In March, the Minnesota Vikings signed Marcus Davenport to a one-year, $13 million contract in the hopes that he would enhance their pass rush, which ranked 23rd in pressure rate and 21st in sacks previous season.
The team put the seasoned pass rusher on injured reserve on Wednesday after he sprained his high ankle during the victory over the Chicago Bears. According to Pro Football Focus, Davenport hasn’t quite lived up to the hype so far, earning just 2.0 sacks and seven total pressures on 77 pass rush snaps.
The Vikings’ gamble has officially blown up in their face
You never want to let injury luck guide your decision-making when it comes to life in the NFL, but at the same time, there are certain players with injury histories that have to be taken into account when evaluating whether or not you want to add them to your team.
Such is the exact case with Davenport, who has never played a full season in the NFL. He’s experienced a multitude of injuries that have always held him back from his full potential.
What drove the Vikings to add Davenport is what drove the New Orleans Saints to trade up for him in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft: potential. When he’s actually on the field, Davenport is a very good player. But even that hasn’t been the case for him this year.
Either way, unless the sixth-year player just plays like an All-Pro once he returns, it’s safe to say this experiment has already failed.
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