Cowboys and Lions Could Link Up For Trade After Terrion Arnold Release

With the Detroit Lions in need of more help at cornerback, it's possible they could strike a trade with the Dallas Cowboys at some point.

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell and Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer. | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

After releasing Terrion Arnold, the Detroit Lions are likely to be on the lookout for more cornerback help between now and Week 1 and the Dallas Cowboys are a team that could help via trade.

The Lions announced the release of their 2024 first-round pick on Monday and it comes on the heels of Arnold being hit with kidnapping and armed robbery charges.

Arnold was set to compete for a starting job after a disappointing start to his career over two seasons, but he was likely to win it with Detroit not having much competition for the role.

And that lack of competition now means the Lions are in a bind and need to make some kind of addition at some point.

That's where the Cowboys could come in.

Cowboys could have excess at cornerback

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

After what we saw last season with injuries and ineffective play, it's hard to envision a world where the Cowboys could have an extra cornerback available for trade, but it's possible.

The Cowboys have DaRon Bland at one boundary spot and he figures to be locked in to that job, at least to begin the season. Whether or not he keeps it or stays healthy remains to be seen.

At the other boundary spot, Dallas has Cobie Durant, Shavon Revel and Caelen Carson competing for the starting job. Then, Dallas has Caleb Downs set to man the slot, with Durant likely serving as the backup there.

All of that and we haven't even mentioned the presence of fourth-round pick Devin Moore, who is a total wild card but could still carve out some semblance of a role for himself. How fast the rookie develops could determine how willing the Cowboys are to part with one of their cornerbacks.

But if all goes well and Moore is looking ready to contribute, Dallas may have five viable cornerbacks with Moore, Bland, Revel, Durant and Carson, which could make one of them expendable, although we certainly wouldn't rule out Dallas leaving nothing to chance after last year's issues and keeping all of them.

Who is most likely to be traded?

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Caelen Carson. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

There are many reasons to believe why Carson would be the guy who gets moved, and first and foremost because he's the least likely to win the starting competition on the boundary.

We also just don't see the Cowboys giving up on a third-round pick like Revel that quickly, and the team just added Moore and Durant this offseason. Take Bland off the table, also, as his contract is simply too big to move.

Carson's NFL sample size is small because of injury and he only has 14 games under his belt, but he does have some promising numbers in his limited opportunities.

In 2025, Carson gave up a completion rate of 57.9% and a passer rating of 88.9 when targeted on 19 attempts. He also posted a strong Pro Football Focus run defense grade of 76.3.

Carson is having a strong offseason, also, with the third-year corner being one of the bigger standouts through OTAs and mandatory minicamp.

Now, to be perfectly clear, the Cowboys should not trade any of their cornerbacks right now, but if they get through training camp with everyone healthy and Moore shows he's ready to be a viable backup, then Dallas should consider moving off one of their guys if the right offer comes across Jerry Jones' desk.