Free safety is trending up
Davis, finally settled in seconday, enters the final year of his rookie deal and, yes, he is aware of big deals given to other safeties.
Super agent Drew Rosenhaus lured Steelers safety Sean Davis away from MBK sports management in late March, a few weeks after safeties around the league cashed in big-time during unrestricted free agency. Earl Thomas and Landon Collins each earned contracts with more than $30 million in guaranteed money. Lesser-known players hit the jackpot, too.
It’s a good time to be a safety in the NFL, and it’s an even better time to hit free agency for the first time.
Davis, who is entering the final season of his rookie contract, can become an unrestricted free agent after the season ends. Rosenhaus said he is not commenting on any contract negotiations with any of his Steelers clients this spring. He also represents cornerback Joe Haden, who is entering the final year of his contract, and slot corner Mike Hilton, who has yet to sign his exclusive rights free agent tender. Hilton, who is entering his third season as the starting slot corner, believes he has outperformed the $645,000 salary he is scheduled to make in 2019.
Rosenhaus also represents former Steelers receiver Antonio Brown, who forced his way out of town by demanding a trade after last season ended.
“I just felt like I needed a change,” Davis said of terminating his relationship with Eugene Lee of MBK. “Drew is a top agent, man. He wants the best for me. It was more of a personal change. I felt like I needed something different going into this year.”
Davis is not aware of the Steelers approaching Rosenhaus about a contract extension. The Steelers usually wait until the summer — and sometimes just before the season begins — to sign players that are in the final year of their contracts.
It’s also possible Davis will be content to finish out the final year of his rookie deal and hit free agency.
“The safety market went up this year,” he said. “That puts a little more pressure on me to get the job done and to compete for those contracts. But I’m not putting pressure on myself. I’m just trying to do the best I can.”
This is an important year for Davis in more ways than one. He is entering his second season at free safety after bouncing around the secondary during his first two seasons. He began his career as the starting slot corner when Artie Burns could not play the first part of the season in 2016. When Burns returned from his injury, Davis moved to strong safety midway through his rookie year. He stayed there through the end of the 2017 season. He switched to free safety after the Steelers used their first-round pick last year on Terrell Edmunds.
“I’m really excited to hone in on my free safety skills because it’s a different set of skills that you need to play free safety,” Davis said. “I don’t want to say I was winging it last year, but I was learning by mistakes. I have another year under my belt and have tape to watch to correct myself. We added [new secondary coach Teryl Austin], who brings in a lot of different stuff.”
Davis, a second-round pick in 2016, hasn’t produced turnovers the way the Steelers had hoped. He has started 40 games, but he has just five interceptions. Free safeties can patrol the middle of the field and hunt turnovers more than strong safeties, but Davis had only one interception last season. As a team, the Steelers only had eight interceptions, which tied a franchise-low.
“It was my first year in the post,” Davis said. “I was just trying to get the hang of things. Maybe I was more focused on being the last man back there rather than playing aggressively. But, you know, obviously one interception isn’t enough for me. Eight isn’t enough for all of us. That’s definitely been a point of emphasis. For me personally, I’m just trying to get better, learn different angles, read the quarterback better and just perfect my craft. One interception is not acceptable.”
Davis took part in OTAs for the first time Tuesday morning. He sat out the first two weeks with an undisclosed injury. He’ll take part in next week’s mandatory minicamp and then hopes to enter training camp and the preseason in perfect health for the most important season of his short career.
“Every year is a prove-it year for me,” Davis said. “But it is the last year of my rookie contract. That’s always in the back of my head. But honestly, I’m not trying to think too much about that. I just try to let my play speak for myself.”