The Tampa Bay Buccaneers spent the offseason reveling in media praise for what appeared to be a series of savvy moves and a solid draft class — including what seemed like simple decisions to retain star veterans they were never truly going to part with.

One of the moves the Buccaneers seemed to take the most pleasure in was trading veteran cornerback Carlton Davis and a pair of sixth-round picks to the Detroit Lions in exchange for a 2024 third-round pick, which Tampa Bay used to select University of Washington wide receiver Jalen McMillan.

Now, 10 games into the 2024 regular season, it’s clear that the Buccaneers are coming out as losers in that trade, with Davis playing at a Pro Bowl level and revitalizing his career on the NFL’s hottest team. In contrast, the Buccaneers are enduring their worst defensive season in recent memory — struggling to stop one quarterback after another.

McMillan has also been a non-factor — dealing with injuries and having only played 5 games, with 10 receptions for 109 yards and 1 touchdown.

Davis Playing His Way Into Another Big Contract

Davis spent his first 6 seasons with the Buccaneers after they drafted him in the second round (No. 63 overall) of the 2018 NFL draft, where he quickly became a full-time starter. He posted a career-high 4 interceptions in 2020 while helping the Buccaneers win the Super Bowl.

Davis also secured a big payday with the Buccaneers, signing a 3-year, $44.5 million contract extension in March 2022, which was eventually restructured into a 1-year, $14.5 million deal with the Lions after the trade.

Injuries had been a concern for Davis throughout his career. He’s yet to play a full season and missed a career-high seven games in 2021. He also missed four games in 2022 and five games in 2023.

However, that hasn’t been an issue in 2024. Davis has played all 9 games for the Lions, who are 8-1 and appear on track for their first-ever Super Bowl appearance after losing in the NFC Championship Game last season. Their only loss came to the Buccaneers in Week 2.

Davis didn’t take the chance to criticize his former team when he spoke to Sports Illustrated’s Christian Booher.

“It’s not personal for me, at all. I could never get personal with these types of games, because it’s all business. They’re just the next opponent in our way and it’s a long journey,” Davis told Sports Illustrated’s Christian Booher before facing his former team. “Like I said, it’s a business. I do have a lot of love for those guys over there, but on Sunday, it’s football, man. There’s no friends on the field, and there won’t be on Sunday.”

Buccaneers Struggling with Pass Defense While.