Green Bay Packers Need LB Help, Should Consider Todd Davis

The Green Bay Packers LB unit is extremely thin, so adding the recently released Todd Davis is a move that would make a lot of sense.

One of the larger concerns surrounding this Green Bay Packers team all offseason was the linebacker position once again. Although once training camp began, we heard good things about Christian Kirksey, especially when it came to him working in space, and Kamal Martin put together a very good camp as well, with Martin sidelined, this unit is now dangerously thin.

Kirksey has the potential to be an upgrade over Blake Martinez, but after playing in only nine total games the past two seasons, his durability is certainly in question. Meanwhile, Oren Burks has taken his lumps again while also missing some practice time, and Ty Summers still has to prove he is more than just a special teams player.

While, yes, the Green Bay Packers play with one linebacker on the field quite often under Mike Pettine, they are also one Kirksey injury away from having to rely on Burks, Summers, and some undrafted free agents to play meaningful snaps.

However, there is one player available who, at the very least, could provide some much-needed depth, but he’s also found success as a starter in the NFL. And that is the recently released Todd Davis.

Davis went undrafted in 2014 before signing with the New Orleans Saints, only to sign with Denver not long after. From there, he became a key cog within that Bronco defense.

Over the last four seasons, he has been a starter, appearing in 60 out of a possible 64 games, including 59 starts. In his most recent 2019 season, Davis would total 134 tackles, six of which were for a loss, along with a quarterback hit.

Davis would miss just six tackles last season, an impressive stat given the number of tackles he made. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), on average, he missed just one tackle every 14.8 attempts, which ranked as the 13th best among all linebackers last season.

On the flip side, if the Green Bay Packers do sign Davis, fans shouldn’t expect him to be a force in coverage by any means; that just isn’t his strong suit. Last season, Davis was targeted 78 times and allowed a completion rate of 78.2 percent with three touchdowns, and quarterbacks had a passer rating of 107.6 when targeting him. However, I will point out that he allowed just 8.6 yards per catch.

It’s also worth noting that Davis also has a calf injury that is nagging him and putting his Week 1 status in jeopardy. But even if Davis is added, Kirksey is still LB1 as long as he’s healthy.

At only 28-years-old, Davis still has plenty of gas in the tank, he was a leader in that Denver locker room, and he isn’t going to break the bank. While the Packers just set their initial 53-man roster, the aforementioned Martin, along with Kabion Ento, will inevitably be moved to IR, thus creating some additional roster space for Davis.

With that said, all offseason, many have waited for the Green Bay Packers to add Jared Veldheer or Tramon Williams, and they still haven’t done that. So who knows if Davis is on Brian Gutekunst’s radar, but given the state of the linebacker position, he certainly should be.