The Detroit Lions are walking into training camp with a massive question mark hanging over their cornerback room, and beat writer Dave Birkett isn’t holding back, calling out General Manager Brad Holmes and Head Coach Dan Campbell for what he sees as a serious fumble. Birkett believes some of their current cornerback concerns could have been addressed months ago, before things got this messy.
The Warning Signs Were Blaring, Folks
Terrion Arnold, a former first-round pick, has been connected to serious allegations involving an alleged kidnapping and robbery plot, dating all the way back to February. While Arnold’s attorney and representatives denied the allegations, and the Lions publicly stood behind him, Birkett’s criticism isn’t about that public support. Instead, his concern focuses on the organization’s failure to build a stronger contingency plan at cornerback.
Birkett argued that any reporter digging into the matter back in February or March would have seen the writing on the wall. “I don’t think they did enough. I think it was pretty obvious to anyone who had done any reporting or investigating on the matter, you know, way back in February or March, that Terrion Arnold could be caught up in some of this stuff,” Birkett didn’t mince words on Woodward Sports Network. He added, “The Lions should have done a little bit more to prepare for potentially losing him.” Sure, they signed Roger McCreary and re-signed Rock Ya-Sin, calling them “nice veteran depth additions,” but Birkett implies that isn’t enough. Campbell, for his part, publicly expressed confidence, saying, “As of a month ago, this was nothing. So I have no idea what this is. As far as I know, it’s still not a big deal. It seems like he wasn’t involved with this. So, we’ve got some things there, and we’ll just take it as it comes. Until something happens, I feel like we’re going to be good here. I’m going to trust what the kid said. I think we’re alright.” But Birkett’s point is sharp: trusting your guy doesn’t mean you get to skip creating a real contingency plan.
“Depth” Just Ain’t Cutting It
To be fair, Detroit did make some moves in the secondary. They signed Roger McCreary, brought back Rock Ya-Sin, and selected Keith Abney in the fifth round of the NFL Draft. Each move gives Defensive Coordinator Kelvin Sheppard another option. But Birkett isn’t buying that these additions actually stabilize the room. McCreary has moved around in his career and has slot experience, but he’s not exactly a one-for-one replacement for a former first-round pick. Ya-Sin offers veteran experience, but he was initially seen more as a depth piece than a solution to a starting problem. And expecting a fifth-round rookie like Abney to immediately solve a starting cornerback concern? That’s a massive challenge.
So yeah, the Lions’ cornerback room is absolutely under the microscope as training camp gets real. Can these guys really hold it down? Or is Birkett’s warning about a lack of a solid contingency plan gonna blow up in their faces? This ain’t small potatoes for their defense, and it is gonna be a massive storyline going into the season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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