Former Vikings OLB Marcus Davenport Signs With NFC North Rivals

Davenport is joining the Detroit Lions on a one-year deal.

Author:
Will Ragatz
Publish date:
Mar 11, 2024 6:11 PM EDT

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Former Vikings outside linebacker Marcus Davenport is signing a one-year deal with the Lions, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. After a highly disappointing season in Minnesota, Davenport will look to stay healthy and prove himself in Detroit in 2024.

Last offseason, the Vikings signed the injury-prone Davenport to a one-year, prove-it deal worth up to $13 million. He played just 118 defensive snaps across four appearances, only two of which were full games. Davenport had a sack in each of those two contests, but he simply couldn't stay on the field. He began the year with an ankle injury, then suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 6 that wound up ending his season.

Prior to signing with the Vikings, Davenport spent the first five years of his career with the Saints, where he was a consistent pressure creator and PFF darling when healthy. He's only played more than 500 defensive snaps in a season once, which was back in 2019 when he had six sacks. His most productive year came in 2021, when he had a career-high nine sacks and an 88.8 PFF grade on 437 snaps.

This move reunites Davenport with Lions head coach Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who were on the Saints' staff for the first three years of his career. If he's healthy, he'll have an opportunity to prove himself and play against the Vikings twice this season.

The Vikings will have $6.8 million in dead money on their books this year from the Davenport signing.

Minnesota agreed to sign OLBs Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel on Monday. Danielle Hunter and D.J. Wonnum will presumably follow Davenport in signing elsewhere as this week unfolds.