Bills Central

Lions could steal Bills DB in free agency

The Detroit Lions could look to steal a Buffalo Bills' defensive back in NFL free agency.

Evan Massey

Oct 14, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Buffalo Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas (31) defends a pass to New York Jets running back Braelon Allen (0) during the second half at MetLife Stadium.
Oct 14, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Buffalo Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas (31) defends a pass to New York Jets running back Braelon Allen (0) during the second half at MetLife Stadium. / Lucas Boland-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Buffalo Bills have a couple of top-tier free agents set to hit the open market this offseason. First, they will look to make a playoff run and win a championship, but then the front office will have some decisions to make.

Both Rasul Douglas and Amari Cooper are set to hit free agency. They will also both be receiving a lot of outside interest from teams trying to steal them away from the Bills.

Looking closer at Douglas, in particular, he is going to have a very large market with quite a few teams around the league badly needing cornerback help.

Douglas has become a huge part of the Buffalo defense over the last couple of years. He is also one of the best defensive backs who will be available in free agency.

With that being said, one NFC contender has been connected as a potential threat to steal Douglas.

Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report has suggested that the Detroit Lions could be a potential landing spot for Douglas in free agency this offseason.

"The Lions, who could lose Carlton Davis in free agency, should also have Douglas on their radar," Knox wrote.

Buffalo Bills players are pictured after a game.
Sep 12, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Buffalo Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas (31) and defensive end Greg Rousseau (50) walk off the field after the game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

During the 2024 NFL season with the Bills, Douglas ended up playing in 15 games. He racked up 58 tackles to go along with a forced fumble and five defended passes. Those numbers are down from what they were in 2023.

Last season, in just nine games after being acquired ahead of the NFL trade deadline, Douglas ended up with 29 tackles, a sack, two fumble recoveries, four interceptions, a defensive touchdown, and eight defended passes.

At 29 years old and turning 30 at the start of the 2025 season, Douglas still has plenty of good football left in him. Whoever ends up signing him will have a legitimate starting cornerback for at least the next two to three years if not longer.

Buffalo would love to bring him back, but they are going to face a lot of competition.

All of that being said, the Lions certainly make sense as a free agency destination for him. They will be a team to watch very closely when free agency gets underway this offseason.

More Buffalo Bills News:

Published
Evan Massey
EVAN MASSEY

Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst who covers college football, the NFL and NBA. He has contributed to the On SI network since July 2021. He has also written for ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, NFLAnalysis.net, NBAAnalysis.net and many other publications. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son.

Home/News