Falcons Pursued Saints DL Marcus Davenport Before Vikings Signed
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On the first day of the NFL's legal tampering free agency period, the Atlanta Falcons have already agreed to terms with two former New Orleans Saints defenders in David Onyemata and Kaden Elliss.
And they tried to make it three.
According to NFL Network, the Falcons were a "suitor" for ex Saints defensive end Marcus Davenport, who ultimately committed to sign with the Minnesota Vikings on a one-year, $13 million contract.
Davenport, 26, spent the last five years with now-Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen, formerly the Saints' defensive line coach who was also the co-defensive coordinator this past season.
A first-round pick in 2018, Davenport had an up-and-down tenure in New Orleans, finishing with 21-and-a-half sacks, 25 tackles for loss and 60 quarterback hits.
Davenport six sacks in 2019 and a career-best nine sacks in 2021 but just six-and-a-half sacks in the other three seasons, creating a boom-or-bust profile that resulted in his one-year "prove it" deal.
Nonetheless, Davenport's strong ties with Nielsen - and Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot, who was a part of New Orleans' brass when it selected the 6-6, 265-pounder - made him a realistic option.
Considering Davenport will be back on the market next year, he's certainly a name to keep on mind - while it's also relevant to note that the Falcons are continuing to search for help at defensive end.
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