By: Jake Rajala

The New Orleans Saints didn’t exactly impose their dominance at home against the Lamar Jackson-led Baltimore Ravens. After Jackson steamrolled the Saints defense (who was red-hot coming off their shutout against Las Vegas), the Raiders stand at 6-3 (first in the AFC North) and the Saints sit at 3-6 (which is surprisingly one game behind first place in the NFC South). With that said, I’m going to untwine five takeaways from the Saints-Ravens MNF match-up.

• Red Rifle was MIA

The Red Rifle was not an authentic, superb QB in Week 9. Dalton missed a wide-open WR for a touchdown at the end of the first half. He also threw an interception to DE Justin Houston in the second half. It was clear that Dalton was nervous and unable to excel in his biggest game of the season.

• The Ravens pass rush

Dalton doesn’t deserve all of the blame for his MNF blunder. His pass protection was far from potent against Baltimore, to say the least. The Ravens notched four sacks against Dalton, while Justin Houston collected 2.5 of the sacks. It could be said that Houston turned back the clock in this crucial match-up.

• Taysom Hill

It would be an understatement to say that Who Dat Nation was unpleased with the usage of Taysom Hill in this game. Hill had a whopping one carry in the game. Hill was the key reason why NO edged out the Seahawks, but it seems that Pete Carmichael forget how to include the John Wick-like figure in his offensive attack on Monday Night.

• Demario Davis

Demario Davis may have not been a part of the solution on his defense in the second half, but he was at another level in the first half against Lamar. He registered a sack and he was nicely seen blowing up RBs in the backfield. PFF slotted Davis as the best LB entering Week 9 & it’s safe to say that he’s on a path to garnering at least second-team All-Pro honors.

• Kenyan Drake

The former Arizona Cardinals ball carrier Kenyan Drake really made the Saints defense ache. Drake scooped two rushing touchdowns and 93 rushing yards. It was once believed that the Saints had a brick-wall run defense, but it was safe to say that NO struggled to stifle Drake. Although, it should be mentioned that Jackson (82 rushing yards on 11 carries) hogged some attention to help Drake.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Las Vegas Raiders plan to release Kenyan Drake – according to ESPN. Drake’s 2021 campaign (543 all-purpose yards & 3 combined TDs) was honestly a regression from his 2020 season (1,092 all-purpose yards and 10 total TDs). Of course, the Raiders will still lean on their RB1 Josh Jacobs to mow down opponents. In addition to Jacobs, the Raiders also drafted Zamir White in the fourth round of the 2022 draft. It’s clear they feel confident enough in their RB room to cut ties with Drake. With that said, I’m going to untwine several potential landing spots for the talented, 28-year-old RB. 

New England Patriots

The New England Patriots lost their all-purpose RB James White this off-season & it would be wise for BB to ink the versatile, former Raiders RB. The mysterious head coach/GM inked Devante Parker & and it may be time to bring in another weapon. I trust that Drake can be an upgrade over White. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are always looking to improve their roster and of course: win the Super Bowl. The Brad bunch has the young Rachaad White and the bowling ball Leonard Fournette, but I believe Drake could still get involved as a pass-catching RB. He may be an x-factor in the Buccaneers pivotal showdowns against the New Orleans Saints. 

Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers have the ultra superb RB Christian McCaffrey. However, he has sort of had injury issues over the prior two seasons (as he’s missed 23 contests in the past two seasons combined). Drake could certainly be an excellent depth piece and even a pass-catching weapon on occasion. Matt Rhule and the Panthers can’t afford to take their foot off the pedal in the bloody NFC South. 

New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints are the third NFC South team on this list and they would absolutely be a great landing spot for Drake. The Saints carry Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram, but AK will almost certainly be suspended in 2023 and Ingram may be out the door next off-season, as well. It may be quite intuitive for the Saints to bring in Drake for not only his 2022 abilities but his potential value in 2023. 

Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans have a Greek god-like RB in Derrick Henry, but he can’t be the only lone ranger in Nashville. Furthermore, the Titans don’t have the sexiest talent behind him at RB. The Titans RB2 Dontrell Hilliard has registered 447 rushing yards in his career. The arrival of Drake would bring a lot of music to Titans fans ears – especially after their offense lost A.J. Brown this off-season.

Dallas Cowboys 

The Dallas Cowboys have quietly fallen behind in the Power Rankings this off-season. They have a ton of explosiveness, but I believe they could benefit from the addition of a talented all-around asset like Drake. The playoff gods may favor the Boys if the reigning NFC East champions bring in the former Cardinals RB. 

Cincinnati Bengals

I would really love to see the Cincinnati Bengals ink the explosive free agent RB. Cincy has an unearthly WR trio and Joe Mixon, but they could benefit from an upgrade over Samaje Perine at RB2. The Bengals properly boosted their OL this off-season. I’d still love to see Cincy bring in another toy for their former LSU QB and his improved pass protection.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Las Vegas Raiders running Josh Jacobs has been a rumored trade candidate after having seven touches in the HOF game. The amped-up Josh McDaniels has clarified that they have no intentions of trading Jacobs. With that said, I’m going to untwine three reasons why McDaniels isn’t bluffing and why it would be sacrilege for LV to ship away Jacobs.

Divisional competition

The Raiders undoubtedly compete in the most sinful NFL division: AFC West. I already have pegged the Raiders as the worst team in the division that features the Greek God-like QB Patrick Mahomes, Super Bowl MVP signal-caller Russell Wilson, and the ascending, mega-arm Justin Herbert. It would be more difficult for the Raiders to thrive in their heavy-weight division if they also traded away a pivotal piece of their offense in Josh Jacobs. He ran for 1,065 yards and 12 TDs in 2020 & 872 yds and 9 TDs in 2021.

Potential

Jacobs hasn’t only been a productive ball-carrier, but he is still a young gun (as he turned 24 years old in February). He’s four years younger than the Incredible Hulk-like RB Derrick Henry and two years younger than the utterly imposing RB Nick Chubb. Jacobs can be a monster RB for the Raiders for many years to come. Davante Adams is also 29 years old, so it’s crucial that they have a pivotal play-maker for many years during the demise of Tae’s career.

Role

Jacobs is the thunder ball-carrier amid the Raiders RB group. He is the downhill RB that can break a defense down by a thousand cuts. Meanwhile, Kenyan Drake is the all-purpose RB that excels in space. Drake notched more receiving yds (291) than rushing yds (254 yds) in 2021. Zamir White has the make-up to be a talented RB, but he’s also an unproven rookie. It would be risky for McDaniels to pull the plug on the talented, young, bull-dozing RB at this point.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Las Vegas Raiders ranked 21st in sacks in 2021 (with 35 sacks), but they should really aim to be Top-10 in sacks in the upcoming season. The Raiders team that carries a rich history (especially under Al Davis), brought in the very talented pass rusher Chandler Jones to join Tom Hardy Mad Maxx Crosby in the front seven. Jones may have turned 32 in February, but he is coming off an impressive 10.5 sack season — along with 6 forced fumbles and 26 QB hits. Jones inked a contract extension for three years worth $52.5 million dollars.

Jones will ask Crosby to continue to help hunt opposing signal-callers, as well. Crosby was a wrecking ball last season — as he was named second-team All-Pro. PFF gave Crosby a very impressive 91.4 grade for his 2021 performance. He signed a contract extension for four years worth $94 million dollars last March. It was clearly an emotional day for the individual that suffered from alcoholism.

The invisible man, also known as Clelin Ferrell, needs to find his groove as a pro. The fourth overall pick from the 2019 NFL draft has 8 career sacks and 24 QB hits in three seasons. He is bound to be a free agent after the 2022 season. The Raiders could still trade Ferrell, as B/R has noted this off-season.

Let’s not forget that the Raiders should have more potent scoring offense (w/ Tae and a healthy Kenyan Drake) than last season, which will force opposing signal-callers to keep pace with their offense. This also means that the Raiders pass rushers will have a plethora of opportunities to pin their ears back and take down the likes of Russell Wilson and Justin Herbert.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Las Vegas Raiders are on the brink of being an AFC juggernaut in the near future. With that said, I’m going to simply untwine three profiles on the Raiders that could turn heads and help LV beat squads like BUF, CIN, and KC next season.

Denzel Perryman

Perryman was unequivocally an amazing value signing in 2021 for the Raiders. After playing in a Chargers uniform for six seasons, the LB Denzel Perryman cracked his first Pro Bowl spot with the Raiders in 2021. Perryman had career-high marks in tackles (154 and fumble recoveries (2). He also had 5 TFLs and 3 QB hits. The Raiders ILB could have more opportunities with Chandler Jones in the same unit. Perryman is bound to be a FA in the 2023 off-season, so it’s important that LV can retain their star LB.

Kenyan Drake

The former Cardinals RB, Kenyan Drake, should definitely thrive under Josh McDaniels moving forward. Drake registered 1,092 all-purpose yards and 10 RRTDs last season in 2020, but he took a noticeable dip in 2021: 545 total yards and 3 RRTDs. A healthier Drake with a sharp offensive play-caller (that nicely utilized James White) could shine with excellent receiving match-ups and as the RB2 behind Josh Jacobs. Drake is also in the last year of his contract.

Kolton Miller

Kolton Miller is the glue in the Raiders offense and he will need to keep climbing the ladder in 2022. His presence will be extremely vital against the fierce AFC pass rushers like Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa, and Melvin Ingram. Miller finished as the fifth-best OT by PFF last season, so perhaps an All-Pro season is on the horizon. Miller signed a three-year contract extension worth $54 million dollars in the last off-season.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Las Vegas Raiders may have had an impressive overhaul of talent this off-season. Yet, they still need to squeeze as much talent out of their roster if they want to edge out other juggernaut AFC West rosters for the division title. With that said, I’m going to untwine a few underperforming players that need to turn the corner and help LV in 2022.

Clelin Ferrell

It would be impossible to leave Clelin Ferrell off this list, as he’s clearly been an enormous NFL bust (fourth overall pick in the 2019 draft). Ferrell has registered 8 sacks in his entire career thus far. His lack of production has led to the Raiders recently swinging for the fences and bringing in Chandler Jones. Bleacher Report has recently projected Ferrell to breakout (and they also projected him to be a trade candidate). If he doesn’t get traded, he may finally translate his athletic ability into production soon.

Randy Gregory, who holds a similar skillset as Ferrell, was a bit of a late bloomer. Gregory recently inked a hefty contract with the Broncos.

Johnathan Abram

The Raiders big-hitter at safety Johnathan Abram had an unfortunate season-ending injury in late December last season. He had a roller-coaster season that was still an improvement from his putrid 2020 season (aka when PFF graded him as the worst safety in pass coverage). He certainly hasn’t solidified himself as a long-term starter in the Raiders pass defense. The Raiders also have a question mark at CB, so it’s important that Abrams can be a stud for their secondary in his contract year.

Kenyan Drake

I believe that Keyan Drake is slightly overrated, as he unleashed 545 total yards (which was a drop-off from his 1,092 all-purpose yds in 2020). He wasn’t exactly a dynamite RB behind a bell-cow Josh Jacobs. Nonetheless, I do believe that Drake (who has one year left with LV) should be more efficient and productive in Josh McDaniel’s offensive attack.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Las Vegas Raiders were arguably the scrappiest AFC team in the NFL last season. The Derek Carr-led Raiders came out alive in a brutal Week 18 showdown against the LA Chargers and then barely/controversially lost against the Cincinnati Bengals, aka the 2021 AFC Champions. I fully expect the new-look Raiders to climb the ladder in 2022. Nonetheless, there are bound to be serious hurdles for LV moving forward. With that said, I’m going to untwine the three biggest obstacles for the Raiders.

• The CB position

The Raiders were clearly leaning on Casey Hayward to be the answer for their CB position last off-season, but the veteran CB fled to Atlanta this offseason. The Raiders still have a question mark at the CB spot, as “Just Blog Baby” has pointed out. Travyon Mullen can be a modest starting CB, but he also has injury concerns (12 missed games) last season. It will be critical for him to stay healthy in an AFC West division that features Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, and Justin Herbert.

• Kenyan Drake

I honestly believe Kenyan Drake is the ultimate x-factor in the Raiders offense. He had 1,092 all-purpose yards and 10 combined touchdowns in 2020, but he didn’t skyrocket in a Raiders uniform in 2021. Unfortunately, he missed five games last season. Drake can be a match-up nightmare, as opponents focus on Tae, Darren Waller, and Hunter Renfrow. He can also help Josh Jacobs stay fresh in the Raiders ground attack.

• Kolton Miller

The Raiders offense quietly revolves around LT Kolton Miller and he’s been a pleasant surprise in recent memory. In fact, PFF graded him as a Top-5 LT last season. The Packers and Saints missed their elite LTs last season, but the Raiders LT was healthy and playing like he was from another another planet. It will be vital that the glue of the Raiders offense plays lights out in the gutsy AFC next season.

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The dynasty fantasy football season is heating up as the 2021 NFL season approaches. It’s important for fantasy addicts to stay on their heels, as nobody expectedly takes days off in the 365-day gauntlet.

The most important fantasy position to prioritize is undoubtedly the running back spot. RBs highlight first rounds of drafts, likely fill out three starting spots, and there are many unheralded names to understand.

With that being stated, I’m going to outline three RB names that should be sought out in hopes of improving your late August roster. These RBs are underlooked, in golden situations, and will help your fantasy championship dreams in 2021. Let’s begin.

Kenyan Drake ”“ Las Vegas Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders are the perfect place for all-purpose back Kenyan Drake. The former Arizona Cardinal has a Top 3 TE in Darren Waller by his side, no go-to slot WR in the huddle, and the right mind with Jon Gruden calling the plays. Drake should be able to fit in quite well. Once Drake is in sync, number 4’s offense should excel. It’s no wonder why Drake stated that his offense “was going to space” earlier in July.

Kenyan Drake will be heavily involved, yet he won’t be called on to handle the load. Lots of screens, quick passes, and red zone touches will be on Drake’s plate in the near future. The revamped OL will take several weeks to get in sync. It would only make sense for the talented skat back to be very involved, particularly early on.

Everybody is watching Derek Carr and the LV Raiders compete in the Death Star this season. Expect the 27-year-old receiving back to be the right complement to Josh Jacobs for years to come and to be the true x-factor on the new-look Raiders offense.

Tony Pollard ”“ Dallas Cowboys

Do not give up “close to a lot” for Tony Pollard, but the Dallas Cowboys RB2 in a healthy Dak Prescott’s offense will be a noticeable factor next season. Ezekiel Elliot had his first non-1,000-yard season in 2020 and his outlook is not the same. Expect Pollard, who shined well with the chance last season, to help the wear and tear on Zeke moving forward. Pollard flashed his electric ability in pre-season against the Texans a week ago.

The Cowboys were not in many positions to control the clock and play the game toward their strength last season. However, I expect the Cowboys with a healthy Tyron Smith upfront to return to dominating the ground game. Pollard will have a major uptick in involvement and production soon. Pollard will also cost truly little in such an exchange.

Trey Sermon ”“ San Francisco 49ers

I love Trey Sermon’s outlook looking ahead. The SF 49ers will look to reclaim the top 3 rushing offenses they held in 2020 with rookie Trey Sermon at the RB throne. Raheem Mostert is a few years past his elite playing days, the other former Super Bowl RBs have left the room, and now rookie Sermon will take the load. Shanny made DeVonta Freeman transform from an average RB to an elite stud in Atlanta. The former WFT offensive coordinator also brought life to undrafted Alfred Morris’s career.

The darkhorse candidate for OROY by PFF has shown to be the true complement to the injury-prone Raheem Mostert. Mostert will take the reigns, but the 29-year-old RB that’s missed nearly half the season in two of the past three seasons has a far from daunting outlook.

Expect Sermon, who was drafted early for the RB spot, to be a major threat and OROY candidate in Shanahan’s well-oiled offensive machine. The 49ers also carry a “very young offensive attack” that should routinely be lighting up the scoreboards for the next several years.

The post Dynasty: 3 sleeper RBs to trade for appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

The Raiders made some waves in free agency this 2021 offseason, signing Arizona Cardinals’ running back Kenyan Drake to a two-year, $11 million dollar deal to join the backfield in Las Vegas. 

On the surface, not the craziest signing in the universe. Drake was perhaps the biggest name among the free-agent running backs in 2021, and coming off of two seasons as the Cardinals starter in an air raid offense, the star player found a more running-oriented team in the Raiders. Las Vegas got a quality player, Drake got an offense that likes to run more. 

But what would otherwise be a perfect fit left a few people scratching their heads, as just two seasons ago, the Raiders used a first-round pick to draft Josh Jacobs, the former Alabama running back who made the Pro Bowl in his rookie season, and has ran for 2,215 yards in his 28 game career. 

Now, Las Vegas has two running backs with starting potential, and a couple more on the roster already who could compete for reps in the offense. The question now becomes, how will the Las Vegas Raiders balance their crowded running back room, and how should they balance out their crowded running back room?

I’m so glad you asked.

Josh Jacobs

Maybe Josh Jacobs disappointed in his second season, relative to impossible expectations. Maybe his 3.9 yards per carry, good for just 43rd in the league, or his 13 games held under 100 rushing yards, despite being third in the league in carries, have Raiders’ coaches a bit worried about the former first-rounder’s potential. And maybe that’s why Las Vegas felt the need to sign Kenyan Drake to a multi-year deal.

But make no mistake about it, the feature running back position is still Jacobs’ to lose.

Relative to the league average, Jacobs’ efficiency on the ground might have struggled, but the Raiders’ offense as a whole thrived while operating through him. Even while their high-volume back failed to reach over four yards a carry, Las Vegas still leaned on him all the way to a top ten scoring offense, all while Jacobs faced eight-man boxes on over 25% of his carries. 

And even if efficiency numbers weren’t in Jacobs’ favor, the raw numbers were. Jacobs was one of just nine players in 2020 to reach over 1,000 yards on the ground, and finished tied for fifth in the league in rushing touchdowns with 12. There should be two main takeaways from this.

Number one: Analytics nerds be damned, Jacobs is still a talented player, and a valuable asset to the Raiders’ offensive operation. Not the efficiency monster that the 49ers’ Raheem Mostert is, or the king of 100-yard games like the Titans’ Derrick Henry, but very few are. Instead, Jacobs is a well-rounded talent, capable of shouldering a heavy load in the Las Vegas offense.

Number two: You don’t give a guy the third most carries in the league if you’re looking to replace him. Kenyan Drake is a running back capable of starting in the NFL, but the Raiders’ offense was great in 2020, borderline elite, and Jacobs was the engine behind that offense. Drake will have a significant role in Las Vegas, but Jacobs should still be the go-to guy.

Kenyan Drake

Think ”˜Super-Charged Cleveland Browns,’ an offense where Nick Chubb is the star at running back, but Kareem Hunt still saw the field for 52% of the team’s snaps. Or rather, think ”˜NCAA 14 Dynasty Mode on freshman difficulty’ where after a few seasons, you’ve won three straight national championships, sign nothing but five-star recruits, and have two 95+ overall players at running back for no other reason than “eh, why not.” That’s what the Raiders’ offense is with Kenyan Drake joining Josh Jacobs.

Or at least, that should be the vision of what the offense could be with those two players in the backfield. Drake has his own faults as a player, just like Jacobs. And even while the two are talented, two nice seasons doesn’t have Jacobs on the same career trajectory as Nick Chubb, and one surprisingly nice half-season in Arizona back in 2019 doesn’t have Drake looking like Kareem Hunt.

But just as both these running backs come with their own set of issues, both are still skilled players at the position. For Drake, his true talent stands as being a multi-purpose threat. In two of Drake’s five NFL seasons, he’s caught more than 50 passes, and has recently blossomed into a skilled running back as well, breaking 800 yards on the ground in each of his last two seasons.

But in the Raiders’ offense, one that leaned heavily on the efforts of Josh Jacobs in 2020, Drake’s role in Las Vegas might be limited to shining in just one of those skillsets. Jacobs can be the threat on the ground, while Drake possesses a bit more potential as a receiver for the Raiders. Between the two, Jacobs should project early as the early-down back, while Drake could shine as a star third-down threat.

The Field

If Kenyan Drake is the Captain America of the Las Vegas Raiders’ backfield, and Josh Jacobs is the Iron Man, then the other names lining the Raiders’ roster, names like Theo Riddick, Jalen Richard, and potentially even a late-round rookie, are the Hawkeye of the bunch. Not the fan-favorites, not the heaviest hitters, but important in their own right, enough to carve out a role in Vegas, even with a crowded running back room.

Even if Riddick and Richard aren’t the headline-grabbing names that the Raiders’ new two-headed monster is, there should still be a path to them seeing the field on a Las Vegas offense that ran the ball the 11th most in the NFL, and targeted their running backs on 95 passing plays. 

Maybe the Raiders’ offense isn’t the most reliant on the ground game, but they’re still built in a way that leans on their running back group, and seem to be treading even more in that direction with the free-agency acquisition of Drake. They also might not target their running backs in the same way that the Saints do with Alvin Kamara, or the Panthers do with Christian McCaffery, but they still feature their ball-carriers in the passing game enough to believe that between ground duties and pass-catching responsibilities, Drake and Jacobs won’t be able to do it all on their own.

And that’s where the field comes in. Not to start, or to be a high-volume bench presence, but to step in situationally to take the pressure off the two stars. Both Richard and Riddick have been exceptional receiving running backs in their pro careers, with Richard recording over 600 receiving yards from the backfield in 2018, and Riddick once breaking 80 catches with just one start to his name in 2015 with the Lions. They’re the exact type of role players that a running back-heavy offense like the one constructed by Jon Gruden needs to thrive.

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By: Rachel Marie – @rachmariesports

With the entire new coaching staff nearly assembled and the front office bursting with enthusiasm, it’s time to look at free agent wide receivers and running backs that could help take the Detroit Lions to the next level in 2021.

1. Allen Robinson

I wrote about why the Lions should consider Robinson in a previous article for Pro Football Mania, but I feel that here and now is the right time to write about said consideration again. With Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones Jr. and Danny Amendola all set to be free agents, the Lions will be seriously lacking in veteran receiver talent. This, of course, can only be addressed through free agency and Robinson tops most lists at the position.

In 2020, with Mitchell Trubisky at the helm, Robinson notched 120 receptions, 1,250 yards and six touchdowns. Now pair his abilities with those of Jared Goff, who I expect to come into Detroit with a chip on his shoulder and looking to get back to his 2018 numbers, and this could be a QB/WR duo that could set the league on fire.

Plus, the addition of veteran wide receiver talent will be necessary to ensure that Goff’s transition to Detroit is as successful as possible. I expect Lions general manager Brad Holmes to carefully select the pieces that he places around Goff, considering Holmes is credited for drafting Goff in 2016 and seeing his NFL potential. Rumor has it over at Detroit Sports Nation that Robinson may already be on Holmes’ list.

2. Corey Davis

Hailing from Western Michigan, Corey Davis is another intriguing free agent that may want to come “home” and the Lions should certainly be taking a look at making him the offer.

In the 2020 season, Davis caught 65 passes for a career-high 984 yards, averaging 15.1 yards per reception, and scored five touchdowns. At just 26, Davis is set to test the waters of free agency for the first time as he opted out of his 5th year option with the Tennessee Titans.

This move could end up a much more cap friendly deal for the Lions compared to Robinson. According to TitansWire, “As far as his market value goes, Spotrac estimates that Davis will receive a contract worth $39.4 million over four years, which works out to an annual average salary of $9.8 million”.

And then, maybe the Lions will be the team doing the burning in situations like the one below, instead of the other way around:

3. Kenyan Drake

Kenyan Drake is an intriguing prospect with a high ceiling. After being traded to the Arizona Cardinals in week 9 of the 2019 season, Drake led the Cardinals in rushing yards with 643 and rushing touchdowns with eight over the final eight games of the season.

In 2020, Drake totaled 239 carries for 955 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also finished the season with 25 receptions for 137 yards, an average of 5.7 yards per reception. That’s pretty impressive continued productivity for the 2016 third round pick from Alabama.

Now, picture the five year veteran alongside Lion’s young up-and-coming running back D’Andre Swift and that paints a mighty pretty picture for any backfield. Plus, a veteran presence in the locker room, if Detroit does not retain Adrian Peterson, is always an added bonus. From SEC to DET. Sounds good to me.

4. Mike Davis

With Christian McCaffrey’s injury leaving him out the majority of the 2020 season, Mike Davis was able to show us that he is a more than serviceable back. According to SI’s All Panthers site, “Davis didn’t just step up and get the job done, he had a career year. He finished the season with a career-high in carries (165), rushing yards (642), rushing touchdowns (6), receptions (59), receiving yards (373), and receiving touchdowns (2). Had he been “the guy” from start to finish, you’re probably talking about tacking on another 200 or so more rushing yards”.

Bringing in a back like Davis would not only be a nice pairing alongside D’Andre Swift, Detroit’s RB1, but it would end up working out perfectly for the Lions as far as cap space is concerned.

Davis is also familiar with, and comfortable with, splitting touches. He is quoted as saying, “Yeah I mean, that would be nice to have (being a starting RB somewhere) but I’ve been put in that situation before where that was supposed to be the case and it didn’t end up working out being that way. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side’.

That attitude and complementary play style could start brewing big things in Detroit in the backfield.

The post Wide Receiver and Running Back Free Agent Targets for the Detroit Lions appeared first on Pro Football Mania.