Rams Could Have Trade Solution for Lions at Cornerback Following Terrion Arnold Release

Following the release of Terrion Arnold, the Detroit Lions could look to acquire more help at the cornerback position. While the Los Angeles Rams are likely to be buyers from now until the trade deadline, they are a team that could provide the Lions with the help they need.

Terrion Arnold’s Release Creates Need at Cornerback

Heading into the 2026 season, Arnold was set to compete for a starting job on the Lions defense following a disappointing start to his career. Without a lot of competition at cornerback, Arnold was favored to win that position battle.

With Arnold’s recent arrest on kidnapping and armed robbery charges, the Lions will be relying on Rock Ya-Sin and DJ Reed on the outside.

Rams May Not View Forbes as Long-Term Option

The Rams don’t necessarily have excess depth at the cornerback position, but they do have promising players behind Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. Cam Lampkin has shown some promise in preseason snaps, and the Rams signed two undrafted free agents in Al’Zllion Hamilton and Nyzier Fourqurean who have some upside.

This offseason, the Rams opted to decline Emmanuel Forbes’ fifth-year option. Given the investment in McDuffie and Watson, that was likely always going to happen. However, by adding two cornerbacks, the Rams clearly lack some trust in Forbes as a full-time player. At this point, he’s a depth piece who will play on the outside in the event of an injury or if McDuffie moves inside.

It’s possible the Rams could keep Forbes as a depth piece this season and opt to bring him back on a cheap deal. With that said, it doesn’t seem likely that Forbes has a future with the Rams. Signing Forbes at the end of 2024 was a well-calculated risk. Unfortunately, Forbes has been too inconsistent as a player to be relied on as a starter.

What Could the Rams Get in Return?

As a former first-round pick, Forbes is still going to hold some value. It would be up to the Rams to decide if Forbes has more value to them as depth, even with his inconsistencies, or if they should capitalize on that value. If a player like Lampkin, Hamilton, or Fourqurean plays well in camp, it may give the Rams the flexibility to make that type of move.

Even if the Rams were to trade Forbes to the Lions, it would likely be for a Day 3 pick. Forbes is in the final year of his contract and would join the Lions to compete for a starting role. The Rams may be able to get a sixth or seventh-round pick for Forbes. That’s not a lot, but the Rams also only have four draft picks next year. They would also open up $2.8 million in cap space.

Another element of this is that sending a cornerback to the Lions would also be assisting a conference rival and top competitor in the NFC. In a Super Bowl season, that may not be something that the Rams want to do.

While the Rams may not trade Forbes because of the depth and experience he provides, it’s something they should consider if the Lions were to call. Forbes likely isn’t part of the long-term plan at cornerback. If the Rams feel comfortable in some of their younger depth at cornerback, moving on from Forbes could make sense.

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