RAVENS SIGN FORMER ATLANTA FALCONS RB MIKE DAVIS
It didn’t take Mike Davis very long to find a new home after the 29-year-old was released by the Atlanta Falcons earlier this month. The Baltimore Ravens announced on Tuesday morning that they had signed Davis to a one-year deal for the 2022 season. Davis was released by the Falcons on May 2nd.
The Ravens’ offense, usually typified by a run-heavy scheme, adds experienced depth in the backfield, increasing the running back room from seven to eight bodies ahead of training camp. Davis will join presumed starter J.K Dobbins, Gus Edwards, Justice Hill, Ty’Son Williams, Nate McCrary, 2022 sixth-round pick out of Missouri, Tyler Badie, and undrafted free agent acquisition Ricky Person Jr. from North Carolina State.
Davis had an impressive 1,015 scrimmage yards and 8 touchdowns with the Carolina Panthers in 2020 in the absence of Christian McCaffrey and was set to be Atlanta’s main ball carrier in 2021 before the Falcons shifted focus to Cordarelle Patterson. Despite playing second-fiddle to Patterson, Davis finished the 2021 season with almost 800 scrimmage yards and scored three touchdowns.
Baltimore was ravaged by injuries last season, as the Ravens’ saw season-ending injuries to the team’s top running backs last year; J.K Dobbins, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill in the span of just 12 days. This seems to have prompted the Ravens’ front office to seek a safety net this offseason in case of any unexpected setbacks on the injury front. The Ravens have added Badie, Person Jr, and Davis this offseason alone.
The team’s top two running backs Dobbins and Edwards tore their ACLs before the start of the 2021 season and are not expected to be back on the field until at least July when the team begins training camp, while Hill is still recovering from a torn Achilles tendon.
Without key players in the backfield, Baltimore turned to veteran backs Latavious Murray, Le’Veon Bell, and Devonta Freeman who combined for 1,160 rushing yards on 283 attempts. Good for a 4.09yds per carry mark as the Ravens stumbled down the stretch, finishing with an 8-9 record and missing the postseason for the first time since 2017.
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero