Carlton Davis eschewed free agency three years ago, electing to re-sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022 instead of chasing a bigger payday. He has no plans to go the same route this time around.
"I feel like last time, I just kind of panicked," Davis . "I was younger, and my mindset was, 'I need to go ahead and just choose.' At the time, the thinking was, 'This is the offer, and the more you wait, the more that number's gonna go down.' Yeah, that can happen, but teams know your value, and right now I'm playing my best football.
"This time, I ain't gonna settle for less."
Davis elected familiarity and the chance to chase another Super Bowl ring with Tom Brady in 2022. The 28-year-old told Silver this offseason that he's searching to be paid like a "top 10 or top 15 cornerback." Tennessee's L'Jarius Sneed is the NFL's 10th-highest-paid corner, averaging $19.1 million annually. Davis' expiring $14.833 million-per-year contract sits No. 13 among CBs, underscoring the current fall-off at the top of the market.
Last offseason, Davis was traded to the Detroit Lions as the cornerstone of Aaron Glenn's defense. Detroit still needs a veteran corner to pair with youngsters Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr., but likely isn't looking to spend the kind of money that Davis hopes to command.
As a physical man-press corner, the 28-year-old's style should fit in several defenses around the NFL. His play in Detroit keyed Glenn's defense. He matched up one-on-one with some of the best wideouts in the game. Davis might have gotten beat at times or penalized for being a tad handsy, but his ability to compete physically shaped the Lions' secondary. Detroit struggled to replicate his presence when Davis got knocked out for the season with a broken jaw.
Heading into Monday's negotiating period, Davis hopes to find a payday commensurate with his worth.
"It's not, 'I need the money,'" Davis said. "I want to be happy. I've won a Super Bowl and I've already made a lot of money. If it was to end right now, I wouldn't be disappointed. I would not be mad at all.
"But at this point of my career, I'm in my prime. The receiver market is going up, and the cornerback market is going up -- and it's going to keep going up in years to come. The (salary) cap is going up. The ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷ÍøTV deals are going to keep going up. There's more than enough money for them to pay you what you're worth.
"For me, playing at this high level, to take less than I'm worth, I'd be doing myself a disservice and my family a disservice. I'm not doing that this time."
