Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold was arrested on eight felony charges of robbery and kidnapping stemming from an incident in Tampa this year. Arnold turned himself in and was taken into custody. Arnold has denied the charges via a statement, but while legal matters play out, the team is going to have to move on without him.
Arnold was expected to start in what could have been a make-or-break season for his long-term status with the team. If Arnold does miss time this season, who can the Lions find to start in his place?
Best Potential Options For The Detroit Lions to Replace Terrion Arnold
GettyEnnis Rakestraw
First, the team is likely to look in-house for their replacement. Ennis Rakestraw is coming into his third NFL season with minimal experience on the field. It has mostly been injuries holding him back, so if he can stay on the field, there is a chance they can find starter-quality play.
As a former second-round pick, Rakestraw is still young enough to develop into a starter. He has not flashed enough in that time, though.
Another option is moving Roger McCreary from the slot to the outside. He played both with the Tennessee Titans, and while the Lions wanted him to compete in the slot, they also have fifth-round rookie Keith Abney. Abney could start in the slot, they can push McCreary to the outside, and effectively have an Arnold replacement.
The last in-house option would be Rock Ya-Sin. Ya-Sin is a veteran journeyman, but he is around for emergency scenarios like this.
Detroit Lions Could Find a Trade or Free Agent Option To Replace Arnold
The team could go outside of the roster to make a deal. However, the players with the most tradable contracts are Kristian Fulton, Deonte Banks, and Riley Moss. All three bring just as many questions as answers.
More notable names would include Tyrique Stevenson of the Chicago Bears and Denzel Ward of the Cleveland Browns. However, those would take more of a commitment from the Lions’ end.
The best path might be looking into free agents who are unsigned. Marshon Lattimore and Trevon Diggs are the biggest names available. Both were making over $19M last season, and both could be had for rather cheaply right now.
The catch is that both are coming off down years, they have been trending down for a bit now, and both are at an age where there are questions of how much juice is worth the squeeze.
At the same time, these are players who can be signed rather cost-efficiently. They also have the experience and veteran leadership to come in and start right away. Perhaps they just hold things down early in the season while the team sorts things out.
The team was not entering this portion of the offseason with plans to find a starting cornerback and replace Arnold. However, now that they are here, they have to make the best out of some of the options presented to them.
Will they sign someone before training camp, or after the in-house names were given a chance?
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