The NFL does a great job of making news year-round. Back in the day, the season ended by Christmas, the owner’s meeting was a few weeks later in mid-January, the draft commenced in April, and training camp kicked off in July.
But now? Something is going on every single month. That is well-planned out.
ELATED: GARRETT WILLIAMS AMONG LEAGUE BEST
The Super Bowl is in February. Free agency begins in March, while the draft is held in April. May is the schedule release, while June is OTAs and players having
over a month of time off before camp begins.
Usually, athletes book a stay somewhere in the Caribbean during these 40+ off days. This downtime can create opportunities for these guys to get in trouble as well.
Such is the case for cornerback Terrion Arnold.
He is a very talented corner. Arnold was selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions and signed a four-year, $14.3 million contract. At Alabama, he was voted First Team All-American, First Team All-SEC, First Team Freshman All-American, and First Team Freshman All-SEC in just his two years of college football. He was a favorite player of Nick Saban and his wife, Terry.
Currently, he is unemployed. The Lions waived him recently on June 29.
The issue? He is officially charged with four counts of kidnapping, conspiracy, and four counts of armed robbery, all felonies. Florida law enforcement documents state that Arnold came up with a plan against three men whom Arnold believed had stolen $250,000 worth of luxury goods and cash from his Airbnb in Largo, Florida.
He was released from custody after posting bond, which was set at $1 million, and was ordered confined to his residence in Tallahassee. Chief Judge Christopher C. Sabella denied the state’s request to keep Arnold incarcerated until his trial and is allowing the athlete to play football as his case endures.
Although the State asked for a GPS ankle bracelet, the judge ruled two weeks ago that Arnold doesn’t need to wear one. This allows him to work out for other NFL clubs. He has already been given a workout by the Houston Texans and, according to his agent, is scheduled for three more soon: the Seattle Seahawks, Indianapolis Colts, and New York Jets.
Should the Cardinals bring him in?
Arizona already has a very good defensive backfield, especially the cornerback room.
Will Johnson has shown he can cover in man at the left cornerback spot, with Denzel Burke on the other side. On the depth chart, Starling Thomas, V, and Kei’Trel Clark are listed as backups to Johnson, while Max Melton and Elijah Jones are behind Burke. Other players in this group include undrafted free agent Elijah Culp and Kalen King.
DC Nick Rallis uses a lot of nickel situations for the cornerback position. That is expected to continue. Listed at the starting nickel is Garrett Williams, with Sean Murphy-Bunting and Jaden Davis as his backup.
This position is where an improvement could be inserted. Such as Arnold.
Arnold is just 23 years old. He has 4.5 speed with an amazing 37’ vertical jump and is very intelligent. He played in 16 games with 15 starts in his rookie season and started seven games last year before injuring his shoulder in Week 5. After surgery, he was placed on IR and returned for three games later in the season.
His NFL stats: 24 games played, 22 starts, 91 total tackles, 0 tackles for loss, 18 pass defenses, 1 interception, 0 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 90 targets, 50 completions, 55.6% completion ratio, 7 touchdowns allowed, and 7 missed tackles. As a rookie, he received votes for the “NFL Defensive Player of the Year.”
In addition to Arnold’s legal issues, there is the matter of his play.
Despite a very good rookie season, he has been plagued by inconsistent pass coverage, allowing over half of the passes thrown in his direction to be completed. The Lions want their corners in man coverage. He does not possess exceptional recovery speed and has a problem keeping up with speedier receivers on deep routes.
Plus, he has a laundry problem. He was tied for the league lead in pass interference penalties. Seven in his rookie year alone.
Going into this year’s training camp, Arnold was now the Lions’ #1 cornerback.
The details about the crimes
So, what exactly happened to make Arnold receive all of these charges?
Arnold had rented an Airbnb in Largo, Florida, at the beginning of February with several friends.
Then Arnold noticed that he had been robbed. According to the Largo Police Department report, Arnold told them what was missing was two Rolex watches, an $80,000 diamond necklace with his initials attached, four pairs of Louis Vuitton men’s shoes, several bags, a new cellphone, several Goyard bags, his Bible, and $100,000 in cash.
His missing phone was pinging in Miami. His limo driver’s next gig was in Miami. A plan was concocted to set this man up using two women as the bait. Arnold contacted two longtime friends who had played D-1 college football, Lyndell Hudson and Christion Williams, who is 6’-5”, 325 pounds. The meet-up was arranged as Williams and Hudson showed up earlier and hid in a closet, armed with a pistol and a rifle.
Williams pistol-whipped three men for about an hour and robbed them of their belongings. This was on Facebook Live so that Arnold could watch.
That same day, Arnold told the Largo Police he wanted to close the case. Days later, he flew to the Super Bowl and was involved in related activities. He walked the runway for “Fashion Week.” In May, his daughter was born. He attended Lions mini-camp in mid-June and told reporters he “had matured” since his rookie year.
The arrests
These came in increments. In all, three men and two women were booked.
One week later, Largo Police announced they had arrested Arnold. Arnold’s attorney came right out and stated that Arnold had nothing to do with the incident. He wasn’t in the apartment at any time, and there is no reliable evidence linking him to the allegations. It was questioned whether law enforcement would be able to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt.
He was originally charged with kidnapping and armed robbery. The Largo Police Department has already stated that the two men Arnold had assumed were the burglars were not the ones who stole the money and items.
In the aftermath, Arnold has been labeled as having exceptional character and has never experienced any discipline in high school, college, or the NFL. No red flags for this young man who graduated high school with a 3.8 GPA.
It has been stated that the evidence against him isn’t actually as airtight as originally offered. A lot of alternate stories are circulating about what really transpired the night of the incident.
Should the Cardinals bring Arnold in? He can practice and play games the entire time this case plays out, no matter how long it takes.
Then again, it is probably a lot safer to obtain an unsigned free agent still out there who is not part of a criminal investigation. If convicted, Arnold is facing a potential life sentence.
