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Marcus Davenport

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/24/24

September 24th, 2024 at 7:19pm CST by Adam La Rose

Tuesday’s minor moves around the NFL:

Chicago Bears

 Detroit Lions

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Patrick was among the Broncos’ final roster cuts but he quickly landed a deal with the Lions on their practice squad. Healthy after back-to-back years featuring major injuries, the 30-year-old has twice been a gameday elevation so far this year and logged a 44% offensive snap share. He will aim to remain in a depth role while now permanently on the active roster.

Covey will be sidelined for at least the next four weeks given today’s move. His injury is particularly notable given the fact A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are both injured at the moment, thinning out the team’s receiver room. Covey, 27, received seven targets across the past two games and Philadelphia will need to turn to other options for a complementary role at wideout (along with the return game).

Lions DE Marcus Davenport Suffers Season-Ending Elbow Injury

September 23rd, 2024 at 3:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

3:55pm: Head coach Dan Campbell confirmed Davenport is indeed out for the year. His Lions tenure (barring a new deal in the offseason) will thus end after 89 defensive snaps. Davenport’s market will no doubt take a hit in the spring after back-to-back campaigns severely shortened by injury.

1:48pm: Marcus Davenport‘s first Lions campaign has been interrupted by the latest major injury of his career. The veteran edge rusher exited Sunday’s game with an elbow ailment which he was unable to play through.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports Davenport’s injury is “serious and significant.” Further testing will be needed to arrive at a firm diagnosis, but a long-term absence could very well be in store. Rapoport notes the 28-year-old could miss the remainder of the season as result of the injury.

Davenport entered the league with high expectations as a first-round pick. He was unable to suit up for a full campaign during any of his five years in New Orleans, however, and he took a one-year deal in free agency last year. That $13MM Vikings accord did not pan out with an ankle sprain requiring surgery and limiting him to only four contests.

To no surprise, the UTSA product’s free agent stock took a hit as a result. Davenport again inked a one-year contract on the open market, this time with the Lions. That $6MM pact contained $3MM guaranteed, a sign of the risk Detroit incurred by adding him. Davenport missed Week 2 due to a groin issue, but his 65% snap share when on the field this season demonstrates how large of a role the Lions had planned for him as a complement to Aidan Hutchinson.

The former No. 2 pick currently leads the league with 6.5 sacks, so Detroit’s pass rush will be expected to remain potent even if Davenport is shut down for the rest of the year. The likes of Josh Paschal and James Houston will be counted on to fill his spot in the starting lineup moving forward. Ahead of another trip to free agency, meanwhile, Davenport’s status will be worth watching closely.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/24/24

July 24th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s minor transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Placed on active/NFI list: T Gottlieb Ayedze, WR Shaquan Davis
  • Placed on active/PUP list: S Sydney Brown

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

In New Orleans, Young has officially made the comeback from offseason neck surgery, passing his physical today alongside Olave, who is no stranger to offseason injuries.

Treadwell will join his eighth team in nine years after only making one catch in five games with the Ravens last season.

Brown is working his way back from an ACL tear that he suffered in the final game of his rookie season last year, so it’s no surprise that he will start the offseason on PUP.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/21/24

July 21st, 2024 at 8:52pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor transactions to wrap up this final weekend before training camps begin:

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

Lions To Add Marcus Davenport

March 11th, 2024 at 5:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Marcus Davenport‘s hope a value-reestablishing season in Minnesota did not work out, with an injury impeding the former first-round pick. He will still land another shot with a familiar coaching presence.

The ex-Saint will rejoin Aaron Glenn in Detroit, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. Glenn was on the Saints’ staff when the team drafted Davenport, though he coached New Orleans’ defensive backs. Nevertheless, Davenport will join fellow ex-Saint defender Alex Anzalone under Glenn in 2024.

Detroit is giving Davenport half of what he made last season in base value, as Rapoport notes this deal is worth $6.5MM. The contract can max out at $10.5MM.

The Vikings gave Davenport a one-year, $13MM deal, setting him up on a high-end “prove it” deal to work alongside Danielle Hunter. This preceded a Za’Darius Smith trade, but the Vikings did not benefit from the move. Davenport posted two sacks and suffered an ankle injury that became a season-ending malady. Davenport, 27, underwent surgery to repair his high ankle sprain and ended up playing only four games in 2023.

Davenport displayed quality rush capabilities in New Orleans, but he could not deliver such form consistently. He needed to settle for a “prove it” deal due to totaling just a half-sack in 15 Saints games in 2022. The ex-Cameron Jordan sidekick did total 15 sacks and 32 QB hits between the 2019 and ’21 seasons, keeping teams interested in his potential.

Despite Aidan Hutchinson leading the NFL in pressures and mounting a sack charge late in the season, the Lions did not have much around him. Their Okwara-based efforts did not pan out in recent years. Hutchinson finished with 11.5 sacks last season; no other Lions edge defender notched more than two. It should not be expected Davenport will be all the Lions do to staff this job, but the six-year veteran is the first piece of the puzzle.

Latest On Vikings’ Edge Rush Situation

February 19th, 2024 at 4:23pm CST by Adam La Rose

With a Kirk Cousins free agency spell looming, the Vikings are among the teams to watch over the coming days and weeks. Minnesota’s defense faces a number of question marks as well, though, particularly in the edge rush department.

Danielle Hunter is also on track for free agency, and he could command a lucrative market. After agreeing to a fully-guaranteed one-year Vikings pact last offseason, Hunter enjoyed a healthy and productive campaign. He set a new career high in sacks with 16.5, earning him a fourth Pro Bowl invite. Minnesota’s direction with respect to retaining Hunter will of course depend in large part on what happens with Cousins, but Minnesota has another pass rusher to consider re-signing.

D.J. Wonnum is set to see his rookie contract expire, but his performances when given a starting role could help his market value. Adam Caplan of Pro Football Network reports Wonnum could be an under-the-radar free agent, and he could be worth watching as an element of Minnesota’s offseason plans. Caplan notes the Vikings should be expected to pursue a new deal with at least one of Hunter or Wonnum.

The latter matched his career high with eight sacks in 2023, having posted the same total when he handled first-team duties in 2021. Wonnum, 26, recorded 62 tackles, 15 QB hits and 21 pressures. The former fourth-rounder is thus in line for a notable raise on his second contract, whether that comes from the Vikings or a team better positioned to make a lucrative long-term commitment.

Fellow edge rusher Marcus Davenport was set to have his contract void today, falling in line with a number of other players around the NFL in that regard. However, the void date on Davenport’s pact has now been moved to March 13 (lining it up with Cousins and Hunter), per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. Instead of creating a dead money charge for 2024 today, Davenport and the Vikings will now have more time to negotiate a deal.

The former Saints first-rounder came to Minnesota last offseason on a one-year deal worth $10MM guaranteed. Four void years were included in the deal, though, and Davenport is set to carry a $6.8MM cap hit in 2024 even if he departs. An ankle injury limited him to just four games in his debut Vikings season. Whether he is retained alongside one or both of Hunter and Wonnum or replaced with a new group of edge rushers will be an intriguing storyline for the team.

Marcus Davenport Undergoes Ankle Surgery

November 14th, 2023 at 2:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Winners of five straight, the Vikings are threatening to become the second team this century to move from 0-3 to the playoffs. They will need to continue without their top Danielle Hunter sidekick for a while, however.

Although Marcus Davenport is now eligible to return from IR, no such transaction appears imminent. Davenport ended up undergoing tightrope surgery to repair the high ankle sprain he sustained in October, Kevin O’Connell said. The free agent signing is still in play to return this season, per ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert, but does not sound like a near-future re-emergence is on tap.

O’Connell indicated Davenport, 27, has a chance to come back before season’s end. Many players who sustain high ankle sprains are ready to come back from IR when first eligible, if an IR stint commences at all, but no two injuries are alike. Tony Pollard suffered a broken leg and a high ankle sprain in last season’s divisional round; the Cowboys running back ended up needing surgery — the tightrope procedure Davenport underwent — for the ankle injury. Cooper Kupp also underwent a tightrope procedure last year. He did not return for the Rams, though they were in the process of sitting their injured stars amid a disastrous Super Bowl title defense.

This injury has effectively doomed Davenport’s effort to vault back into free agency and secure a better contract. An inconsistent Saints tenure led to Davenport accepting a one-year, $13MM deal from the Vikings in March. The Falcons also pursued Davenport, but the $10MM guaranteed the Vikings proposed likely represented the top option available. Davenport signed with Za’Darius Smith still on the roster, but it soon became apparent the Vikings were planning to jettison the latter. They did so via a May trade with the Browns.

A 2018 first-round pick, Davenport posted nine sacks in 2021 and six in 2019 and registered 16 QB hits in both seasons. His even-year production: less good. Davenport’s 2022 contract year featured a half-sack in 15 games, leading to the modest market and the “prove it” deal. As it stands now, another “prove it” pact — this one potentially less lucrative — would be in store for the sixth-year vet. Davenport did tally two sacks in four Vikings games, going down after 17 snaps in Week 4. A late-season comeback would give the edge defender an opportunity to make a late impression, but this will also be the third season in the past four featuring at least five missed games. Davenport also missed Weeks 1 and 3 due to injury.

Hunter has cruised along unfazed, pushing his league-leading sack count to 11 last week. The Vikings will have a decision to make with Hunter, but it will take a big offer to keep the nine-year veteran off the market. Because of a late-summer agreement, the Vikings cannot use their franchise tag on Hunter. The team has seen D.J. Wonnum produce five sacks. A 2020 fourth-round pick, Wonnum is also in a contract year. Minnesota will have many questions to answer at its outside linebacker spot. For now, the team will hope to have Davenport back to help secure a playoff spot.

Vikings Place OLB Marcus Davenport On IR, Activate KR Kene Nwangwu

October 18th, 2023 at 9:37am CST by Sam Robinson

Minnesota’s Danielle Hunter–Marcus Davenport edge-rushing partnership hit a snag with a Davenport injury. That will lead to a paused season for the free agency pickup.

The Vikings placed Davenport on IR on Wednesday, shelving the former Saints first-rounder until at least Week 11. Davenport is battling a high ankle sprain. In addition to the Davenport transaction, the Vikings activated running back/kick returner Kene Nwangwu from IR and designated wide receiver Jalen Nailor for return from IR.

While Nwangwu represents Minnesota’s first IR activation this season, Davenport will be on track to join him later. The Vikings gave Davenport a one-year, $13MM deal this offseason, bringing him in to replace Za’Darius Smith. This move led to uncertainty at Minnesota’s edge positions, with Smith remaining on the roster for several weeks ahead of a trade to Cleveland. While Smith is now part of a top-tier Browns defense, the Pro Bowler has yet to record a sack. Davenport, who notched a half-sack despite playing 15 games last season, has two through six Vikes contests.

Davenport, 27, and Hunter are together for now, but the Vikings’ edge situation is not settled from a long-term standpoint. Neither starter is signed beyond 2023, and Hunter profiles as one of this season’s top trade candidates. The ninth-year Viking has eight sacks thus far, pacing the NFL. Davenport’s injury weakens the Vikings’ pass rush and likely prevents them from dealing the 2018 first-rounder. The Vikes did make a seller’s trade involving an edge rusher three years ago, trading Yannick Ngakoue to the Ravens. But Davenport’s injury probably squashes his market, with the trade deadline Oct. 31.

The team considered Hunter trades this offseason, and with Kevin O’Connell‘s squad starting 2-4, it will be interesting to see if the defending NFC North champions consider moving on. But Hunter may still be in Minnesota’s long-term plans. For Davenport, this injury hurts his chances of putting quality production on film for a potential 2024 free agency push. It also hurts Davenport’s hopes of showing he can provide consistency. His up-and-down New Orleans tenure led to a “prove it” deal in March.

Nwangwu returned to practice Oct. 11. The Vikings have not used the third-year back much in the backfield, but the Iowa State alum has been one of the NFL’s best kick returners during his career. Nwangwu is the only NFLer to have tallied three kick-return touchdowns since the start of the 2021 season. Nyheim Hines is the only other player with even two kick-return scores. Nwangwu, 25, will stand to give the Vikings a boost on special teams.

Vikings DE Marcus Davenport Facing Multi-Week Absence

October 17th, 2023 at 9:19am CST by Adam La Rose

Marcus Davenport‘s Vikings tenure has run into renewed injury trouble. The veteran edge rusher is dealing with a high ankle sprain and is likely facing a four-to-six week absence as a result, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The news makes Davenport a candidate to be placed on injured reserve, something which would sideline him for at least four weeks. The 27-year-old was limited to just four snaps across Minnesota’s first three games this season, his first with the Vikings. Davenport inked a one-year, $13MM deal including $10MM guaranteed in free agency.

That pact resulted in high expectations for the former Saints first-rounder, who has contributed when healthy in 2023. Davenport posted one sack in each of his two full games, adding four quarterback hits and a pair of tackles for loss in that span. The injury suffered during Minnesota’s Week 6 win over the Bears forced him to be carted off the field, though, and it threatens to cost him signficant time through the middle portion of the campaign.

The Vikings entrusted Davenport with a starting role to help offset the Za’Darius Smith trade and provide a complimentary presence to Danielle Hunter. The latter was mentioned in frequent trade speculation this offseason, but he ultimately signed a revised one-year pact which provided a raise compared to his original 2023 compensation. Both Hunter (who has his own track record of lengthy injury-induced absences) and Davenport are set to hit free agency in March, so an extended stretch without the pair in place could hinder not only the team’s edge rush but also their respective markets come the spring.

Hunter has posted a league-leading eight sacks so far, but Minnesota will need to find a new bookend for at least the short term while Davenport (who was unable to play a full season in any of his five years in New Orleans) recovers. Former fourth-rounder D.J. Wonnum – who ranks tied for second amongst Vikings edge rushers with two sacks – could be in line for an increased workload with Davenport not in the fold. Minnesota also has 2021 third-rounder Patrick Jones and undrafted rookie Andre Carter in place as depth options in the pass-rush department.

Vikings Sign DE Marcus Davenport

March 20th, 2023 at 9:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 20: This $13MM deal includes $10MM guaranteed, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 tweets. A $4.5MM signing bonus represents part of that guarantee, and Wilson adds the Vikings used void years (2024-27) to further help them against the 2023 cap. Similar to the language in Dalvin Tomlinson‘s deal — one Minnesota restructured to move the void date back — Davenport’s contract will void 23 days before the 2024 league year. If the Vikings do not agree to terms with Davenport on an extension by that February date, they will be tagged with $6.8MM in dead money.

MARCH 13: Soon, the Vikings will have three starter-caliber edge rushers on their roster. They are adding Marcus Davenport on a one-year deal, according to NFL.com.

The former Saints first-round pick signed for $13MM, making this a well-compensated “prove it” deal for the off-and-on pass rusher. Davenport joins Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith on Minnesota’s roster. Smith, however, has requested to be released. Thus far, the Vikings are not indicating they will oblige.

Former Saints co-DC-turned-Falcons DC Ryan Nielsen wanted to bring Davenport to Atlanta, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. But a Davenport-David Onyemata package deal will not be in the cards for the Falcons.

On the subject of Smith, Garafolo adds the Vikings are planning to move on. The 2022 Minnesota pickup made an unusual move to say his goodbyes to the Vikings, who previously were not believed to be readying to release him. It is uncertain if Smith will be released or traded, but Davenport pairing with Hunter looks like the direction the team is heading.

If they are planning to make Smith a Minneapolis one-and-done, the Vikings will be entrusting their edge-rushing responsibilities to two injury-prone players. Although Hunter rebounded from a stretch of significant injury trouble from 2020-21, Davenport missed 12 games during that span. He also underwent five surgeries during the 2022 offseason. He missed two games in 2022 and recorded only a half-sack, leading to this “prove it” arrangement.

However, the pass rusher has shown an ability to get after the QB. He had a career-high nine sacks and 16 QB hits during the 2021 season, and he added another 10.5 sacks through his first two seasons in the NFL. While the former first-round pick has dealt with his fair share of injuries, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see him return to form during his age-27 season.

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