Potential Trade: Colts Ready to Bolster Secondary With Addition of Super Bowl Champion Defensive Back
Ahead of Week 12, Bleacher Report’s Scouting Department urged the Indianapolis Colts to sign former All-Pro San Francisco 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga in 2025 free agency to bolster their secondary with the looming loss of current starter Julian Blackmon.
A week later, the scouting department shifted its focus to cornerback, naming Indianapolis as a potential destination for the Detroit Lions‘ Carlton Davis.
A seven-year pro, Davis was a key member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ 2021 Super Bowl-winning team. During that season he started in all 14 regular season games in which he played, recording 18 pass deflections, four interceptions, 68 tackles and three tackles for loss along the way.
“The Colts have some lessons to learn from the team that beat them on Sunday. Specifically, Indianapolis should be taking a look at how the Lions have transformed their secondary from a liability to an asset. The Lions have had some bad secondaries in recent times, but they went out and traded for Carlton Davis to allow Aaron Glenn to play more aggressively,” wrote Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report.
All of those marks (except pass deflections) are career highs for Davis, who only topped his pass deflection total by one the season prior. Davis never played a full season during his six years with Tampa Bay, but in his lone season with the Lions, he has suited up for every game so far.
Through 11 games for a 10-1 Detroit team, Davis has two interceptions, 10 pass deflections, 51 tackles and two tackles for loss.
His 73.0 Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade would make him the second-highest graded Colts defensive back behind Kenny Moore. Davis currently earns $14.5 million in the final season of a three-year, $44.5 million deal.
In need of a third cornerback to compliment Moore and the emerging Jaylon Jones, Indianapolis’ front office has plenty of cap space to fork over in order to make Davis a Colt.
