming clear the Lions have their eyes on a different spot in the first round and probably the second. In theory, that news could still be a giant smokescreen, but at this point, it doesn’t look to be the case. While it’s still not easy to pinpoint exactly what the Lions will do, it’s becoming clear that cornerback isn’t within the early plans this season. A middle or late round flier addition? That’s much more likely.
Max DeMara is a senior editor at The Detroit Sports Site. You can find him on Twitter @SportsGuyTheMax
