CORNERBACK CARLTON DAVIS III

(On the process that went into his decision to re-sign)

"The last week has just been so uncertain. Kind of like the draft, in a way. I was just filled with anxiety and hoping for the best situation. Obviously, me wanting to be in Tampa was my first option. The way free agency hit, it was the best place for me coming back here. I've got my family here and it was the best option. I wanted to come back, first and foremost. Just to have the opportunity to come back here and compete for another ring was huge for me. That's kind of how it went down."

(On the influence that QB Tom Brady's return had on his decision to re-sign)

"You could say it played a part in my decision. Obviously, having Tom come back automatically makes us a contender again. Who wouldn't want to compete for another ring with the (greatest of all time)? When I heard the news, it definitely played into some of my thought process into my decision."

(On if he had other free agency suitors he spoke with before re-signing)

"I wanted to do the best thing for my family, and there were a lot of teams making offers. Like I said earlier, with Florida having no state tax, it played a lot into my decision -Weighing the numbers and how much I would get back. Ultimately, when Tampa gave me the offer, I wanted to just take it off the bat. But, weigh my options at the same time.   It was just the best decision for me. When it came down to sticks and stones, I wanted to stay here and stay home"

(On if he was worried his injury last season would impact his free agency negotiations)

"I was never really worried when I got hurt because I knew what kind of player I am. I just hate missing time, in general. I always want to be out there on the field, giving everything that I've got for the team. But, when I went down, I wasn't so much worried about contracts and the future. I was mostly worried about getting back on the field and just trying to win another ring. Money plays a part. But, at the same time, you play the game for a reason. You play it a certain way. You don't necessarily play it for money because if it was just all about the money, then I don't think you would maximize your potential. It was more so about just getting back on the field and letting everything else take care of itself."

(On wanting to record four or more interceptions in a season)

"I'm trying to go for more than that, honestly. Like you said, I have work to do on my ball skills and looking the ball all the way in so that I can maximize every opportunity I have. Just being honest, I'm always going to be around the ball whenever I'm in coverage. Whoever I'm covering, I've got a chance to get the ball. This offseason, I'm going to do a lot of work on that, correct it, and go for more than five or six - maybe seven or eight, 10, who knows."

(On the potential of the team compared to one week ago)

"It's kind of feeling like last year. You've got the guys in the room to compete for another championship. I know that when we come back together as a team, everybody is going to be feeling confident. Especially, hearing that [Tom] is coming back and all of the free agency signings that we have coming back so far. I know for me, I can't wait to get back on the field with my teammates and get started on another one."

(On the loss of S Jordan Whitehead)

"He was a leader on our back-end. I know that, me personally, I'm going to miss him a lot. He had so much good energy. He was an enforcer on our defense. He made some huge plays for us especially in that Super Bowl run in 2020. Losing him, we're going to have to make up some ground for that. I just wish him the best of luck. A the end of the day, it's a business. But, It's all love. I'm going to miss playing with him."

(On the importance of the continuity of the coaching staff)

"It just builds the chemistry. A lot of the times, there are a lot of moving pieces. To be able to retain our coaches and the core of our players, it's huge for our chemistry. Football is a team sport, so chemistry is huge. When you're able to play with a guy that you're familiar with, you kind of know his tendencies and what he likes to do. Even coaches, like having [Todd] Bowles, his tendencies and how he likes to call plays can help me prepare better for games. It kind of puts me inside his mind, what he's thinking, and how he wants me to play. Having a lot of our coaches come back heightens our chance at making another run for a Super Bowl."

(On which teams were talking to him during free agency)

"There were a couple of teams, I don't want to name-drop or anything like that. But, there were some interesting offers. Home is where the heart is, and I'm just happy to be here."

(On his level of concern after not receiving the franchise tag)

"Like I said, last week was just full of uncertainty. I didn't know what was going to happen. It felt like the draft again. But, not being tagged was kind of a good thing for me because it allows me to have a little bit more stability in my deal. I wasn't too mad about it. Obviously, cap space was a concern. But, the whole week was filled with uncertainty. There was nothing you could be certain about. So, I just left it all in God's hands, allowed Him to guide my steps, and came to this decision. Now, here we are."

(On WR Russell Gage)

"I like Russell. I've been competing with him since college. He was at LSU, and I was at Auburn. So, I'm really familiar with him. He's a tough guy, a hell of a route-runner, and I think he just has a lot of heart in that position. You watch his film, and he makes some guys look silly. When he runs routes in the slot, he'll be a great piece for us and another piece to compete with in practice. I'm really excited to have him come in and come join our team. I really can't wait to compete with him."

(On CB Jamel Dean)

"I feel like he's on track to being a great player [and] a good corner in this league. Every year, he's taken a step. He took a big step last year, and hopefully we can expect him to do the same this year. Especially, with me coming back, we kind of feed off each other in practice. We've been together forever, dating back to Auburn. We kind of fed off each other back then. Just working technique every day, being accountable to each other, and staying on our technique. Being so familiar with each other, we know what to expect out of each other. We know how to push each other [and] we know when we aren't playing up to our par. I'm going to hold him accountable to get better this year, and hopefully he does the same for me."

(On the bond he shares with other members of the secondary)

"At the end of the day, we're all brothers. We go through the same thing, we all understand it's a business. But, moreso, we understand that it can be any one of us that who's caught up in that business decision. All you can really do in those situations is to be there for that guy, regardless of what he's going through. Just be a brother because a the end of the day, we go to war with each other. [We] fight for each other, take care of each other, and watch each other's backs. So, never let that come between playing time or contracts or anything because that just makes it unauthentic. I think, to build chemistry, you've got to have that authentic relationship with the guys in your room.

(On any potential conversations that were had between teammates once QB Tom Brady announced he was returning)

"No, not really. When Tom retired, I thought, personally, that he was done because he had [played] 22 years. That's a long time in the league. When he announced he was coming back, I was just surprised and felt the different emotions. I don't think anybody started a group chat or anything. But, I'm pretty sure everybody that heard the news and had a chance to come back either tried to come back or got in talks with the team on coming back."

-BUCCANEERS-