Raekwon Davis

Colts To Sign DT Raekwon Davis

The Dolphins have Zach Sieler locked down via the extension he signed last year, but they are losing their other two defensive line starters. Following Christian Wilkins‘ defection to the Raiders, Raekwon Davis is leaving as well.

Davis is heading to Indianapolis, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting the young D-tackle is signing a two-year deal worth $14MM in base value. A four-year Dolphins cog, Davis started 48 games for the team. Despite the Colts re-signing Grover Stewart on Monday to stay in place alongside DeForest Buckner, the Colts evidently viewed this as a big enough need, and another notable veteran contract became necessary.

Davis only graded as Pro Football Focus’ 79th interior defender among 130 qualifiers, far behind Buckner (12th) and Stewart (22nd). Still, the free agent addition was better than the Colts’ DT3 from last season, as Taven Bryan ranked 99th on that same list.

Bryan is currently a free agent, so Davis will likely slide into his spot in the depth chart. Bryan, Eric Johnson, and Adetomiwa Adebawore accounted for 740 snaps last season, so Davis could see a significant role on Gus Bradley’s defense, even as a backup.

With Wilkins and Davis gone (and Emmanuel Ogbah having been released), the Dolphins are lacking depth on their defensive line. Other than Sieler, former UDFA Brandon Pili is the only other player who played defensive tackle for the Dolphins last season, and he was limited to 30 snaps (all coming in the first four weeks). Miami will surely look to add reinforcement either via free agency or the draft.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/9/21

Here is Week 5 Saturday’s minor move spree:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

  • Promoted: TE Shane Zylstra

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/6/21

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Arizona Cardinals

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets 

Dolphins Place DL Raekwon Davis On IR

Raekwon Davis‘ knee injury will keep him off the field until at least October. The Dolphins placed the defensive tackle on injured reserve today, reports NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe (via Twitter).

Fortunately, the injury won’t knock Davis out for the season. The defensive lineman will be required to sit on IR for three weeks before he’s eligible to return.

The Alabama product was a second-round pick by the Dolphins in 2020, and the defensive lineman earned PFWA All-Rookie Team honors following a standout rookie campaign. Davis ultimately saw time in 16 games last season (12 starts), collecting 40 tackles, one tackle for loss, and one QB hit. He started Sunday’s win over the Patriots, but he only saw time in five snaps before suffering his injury.

With Davis sidelined, the Dolphins could turn to John Jenkins to pick up the slack. The 32-year-old signed with the Dolphins this past offseason.

Dolphins Sign Round 2 Pick Raekwon Davis

Shortly after agreeing to terms with Tua Tagovailoa, the Dolphins hammered out a deal with one of his former Alabama teammates.

Miami signed second-round pick Raekwon Davis on Monday, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. The Dolphins drafted the defensive tackle with the No. 56 overall pick.

The Dolphins have now signed five of their 12 draft picks. Davis is the first of Miami’s two second-rounders to sign, with offensive lineman Robert Hunt still unsigned. Traditionally, second-round picks are not difficult to ink. Third-rounders’ deals are more complicated, but the slot system implemented by the 2011 CBA and retained by 2020’s agreement makes signing most draft picks a much simpler process.

Davis should be a candidate to start for the Dolphins soon, which would give the Dolphins a two-Raekwon front seven (joining linebacker Raekwon McMillan). Davis broke out as a sophomore with 8.5 sacks but only collected two over his final two seasons. Still, Davis saw extensive action for three Crimson Tide teams. Considering the depth Alabama annually possesses, that is an accomplishment several of the program’s recent draftees cannot claim.

Draft Rumors: Henderson, Dobbins, Davis

Are you ready for surprises on draft day? It sounds like you should be. “The media is wronger about mock drafts this year than you guys have ever been,” one NFL general manager told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). That’s undoubtedly because of the ongoing certainly involving COVID-19, which has caused the league to upend its predraft process. As Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com tweets, “group think” is less likely to occur in 2019 because scouts and executives were unable to congregate at pro days, events where evaluators typically will — intentionally or not — develop something of a consensus on prospects.

After deciding whether “wronger” is actually a word, let’s take a look at more on the upcoming draft:

  • The Falcons held a predraft video meeting with Florida cornerback C.J. Henderson last week, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Atlanta currently holds the 16th overall pick, but recent reports have indicated general manager Thomas Dimitroff & Co. could be interested in moving up the board. Henderson is considered the draft’s second-best cornerback behind Ohio State’s Jeffrey Okudah, although some decision-makers may rate Henderson No. 1.
  • Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins has held video meetings with several NFL teams, including the Chiefs, Packers, Bills, Lions, Saints, Dolphins, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. This isn’t the first time Dobbins has been linked to Miami, as he took a predraft visit with the Dolphins before such meetings were shut down due to COVID-19. Indeed, Dobbins left that visit feeling Miami was “infatuated” with him.
  • Alabama defensive tackle Raekwon Davis says the 49ers, Packers, Dolphins, Ravens, and Eagles are the teams that have contacted him most, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. A massive presence at 6’6″, 310 pounds, Davis a first-round projection and comparisons to DeForest Buckner from NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus, however, ranks Davis just 10th among interior defender prospects, noting his lack of development as a pass-rusher.
  • The Ravens, 49ers, Panthers, Titans, and Seahawks have all held video sessions with TCU defensive tackle Ross Blacklock, per Wilson. Blacklock, who stock has risen during the predraft process, missed the 2018 campaign with an Achilles injury but was productive during both his freshman and junior seasons. Last year, he posted 40 tackles (nine for loss) and 3.5 sacks.