The Lions could still choose to extend newly-acquired cornerback Carlton Davis III. For now, they're restructuring his contract to create more immediate cap space.
Detroit has converted $6 million of Davis' $14 million salary in 2024 into a signing bonus, lowering his cap hit by $4.5 million this year, according to Over The Cap. The club has also added three void years to the end of his contract, which expires after this season, pushing those immediate savings into the future.
Davis' cap hit in 2024 drops from $14.35 million to $9.85 million in 2024, while the Lions will absorb a dead cap hit of $4.5 million in 2025.
The Lions acquired Davis from the Bucs to be their No. 1 corner, at the cost of a third-round pick. (They also got two sixth-rounders back.) How long he'll be in Detroit remains to be seen. He said last week that he's had preliminary talks with the team about signing an extension, while also noting, "I just got here."
"Would love to sign here," said Davis. "Definitely want to get my feet wet first and get into the building before I start talking extension, but this is a great organization that’s trending upward. So I would love to be a part of a dynasty where we can go and win multiple championships over the next couple years, man."
Davis, 27, has battled injuries over the course of his six-year career, but has emerged as one of the NFL's better cover corners when healthy.