The previous time that Carlton Davis approached NFL free agency, the cornerback never made it to the open market. Instead, the former Auburn defensive back signed a three-year contract extension with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

That contract will expire at 3 p.m. CDT Wednesday, and this time, Davis is determined to entertain offers from other teams, a process that can begin at 11 a.m. Monday.

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“I feel like last time, I just kind of panicked,” Davis told Mike Silver of 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 going to 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 going to settle for less.”

Davis signed a three-year, $44.5 million contract with the Buccaneers in 2022. At that time, he had the 11th-largest annual value of a cornerback contract in the league.

After Tampa Bay traded Davis to the Detroit Lions last offseason, he got a renegotiated contract that paid him $14.5 million, the 10th-most for a cornerback in the 2024 season.

Before free agency has begun for this offseason, there already are 12 cornerbacks who have contracts for 2025 with an average annual value of at least $17.75 million per season.

Davis said he doesn’t want to take a contract that’s for less than what he’s worth, and he figures he’s among the NFL’s best at his position.

“There are very few corners in the NFL — you can probably name five — who have the same presence in the passing game and the running game,” Davis said. “I bring aggression and coverage skills, and I’ve been displaying both for years. Guys who know ball understand the impact that I have. Teams know about me. They scheme around me. They’re scared of me. They know what’s up. I’m playing my best ball, and I’m going to be even better this year.”

In 2024, Davis had two interceptions, 11 passes defended, 56 tackles and two fumble recoveries for Detroit before a broken jaw in the 13th game sidelined him for the remainder of the season. Quarterbacks throwing to receivers covered by Davis had a 77.0 passing-efficiency rating (the lowest of his career) and two touchdowns on 76 passes this season.

Davis’ team has reached the playoffs for five consecutive seasons, including 2020, when the Buccaneers won Super Bowl LV. He has played in 89 regular-season and nine playoff games and has started all but one of them since entering the NFL as a second-round selection in the 2018 draft. Including the postseason, Davis has started the past 87 games in which he has played.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.