The Detroit Lions have an unexpected vacancy at cornerback after the release of Cameron Sutton following his domestic battery charges, and one report suggests they could find an All-Pro replacement in free agency.

The Lions cut ties with Sutton after police in Florida announced that he was wanted on battery charges and asked the public for help in locating him. While the legal situation is still pending, the Lions announced on March 21 that they had released Sutton.

The Lions had already been addressing their secondary with a series of moves in free agency, but the team will now be forced to replace a player who often drew the assignment of covering opponents’ No. 1 receivers. Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport suggested a replacement, naming the Lions as a top contender to land former Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard.

Davenport noted that the Lions already needed more help in the secondary even before Sutton’s release, and could be even more aggressive in seeking help now that he’s gone.

“The cornerback position was already something of a weak spot for the Detroit Lions, and the recent release of Cameron Sutton following domestic battery charges in Florida just makes the need all the more pressing,” Davenport wrote.

Howard, who made the Pro Bowl in four of his eight seasons in Miami, is coming off a season where he made 45 total tackles with one interception and 12 passes defensed. After appearing in just two playoff games in Miami — first-round exits in 2016 and 2022, missing last year’s loss with an injury — Howard made it clear that he wants to join a playoff contender next season.

“I’d rather take a pay cut to go to a team that’s going to go further in the playoffs,” Howard said in an appearance on the OGs podcast with Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem. “I got my money and stuff like that. I’m to the point, like, ‘How much money do you really need?’ My goal is always to try to win a Super Bowl. Don’t let the money get in the way of winning a Super Bowl. Some people get paid, and some people win a Super Bowl. Some people do both. You do both, you’re different. I want to be different. I want to win a Super Bowl now. I already got paid, so now (a Super Bowl) is what I’m looking forward to.”

Even before Sutton’s release last week, the Lions took steps to shore up their secondary by trading for Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Carlton Davis. Last season, he posted 52 total tackles with two interceptions and nine passes defensed.

After joining the team, Davis expressed confidence that he could serve as the team’s top cornerback.

“You about to get a lockdown corner,” Davis said on March 13, via Detroitlions.com’s Tim Twentyman. “You about to be able to have one side [of the field] just like unavailable. That’s what I do. I’m here to take the No. 1 receiver on any team. I’m here to take the ball away.