Trevor Davis Tries to Reboot Receiver Career in Chicago
Trevor Davis arrives in Chicago this year after dealing with disappointment through his first four seasons in the NFL.
He could use a break, but expecting one on a Bears roster with more wide receivers than they can use might be wishful thinking.
Davis is a return man who is a wide receiver. The last Bears' memory of him was probably not one Davis would like to thing of, or maybe now the Bears since he's with them. In London last year he let Sherrick McManis pick his pocket inches from a touchdown in a tight game against the Raiders in London.
A player fumbling is one thing, doing it at the goal line is another. And for Davis it's especially a problem because he has had some troubles hanging onto the ball in the past. He has five career fumbles but considering how few times he's had the ball it is something weighing against his roster bid.
Davis has 16 career NFL catches for the Packers and Raiders, but at one time in his career showed more promise as a receiver.
He played two years for Hawaii and then transferred to California, where his career really took off. A 6-foot-1, 188-pound receiver, he made 64 catches for 1,071 yards with seven touchdowns for Cal and in his college career finished with 109 receptions for 1,672 yards with 12 touchdowns.
The speed displayed at Cal was apparent at the combine, as well. Davis ran a 4.42-second 40-yard dash and also did the three-cone run in 6.60 seconds. This was a phenomenal time, third fastest overall at the combine regardless of position.
So the Packers drafted him in Round 5 and he started experiencing fumble problems. In 2018 he missed all but a couple games due to a hamstring issue and it led to a trade to Oakland for a sixth-round draft pick.
In a short period with Oakland, less than a season, Davis fumbled twice and was waived. The Dolphins had him from December until the end of the season on waivers and he had another fumble.
As a return man, when Davis holds onto the ball he can be a terror. Actually, he had punt return stats (10.1 yards per return) comparable to Tarik Cohen (10.4 per return). He also has returned kickoffs, although not as effectively.
Because the Bears have Anthony Miller, Allen Robinson II, Javon Wims, Riley Ridley, Cordarrelle Patterson, Darnell Mooney and Ted Ginn Jr. battling or what could be six or seven roster spots, and a handful of other free agent receivers, Davis' chances appear slim but he could be an insurance policy for returns in case of injuries.
His projection is to be a cut victim and best-case scenario would be to make enough of an impression during preseason games to convince another team with more openings to claim him.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
