WEDNESDAY, 10:57am: Davis has signed a one-year contract with the Jets, according to Getlin (via Twitter).
TUESDAY, 10:08pm: The Jets have been among the most active teams thus far in free agency, and while they’ve focused primarily on defense thus far, it looks as though they’re about to add a player to their offense. According to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link), the Jets are “closing in” on a deal with tight end Kellen Davis, and a contract should be finalized within the next few days.
We heard earlier this evening that New York likely wasn’t finished in free agency, and also learned that Davis was visiting the Jets, so it appears that a deal came together rather quickly. The 29-year-old Davis is a veteran of seven NFL seasons — he spent the first five years of his career with the Bears before joining the Seahawks and Lions for the ’13 and ’14 seasons, respectively. He appeared in only six games with Detroit last season, seeing action on just 148 snaps.
Davis was a starter during the latter part of his tenure with the Bears, and had an excellent season in 2011, accruing a +10.9 grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required). All of that positive grade was due to his prowess in run-blocking, so perhaps that’s the role the Jets have envisioned for him. Indeed, presumptive New York starting tight end Jeff Cumberland was among the league’s worst at the position last year, while second-year player Jace Amaro is probably best-suited as a pass-catcher.
Davis hasn’t had much NFL success lately, nor he has drawn any known free agent interest, so I’d expect him to sign for something close to the minimum.