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Denzel Ward #21 of the Cleveland Browns

Cornerback Terrion Arnold has been shaky across his first two years in the Detroit Lions‘ secondary, and he may have already played his last snap for the franchise considering off-field legal troubles that have resulted in his current incarceration and the possibility of a life sentence on charges of armed robbery and kidnapping in Florida.

The Lions were already going to have to consider upgrades to the cornerback room this summer, even with Arnold fully available. Now, with his future the definition of uncertain, Detroit is a strong candidate to make a move for another defensive back, and there is an excellent one in the AFC North Division for whom the Lions might consider trading.

Denzel Ward of the Cleveland Browns is a five-time Pro Bowler, including the last three seasons and four of the last five. The 29-year-old DB has a history of concussion issues but started 15 games last year and 16 contests in 2024.

Ward has two years remaining on his $100.5 million contract and is a potential trade candidate after Cleveland moved on from Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett earlier this offseason.

Lions Have Salary Cap Space Necessary to Absorb Denzel Ward’s Current Contract

GettyCleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward.

Trade rumors began circulating around Ward with relative immediacy following the Browns’ blockbuster Garrett deal with the Los Angeles Rams.

“Cleveland may not intend to ship Ward elsewhere, but [GM Andrew Berry] can be swayed with a strong offer,” Moe Moton of Bleacher Report contended on June 18. “This is the type of team that would sell its older veterans at the deadline.”

The Browns aren’t trying to be bad necessarily under new head coach Todd Monken and coming off two back-to-back elite-level NFL drafts, but the choice to deal Garrett and to ride into training camp with Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders as their top two quarterbacks is indicative of one more rebuilding year before an all-out push for playoff contention starting in 2027.

Ward’s cap hit in Cleveland in 2026 is nearly $31 million and the team can save more than $17.4 million by dealing him either this summer or before the mid-season trade deadline in early November. He is also probably still worth a mid-round draft pick in a deal, even despite the nearly $17.5 million he will cost any team that deals for him.

Detroit currently has about $18.5 million in available space for the upcoming campaign and could potentially restructure Ward’s contract by adding an extra year to bring his price down in 2026.

Lions Need Player Like Denzel Ward if Terrion Arnold Out, Detroit Doesn’t Add to Pass Rush

GettyCornerback Terrion Arnold of the Detroit Lions.

Berry said recently that Cleveland doesn’t intend to trade Ward, but the team was also adamant for the last two years that Garrett wasn’t going anywhere — almost all the way up until he was gone.

The Lions have chosen not to add a proven pass-rusher alongside Aidan Hutchinson this offseason, signing DJ Wonnum in free agency and drafting Derrick Moore out of Michigan in Round 2 to fill out the position group.

Detroit’s weak and injury-plagued secondary would benefit meaningfully from the addition of a 10-sack sort of talent off the edge. But short of that, and considering Arnold’s uncertain playing future, the most immediate bandage for the Lions’ defense is to add a proven player like Ward on the backend.