Saints free agent assessment: DE Marcus Davenport
The New Orleans Saints’ 2023 offseason is already right here, they usually have a protracted listing of pending free brokers to sift by. Some selections shall be harder than others, and a few gamers carry quite a bit for group decision-makers to mull over within the weeks and months main as much as the free company signing interval.
We’ll be taking a while to single out these main soon-to-be free brokers whose future with the group is unsure as soon as their contracts expire in March. First up: defensive finish Marcus Davenport.
Season stats
Davenport was credited with simply half a sack in 2022, however Professional Soccer Focus charting discovered he ranked third-most on the group with 34 quarterback pressures behind Cameron Jordan (37) and David Onyemata (35). These pressures are effectively and good, however Davenport’s struggles in ending performs stays a priority. He additionally had the fewest PFF defensive stops (11) of all Saints defensive linemen to play 400-plus snaps. Stops are outlined as tackles that sometimes permit the offense to realize 50% or fewer of the yards wanted for a conversion. Davenport was energetic on the line of scrimmage however his poor conditioning to start out the season by no means appeared to choose up, and too many alternatives bought away from him due to it.
Snap counts
Davenport totaled 490 snaps on protection and 97 snaps on particular groups in 2022, however his function was vastly decreased in the course of the second half of the season. He averaged 62% of the Saints’ defensive snaps in Weeks 1 to 7 however that fell to 37% from Weeks 8 to 18, with Carl Granderson promoted to the beginning job in his place on the proper defensive finish spot. Davenport’s reps on particular groups had been restricted to the sector purpose block and kick models.
2022 season assessment
It was extra of the identical from Davenport’s fifth 12 months that we noticed in his first 4 years. He wasn’t prepared for the beginning of coaching camp as a consequence of offseason hand surgical procedure, and a midseason calf harm took him out of motion for a number of weeks. When he was on the sector he couldn’t end strain performs with sacks. This was his worst season as a professional and it couldn’t have come at a worse time in a contract 12 months. He was demoted on the halfway level.
That’s to not say that is the top of his story within the NFL. We’ve seen how impactful Davenport could be when he’s wholesome, in form, and engaged. But when the prospect of incomes a life-changing contract extension couldn’t spark him into at the very least matching his previous efficiency, what’s going to?
Future worth to Saints
Davenport continues to be a starting-quality defensive finish with great upside. When he’s firing on full cylinders there aren’t many cross rushers round who can match his mix of measurement and pace. It’s simply been too lengthy since we noticed one of the best model of Davenport for the Saints to place a lot inventory in him returning to that degree.
Via 5 years he’s struggled with inconsistent play and sturdiness points. It wouldn’t be a shock to see New Orleans make an effort at re-signing him, however he additionally doesn’t really feel like a participant they need to retain in any respect prices. Even when Cameron Jordan is getting lengthy within the tooth and Payton Turner hasn’t but emerged as a viable participant at defensive finish, few would blame the Saints for getting in a distinct route.
Keep or go?
Actually it could be for one of the best if Davenport will get a recent begin elsewhere. The Saints have sunken sufficient time and sources into him with out sufficient of a return as it’s. Go rushers of his caliber nonetheless command heavy affords in free company and it’s completely potential he thrives in a brand new scenario surrounded by new teammates, coaches, and medical employees. New Orleans might take the not-insignificant wage cap sources earmarked for Davenport and put them to higher use at different place teams, and possibly in signing a free agent who might match Davenport’s present degree of play at a fraction of his value.
Then again, Davenport solely wants a number of issues to go his solution to put collectively a profession 12 months. Higher well being and higher assistance will go a good distance for him. The issue is that he’s by no means performed a full season so far within the NFL, and he’s the form of participant you signal to assist another person, not the man you wish to must prop up himself. One draw back to letting Davenport go away in free company: the Saints shall be left behind with a lifeless cash cost of $7.6 million after beforehand restructuring his contract.
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