“Intrigue On Carlton Davis”
March 4th, 2024
What does this mean?
So if the Bucs are to re-sign Mike Evans, Lavonte David, Baker Mayfield, Chase McLaughlin and Antoine Winfield, the Bucs are going to have to do some salary shuffling.
That started last week with the release of former Bucs sacks king Shaq Barrett.
Now another way the Bucs could free up cash under the cap is to extend left tackle Tristan Wirfs. Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht said last week in Indianapolis he already began talks on that front.
Now in a column where Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano of BSPN put out rumors they’ve heard prowling through the beehive of the combine (the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis as well as popular watering holes in the downtown area) Fowler had a very, very, very vague namedrop of Carlton Davis.
Several teams believe Saints corner Marshon Lattimore — whose base salary is a paltry $1.2 million due to a restructure — is also available via a trade, and there’s intrigue on Bucs cornerback Carlton Davis III.
“Intrigue?” What exactly is intrigue in this reference? Does it mean other teams think Davis might be on the trade block? Does it mean other teams think the Bucs may cut Davis to save cash?
Say what you want about Davis, but when healthy, he’s the best corner the Bucs have. When he plays man as opposed to zone — Bucs coach Todd Bowles for some odd reason had him playing a lot of zone last year — Davis can hang with any receiver in the league. He’s proven that.
Unless the Bucs have their eyes on another free agent corner who would be cheaper than Davis, Joe can’t see the Bucs getting rid of Davis.
If the Bucs run off their best corner, who is also only 27, then the Bucs best have a guy ready to take his place. Is that Zyon McCollum? Is that a rookie?
Or, since the three opposing quarterbacks in the NFC South are terrible, have the Bucs somehow convinced themselves they can get by with Dee Delaney starting?
In the immortal words of Raheem Morris, “I will tolerate you until I can replace you.”
March 4th, 2024 at 12:21 am
If we are going to have big salaries for Mayfield, Evans, Wirfs, and Winfield, sacrifices have to be made. Davis might get us something decent in a trade.
March 4th, 2024 at 12:23 am
Cutting or trading Davis would only save $6.3M.
A replacement in FA for that amount wouldn’t be half the player that Davis is…..
Carlton also has 3 dummy years tacked on the end of his contract (Brady years can kicking) which will be an $8M dead cap hit next year with no player to show for it….
Davis is our best corner and his contract is not out of line compared to market value.
Bucs used his contract to clear almost $15M in cap space previously so thats why he has a $20.3M cap hit this year and $8M dead cap hit next year…..
March 4th, 2024 at 12:46 am
Wouldn’t trading the player give the next team the contract leaving us off the hook for dead cap years you speak of.
I’m from the madden mindset if I trade you I offload your cost leaving lets say 18 million available I think in his case.
Why only 6? Wouldn’t they pay his salary not us??
March 4th, 2024 at 1:04 am
I try not to read anything into the cards this early. They haven’t even showed the Flop yet!
March 4th, 2024 at 2:59 am
Keep him or trade him, I don’t care. Either way we need to get better at pass coverage. A lot better.
March 4th, 2024 at 4:54 am
We want to keep Evans, Baker, Winfield, and Wirfs. So there is that in the equation.
March 4th, 2024 at 5:19 am
“Bucs coach todd bowles for some odd reason…”
How many things could be listed after such an opening?? It may well be an endless open prompt. Having two highly paid man covers play zone is definitely one of them. Moving a top 3 safety in the league to nickel corner for an entire season is another. Dropping a 350# NT into coverage is another. Blitzing the best QB in the league against the blitz at a historic rate in the playoffs is another. Continuing to start JTS after 3.5 seasons of no results. Continuing to start an injured/ disgruntled Devin White for 80% of the season. Continuing to start Ryan “TOAST” Neal nearly the whole season. Dictating his offense be run like it’s the 70’s. Keeping probably the best slot WR in team history on the outside after it’s clear that’s a terrible move. Never calling timeouts. Really how much time you have is the only limiting factor.
March 4th, 2024 at 5:39 am
Davis and Dean are always hurt is the issue. They are decent corners most of the time but half the year they don’t play anyways. Get rid of them both start drafting a replacement that can go with Zyon and Izion.
March 4th, 2024 at 5:41 am
Pickgrin … Davis’ contract is an interesting case in how GM’s ‘mortgage the future’. Carlton was re-signed back in 2022 for $44.5 mil for 3 years, with $30 mil guaranteed. Regardless of the restructuring, we should be accountable for that $30 mil (already paid for 2022 & 2023) if we release him now since that’s 2 years of his contract. We’ve already taken a total of $15.6 mil in CAP hits for those 2 years, so I would think what we still ‘owe’ SHOULD total about $14.4 mil (his Dead CAP is $14.1 mil so that’s close).
My question (and I’m honestly asking because I have no clue what the real answer is): IF we release him now, why would we owe anything in 2025 since he wouldn’t have played for us in 2024 (nor would we have paid him)?
March 4th, 2024 at 6:06 am
Defense Rules, I have a similar question. I was under the impression that we chose to bite the bullet and be in cap hell last year so that this upcoming season would be better economically. With the additional cap space added by the league, it sounds like the Bucs are still in cap hell. What gives?
March 4th, 2024 at 7:25 am
Zyon looked pretty good at Safety, but not so much at CB. Just go back and look at what the Lions did to him in the 4th quarter of the Lions game.
March 4th, 2024 at 7:28 am
I stopped worrying about the cap a long time ago. Let the dudes who are paid lots of money to figure it out, figure it out. I heard a GM years back say “never let the cap get in the way of signing a player you want”. Can’t remember who said it though.
March 4th, 2024 at 7:44 am
ONLY $6 million? We let Mike Edwards walk (who signed w KC for $3 million) in order to sign Ryan Neal for $1.5 million
March 4th, 2024 at 7:51 am
If a team is going to run off its best corner who is also 27…..
Run off?
We’re talking CD, so wouldn’t “drop him” be more appropriate?
March 4th, 2024 at 8:10 am
Colonel Angus … ‘I stopped worrying about the cap a long time ago. Let the dudes who are paid lots of money to figure it out, figure it out.’
I agree with you, to a point. We see article after article and comment after comment about ‘Sign Mike Evans now; it’s ONLY $25 mil or so’. Or ‘Sign Baker now; $40 mil will be a bargain in 5 years’. Etc, etc.
Problem is that so many of those OPINIONS, by media types & fans, are just emotional reactions. They’re interesting to read but IMO they’re not all that valuable in terms of looking at how to structure a competitive TEAM in today’s world. I’ve been a Bucs’ fan now for a tad over 40 years, and most of those years we sucked. But we did have a couple of good runs, and each was quite a bit different. The first saw us win the whole enchilada with a stifling defense & adequate offense. The second saw us win the whole thing with a more balanced TEAM (#3 offense & #8 defense). Personally I prefer the 2nd approach in today’s NFL, but that means not going whole hog in 1 direction or another. It’ll be interesting to see how JL navigates these 2024 waters.
March 4th, 2024 at 8:11 am
He’s not in the top 32 ranked NFL CB’s! Jamaal Dean is 26th on that list. He’s the top 10 paid cornerback in the league for 2023 so maybe the team feels they aren’t getting their investment back. You would think top 10 money would equal someone elite or close to elite status.
March 4th, 2024 at 8:13 am
Beej … I’d love to have Mike Edwards back this year. And SMB too. Aw heck, might as well throw in Jordan Whitehead too. Think we could get them all for $10 mil total?
March 4th, 2024 at 10:55 am
Zyon can’t fill his shoes and is not reliable. They can’t part with their #1 corner without knowing who is going to fill those shoes reliably.
March 4th, 2024 at 11:09 am
We do not need elite corners as much as we need an elite front 7! Average corners that can run with receivers 3 to 4 seconds are the most while they pass rush gets to the quarterback will do, and Carlton Davis isn’t an elite player to justify being paid elite money!!!
March 4th, 2024 at 11:17 am
Let’s get rid of Davis and Dean, they are worthless!!!
March 4th, 2024 at 11:34 am
I don’t understand the crowd that wants to bring back SMB the guy was brittle just like Dean and Davis. I’ll admit he was a better ball hawk but still brittle and seemed confused in coverage often. Which probably goes back to the confusing scheme that Bowels runs. I hate seeing Vita dropping into coverage OR not being in the game during goal line situations. Smh