Detroit Lions sign DB Keith Abney II

Keith Abney II's signing earns a C+ Contract Value Index (CVI), a middling grade that reflects the low financial commitment of a depth acquisition that carries real upside potential but comes with significant uncertainty. At cornerback, Abney II profiles as a roster-fringe piece — the kind of signing Detroit makes to add competition in the secondary without mortgaging any cap flexibility. The total value of roughly $4.9M across the life of the deal, at an AAV of just over $1.2M, keeps this well below the threshold of a meaningful cap obligation, which is the primary reason the CVI doesn't slide further south. For a team currently sitting at 9-8 and on the outside of the NFC playoff picture heading into the offseason, adding inexpensive competition at a premium position like corner is a structurally sound practice-squad-to-roster-depth strategy. The risk here is minimal in dollar terms — the Lions can move on without any serious dead-cap consequence — but the reward ceiling is also modest, which is exactly what the C+ CVI captures. Abney II will need to distinguish himself in a competitive camp environment to earn a genuine roster role, and nothing in this contract structure suggests the organization is banking on him as anything more than developmental depth. At this price point, the move is defensible roster management, but it's a long way from the kind of high-CVI value signing that moves the needle on a roster trying to push back into contention.