Green Bay Packers Should Reunite with Trevor Davis

The Oakland Raiders have just waived Trevor Davis and the Green Bay Packers should strongly consider bringing him back this season.

On the offensive side of the ball, Trevor Davis had put together his best training camp and preseason performance this past summer, but his primary focus as a member of this Green Bay Packers team was still as a return man. However, after their week two matchup with Minnesota, the Packers had grown tired of Davis’ inconsistencies and the mental mistakes, which ultimately led to his release.

This was a move that many fans had been clamoring for but as they say, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. First Green Bay would give Darrius Shepherd a try as the return man but after a fumble that almost cost the Packers the game against Detroit, he became even more conservative than what he had previously been which rendered him ineffective. Meanwhile on kick returns Shepherd wasn’t very good either and would average just 16.3 yards an attempt.

Green Bay would then turn to Tremon Smith who they had signed earlier in the season and although he was better on kickoffs than Shepherd, averaging 23.3 yards a return, overall he was more of a liability than a weapon. Not to mention that he totaled zero punt return yards on four attempts and as a result, he has recently been released.

As a whole the Green Bay Packers’ punt return team has been historically bad as they have totaled -8 return yards on the season. And yes, you read that correctly, -8 yards. Also on kick returns, making their way to the 25 yard line on a consistent basis has been a struggle, so opposing teams have started kicking the ball short of the goal line, forcing Green Bay to return the ball. Which as you’ve probably guessed, has come with mixed results.

Now with Smith no longer on the team and Shepherd simply not being a very good option, a reunion with the recently released Trevor Davis makes a lot of sense.

Sure Davis has had his issues, no one is denying that, but he’s also had some success as well. While he spent much of 2018 injured, in 2017 Davis would finish third in the NFL in average yards per punt return and seventh in average yards per kick return.

This season Davis hasn’t fared as well, but there is no question that his average of seven yards a punt return is a drastic improvement over what the Packers have had and his 21.3 kick return average is similar to Smith’s. However one thing to point out is that Davis has lost two fumbles this season.

But we also have to mention that Davis knows this offense better than any other player off the streets that Green Bay could sign and he would give Matt LaFleur a speedy option for some wide receiver screens and a gadget play or two. With Oakland, his snaps on offense were limited but Davis still caught 7 of 10 passes for 11.9 yards per catch and had four rushes for 74 yards, including this touchdown run.

Davis certainly won’t step in and turn the return game which is a huge weakness into a strength, but he knows the special teams unit here in Green Bay, as well as the offense and he appears to be the best available option for the Packers at the moment.