Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Carlton Davis is warning opposing NFL squads not to take the team lightly after the retirement of future Hall of Famer Tom Brady.
Tyler Dunne of Go Long profiled Davis, who’s set to begin his sixth NFL season and is determined to make teams pay if they dismiss the Bucs’ chances of success.
“We’re about to do it to ‘em,” Davis says. “Anybody who feels we’ve lost Tom — and lost something — is going to be in for a rude awakening. A rude awakening. Tom was a great addition for us, but obviously it’s a team sport. Obviously, you need components to be successful. We still have those components. And I’m only getting better.”
Putting it even more bluntly, Davis pointed to the Buccaneers defense as one of the key drivers in keeping the team in contention.
“We’re going to wreck s—,” Davis said. “Like, wreck s—. Interceptions. Turnovers. Plays will be made. I will say. Plays. Will. Be. Made.”
Brady finally called it a career earlier this year after 23 seasons in the NFL, the last three coming with the Buccaneers. During his first season in Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers managed to win the Super Bowl.
After changing his mind about retirement last year, Brady led the Buccaneers to the postseason by winning the weak NFC South. However, they were quickly eliminated in a 31-14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in a first-round playoff game.
In his first five seasons in the NFL, Davis has established himself as a solid cornerback with excellent size. He’s usually matched up against opposing teams’ top receivers but has struggled with injuries.
The success of the 26-year-old Davis is what the Buccaneers were hoping for when they used the 63rd overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft to select him out of Auburn University.
Davis arguably had his best season during the 2020 campaign when he collected four interceptions. That contribution served as one of the reasons why the Buccaneers ended up winning the Super Bowl on the team’s home field.
One indication of Davis’ value can be seen in his knack for hitting hard and being around the ball. That’s resulted in three forced fumbles during his NFL career as well as four fumble recoveries.
Yet, Davis does need help from all of his teammates to make his vision a reality. One player that will be aiding on the other side of the field is fellow cornerback Jamel Dean.
Of course, bold talk during the offseason doesn’t translate into success. Once the Buccaneers’ 2023 regular season gets underway on with a road game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 10, that vision will start to become much clearer.
