Cornerback Market Just Got Less Expensive
March 4th, 2022
Bucs CB Carlton Davis
It sure doesn’t seem like, feel like, look like the Bucs are going to franchise cornerback Carlton Davis. And the cornerback market today just got a little more crowded.
A player’s value is very much like the core economic rule that governs business: supply and demand. The more supply, the less demand there is. And with less demand comes lower costs.
So if Davis is going to hit the open market in 10 days, his wishes to nail a monster contract worthy of a top-five corner just took a bit of a hit today when it was learned that Belicheats’ top-corner J.C. Jackson is not expected to be franchise-tagged. Therefore, Jackson is expected to be one of, if not the most coveted corner in free agency.
This comes from the fingertips of the insider of NFL Network, Ian Rapoport.
From NFL Now: #Patriots CB JC Jackson is expected to hit the free agent market, rather than receive the franchise tag. One of the top CBs will generate significant interest. pic.twitter.com/i3PE7GGGNE
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 4, 2022
The deadline to franchise a player is Tuesday.
Joe has been talking to folks at the combine and their feedback is it might be a smart, calculated, yet risky move by Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht to let Davis test the market. Folks are telling Joe that Davis’ agent is likely seeking top-five cash.
If Davis is allowed to test the market, perhaps Davis he doesn’t find a suitor for that price and then Licht can swoop in and sign Davis, saving Team Glazer nickels and dimes to maybe also keep Ryan Jensen and/or Chris Godwin.
Of course, it only takes one. So if there is one team out there willing to cut Davis a check, that’s all it takes.
Like one former player personnel guy told Joe, “When you find out the last time a team a year from winning the Super Bowl lets its best corner walk who is also 25, let me know.”
March 4th, 2022 at 2:00 pm
If he doesn’t get the money he believes he deserves then there’s a good chance he plays butt hurt for us.
Do we want that?
March 4th, 2022 at 2:00 pm
Davis sucks, ask Kupp, he’ll tell you.
March 4th, 2022 at 2:04 pm
JC Jackson good CB
March 4th, 2022 at 2:08 pm
Joe doesn’t think Carlton Davis is Brent Grimes. Besides, if Davis pulls an Operation Shutdown and half-arses it like Grimes, his market value for his next contract craters.
March 4th, 2022 at 2:14 pm
Good point on Carlton’s character, Joe!
March 4th, 2022 at 2:16 pm
Jags may gobble him up. Dont know jack about jax but our defensive coaches – Caldwell and Cody there
March 4th, 2022 at 2:17 pm
How would JC Jackson fit here. Just asking. Anyone?
March 4th, 2022 at 2:19 pm
The Bucs will cheap out if they can’t get a QB. No sense investing if your missing the most critical component to winning. Get ready for 10 years of misery
March 4th, 2022 at 2:20 pm
How smart is the player that wears a mouth guard on his face-mask but, never in his mouth, were it was designed to protect? If your response is that with it out, he can communicate better then I ask; “why strap it to your face mask, in the first place?”.
March 4th, 2022 at 2:20 pm
Still believe you tag/trade Davis…..we need draft capital to reload or make a move for a QB. QBs looking at our roster aren’t looking at our starting CB as the make or break reason. Its Godwin, then the o-line, then Gronk and a RB.
March 4th, 2022 at 2:24 pm
You used to really like Brent Grimes Joe.
March 4th, 2022 at 2:27 pm
He was a helluva player — for one year. There was no excuse for him dogging it like he did his second year with the Bucs. It’s why he’s out of football.
March 4th, 2022 at 2:33 pm
Give his money to jc Jackson , a 26year old all pro
March 4th, 2022 at 2:42 pm
@Listnfrmafar Hey dingus, Cupp torches everybody
March 4th, 2022 at 2:57 pm
@ everyone here:
If he doesn’t get the money he believes he deserves then there’s a good chance he plays butt hurt for us.
Do we want that?
Joe doesn’t think Carlton Davis is Brent Grimes. Besides, if Davis pulls an Operation Shutdown and half-arses it like Grimes, his market value for his next contract craters.
cd3 certainly isn’t brent grimes in his prime with atlanta… remember how good grimes was at one point???…so good…
cd3 is a good corner, not a great corner…at least not yet
March 4th, 2022 at 3:09 pm
@adam: maybe you do, but I would never sign a player who dogs it because he wanted $15mil and only got $12…or whatever.
Shows a lack of character.
Davis is good, not great, and spends a lot of time in the tub.
March 4th, 2022 at 3:13 pm
wait…
things got really weird with grimes when he wouldn’t do as asked if i remember…
and he said he wasn’t paid enough to do what they requested he do, if i remember correctly…
but joe he was here 3 years…
it’s getting hazy…did he dog it in year 2 or was that year 3…???
i’m guessing the first couple years were ok…i think…then year 3 it went haywire ???
March 4th, 2022 at 3:15 pm
sheet cobra, i spend a lot of time in the tub too…lol…
maxin’ and relaxin’ 🙂
March 4th, 2022 at 3:17 pm
the thing about grimes is he was a freak…he didn’t move like others and had crazy ball skills…like a spiderman casting a web on you or something…lol
davis is good…
grimes was a freak who moved waaay differently out there
March 4th, 2022 at 3:18 pm
the thing about cd3 is he probably is just about to hit his prime…
it’ll be scary if we let him go and he blows up on another squad and becomes a 3 time pro-bowler…
then what 🙁
March 4th, 2022 at 4:24 pm
Davis is a good corner, does that make him a star? Not at all. Its just the Bucs have so many average cover guys that he is the stand-out in that DB back end.
Great pass rushers make average secondaries better.
If the Bucs can get younger and faster on the defensive line, I think they can plug an average CB in Davis’ spot and he would be ok. As long as he knows what he is doing and doesn’t blow assignments.
Whatever the Bucs can do to improve both sides of their lines, its higher priority than anything else other than quarterback.
March 4th, 2022 at 4:45 pm
If you can dump Davis, that’s a win for the Bucs, Ed said it, a.good rush makes up for back secondary play. Can you say 2020?
March 4th, 2022 at 5:50 pm
I think it’s a huge stretch to call Carlton a top 10 corner with his injury history, much less top 5. Let some idiot gm make the mistake of signing this guy to that kind of deal.
March 4th, 2022 at 7:40 pm
Over rated
March 4th, 2022 at 7:46 pm
JC Jackson is a pretty good CB2 masquerading as a CB1 due to his INTs.
March 4th, 2022 at 7:50 pm
Davis is in the 10 to 15 range for a starting corner in the league. He’s a top 10 corner in the Bucs defense and a top 5 corner against Michael Thomas. If the Bucs pay big $ for Davis, I believe it’s because he matches up well within the Division.
March 4th, 2022 at 8:05 pm
Davis is not Top 5 in ANY way, shape or form. In fact we will be hard pressed to find ANY Bucs defensive player that is currently top 5 in the NFL at their position last year. Well one actually..Vita V.
Our defensive players took a huge step back. Undisciplined, older, INCONSISTENT. Any one of those traits let alone ALL of them disqualify from Top 5. A big difference from having ONE good year to having multiple good years like a TRUE Top 5.
March 4th, 2022 at 8:17 pm
Davis has been mocked to the Jets!
Seriously, they have a ton of money, and need his services.
Some of our free agents stayed last year, because we had Brady.
But Brady is gone, and we are kind of a sinking ship.;
I have seen Gronk mocked to Tennessee, and to Buffalo.
March 4th, 2022 at 8:47 pm
NYJ is where careers go to die.
March 4th, 2022 at 9:53 pm
Davis has hands like feet!
March 4th, 2022 at 11:09 pm
Me breaking away from the crowd is not that rare but I’m not so dismissive with CD24 as some of you. I would call you names to dismiss such a great cornerback but I’ll refrain. I’ll just ask you how many corners are better in the league than CD24? It’s not a ton. How many corners are close to his level on this team? None. Pay that man. Godwin. Pay that man too. Everything else can trickle from there. Whatever it takes, that would be nice for Licht to get both of those guys locked up. I also wouldn’t take CD not being franchise tagged to the bank. I could see it happen. Who else would we tag? Not going to use the tag at all?
March 4th, 2022 at 11:11 pm
So what are we talking here? $7m/year? Pay it. $10m? I don’t know…pay it if it is the right price.
He’s not worth franchise tag money.
Save the tag for Godwin. He’s the more important player of the two. Heck, Jensen is more important than Davis.
March 5th, 2022 at 12:43 am
I say lean into our strength which is defense. Tag Godwin, pay Davis, maybe sign Jackson if we have the cap? I just think without Brady or a top shelf QB under center that our focus should be on building a top shelf defense like the one that really carried us at times leading to the super bowl win.
March 5th, 2022 at 7:27 am
Love the info as always Joe, however can you please rub some pennies together for a Grammarly account?
Thanks
March 5th, 2022 at 9:11 am
When it comes to Bucs signing FA’s, I believe Davis is low man on the totem pole.
March 5th, 2022 at 3:05 pm
“When you find out the last time a team a year from winning the Super Bowl lets its best corner walk who is also 25, let me know.”
When a teams best CB that isn’t all that great, but he wants to be paid like he is – that’s when it happens. See ya’ Davis and we simply Draft his replacement.
March 6th, 2022 at 8:43 pm
good corners in the draft-let Davis walk till he gets real cheap or move on he aint worth it–int rate is down and he aint worth big money he is injury prone I agree with cracker barrel