By Dianna Russini, Mike Silver and Cale Clinton
The Athletic has live coverage of NFL free agency. Track all the latest moves here.
The New England Patriots and cornerback Carlton Davis agreed to terms on a three-year deal worth $18 million per season with incentives that can push it to $20 million a season, according to league sources. The deal also includes $34.5 million guaranteed, according to league sources.
Davis becomes the latest add for new coach Mike Vrabel on the defensive side of the football for New England as the team has reached agreements with defensive end Harold Landry and linebacker Robert Spillane.
Ahead of free agency, Davis told The Athletic’s Mike Silver that he was taking lessons learned from his previous free agent experience into one.
“I feel like last time, I just kind of panicked,” Davis told The Athletic. “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.”
Grading the good, the bad and the ugly from every key NFL free agency deal
Davis, 28, was No. 17 overall and the No. 3 cornerback in The Athletic’s NFL free agency updated top 150. In 2024, six years after drafting him 63rd overall, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers traded Davis to the Detroit Lions. Davis signed a one-year deal with Detroit and made an immediate impact. In addition to allowing a career-low 49.3 percent completion rating when targeted, according to Sports Info Solutions, Davis led all Detroit cornerbacks with 11 passes defensed. His contributions helped lead to a massive turnaround in the Lions secondary, which leapt from 25th in EPA per dropback in 2023 to sixth in 2024.
While Davis is good in coverage and is a strong tackler, he consistently struggles with injuries. Davis has never played more than 14 games in a season, missing the Lions’ final three regular-season games and the NFC divisional round with a fractured jaw.
Even with the lack of availability, Davis’ skills are undeniable. Since entering the league in 2018, his 84 passes defended are fourth-most among all cornerbacks.
This story will be updated.
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(Photo: Alex Slitz / Getty Images)
