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Former Buccaneers Offensive Guard Disses Carlton Davis III
A former Bucs player had a lot to say about another former Buccaneer after a trade this offseason.
Carlton Davis III is now a Detroit Lion after being traded from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in March. And while many fans are grateful for the time he had in Tampa Bay, some media members aren't as beat up given his 2023 campaign.
Former Buccaneers guard Ian Beckles was discussing his thoughts on Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht on his In the Trenches podcast, and among the things he discussed was Davis' trade to the Detroit Lions. Beckles didn't think very fondly of Davis last year, and he thought the trade was a plus for Licht this offseason.
“Carlton Davis wasn’t good last year,” Beckles said on the podcast. "Carlton Davis was on the bad end of a lot of very big offensive plays... You are also getting rid of a lot of cap space. A lot of cap money. When you bring in a Carlton Davis, are we better with Carlton Davis? I’m not sure. Because there were times last year when Carlton Davis was out and the Buccaneers played better defensively. They did. I saw it.”
Davis finished the year with 52 combined tackles and two interceptions, but as Beckles mentioned, he only played in 12 games. In fact, Davis hasn't played a full season in his entire NFL career thus far, and that trend continued in 2023.
Whether or not the Bucs are better without Davis is a matter of opinion, of course, but the situation will be a permanant reality going forward. Tampa Bay will have to find a replacement for their former cornerback, and that will likely either come from cornerback Zyon McCollum or another option from the upcoming NFL Draft.
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