Tag: Jamin Davis

Multiple former Commanders sign with Jets ahead of Ron Rivera interview

The Jets were busy adding former Commanders ahead of their scheduled interview with Ron Rivera.

Are the New York Jets preparing to make former Washington coach Ron Rivera their next head coach? Rivera, who was fired in January after going 26-40-1 in four seasons, is scheduled to interview for New York’s vacant head coaching position on Thursday.

On Tuesday, the Jets announced multiple roster moves, with some familiar names to Washington fans. The Commanders released 2022 second-round Phidarian Mathis on Saturday to make room for the return of defensive tackle Jonathan Allen.

The Jets also announced the signing of linebacker Jamin Davis — a 2021 first-round pick by Washington. The Commanders released Davis in October, and he signed with Green Bay’s practice squad. After four weeks with the Packers, the Minnesota Vikings signed Davis to their 53-man roster. He appeared in four games for the Vikings, who released Davis on Saturday.

What does this have to do with Rivera? Well, Rivera, who ran football operations in Washington, selected both Davis and Mathis. Three of Rivera’s four first-round picks were jettisoned by new Commanders general manager Adam Peters since August. The other, Chase Young, was traded last season.

Davis appeared in nine total games this season between the Commanders and Vikings.

Mathis played in a combined 11 games in his first two seasons. This season, Mathis appeared in 12 games for Washington, but his playing time decreased in recent weeks, with veterans Sheldon Day and Carl Davis outperforming him.

The Jets also signed veteran offensive tackle David Sharpe to the practice squad. Sharpe spent the 2020 season with Washington.

New York wasn’t done adding former Commanders signing kicker Greg Joseph. While Joseph didn’t play for Rivera, he did kick in one game for Washington this season.

The signings likely have nothing to do with Rivera’s pending interview, but it’s certainly interesting timing.

Former Commanders’ first-round pick signs with Vikings

A former Commanders’ first-round pick has a new home.

Former Washington linebacker Jamin Davis has a new home. On Tuesday, the 2021 first-round draft pick signed with the Minnesota Vikings’ 53-man roster.

The Commanders released the 25-year-old Davis on Oct. 22, and he signed with the Green Bay Packers practice squad the following week. He remained on Green Bay’s practice squad until signing with Minnesota.

The Commanders moved Davis to defensive end this past offseason after he spent his first three seasons at linebacker. Once Washington signed Frankie Luvu and Bobby Wagner, Davis’ future was in question. The Commanders moved him to defensive end, where he worked exclusively with assistant coach and Washington’s all-time sack leader, Ryan Kerrigan, on rushing the passer. Coaches praised Davis for embracing the change and working hard, but the Commanders ultimately needed the roster spot and had other defensive ends they liked better.

Davis appeared in 50 games for the Commanders with 36 starts, recording 282 tackles, seven sacks and one interception.

Vikings place linebacker on IR, sign veteran replacement

The team announced that Ivan Pace Jr. suffered a hamstring injury on Sunday and is being placed on Injured Reserve.

The Minnesota Vikings defense has been relatively healthy in 2024. On Sunday against the Bears, however, it suffered its first major injury.

The team announced that Ivan Pace Jr. suffered a hamstring injury on Sunday and is being placed on Injured Reserve. He will miss the next four games for the team and in a corresponding move the team removed rookie edge rusher Gabriel Murphy from injured reserve.

While Murphy gives Brian Flores another edge piece, the team is signing a veteran linebacker to replace Pace Jr. on the roster. The team is signing Jamin Davis to the 53-man roster after playing five games for the Washington Commanders in 2024.

Davis has played in 50 career games for the Commanders and totaled 282 tackles and seven sacks in those games. Davis also boasts career PFF grades of 67.5 in run defense, 69.4 in tackling, and 56.9 in pass coverage assignments.

Davis and Murphy are expected to be available to play in Week 13 against the Arizona Cardinals.

Packers lose practice squad LB Jamin Davis to Vikings

The Vikings signed LB Jamin Davis, a 2021 first-round pick, off the practice squad of the Packers on Tuesday.

The Minnesota Vikings signed linebacker Jamin Davis off the practice squad of the Green Bay Packers on Tuesday.

Davis, a former first-round pick of the Washington Commanders, signed with the Packers practice squad on Oct. 29. He made no appearances as a practice squad elevation for the Packers.

Players on practice squads can sign with other teams as long as they are signed to the active 53-man roster.

The Packers are currently thin at linebacker while dealing with injuries to Edgerrin Cooper (hamstring) and Isaiah McDuffie (ankle), so it’s possible Davis would have been a candidate for elevation on Thursday night against the Miami Dolphins. But not anymore. Davis was the only linebacker on the team’s practice squad prior to going to Minnesota’s active roster.

The Vikings are losing linebacker Ivan Pace Jr., who is going on injured reserve, necessitating the need for depth at the position. After almost a month in Green Bay, Davis will head to Minnesota to provide help for Brian Flores and the Vikings over the final six weeks of the 2024 season.

The Packers go to Minnesota to play the Vikings in Week 17.

General manager Brian Gutekunst will now have an open practice squad spot to fill at some point this week.

Davis was the 19th overall pick in the 2021 draft. He played in 50 games for the Commanders over four seasons before being released in October. Washington experimented with him as an edge rusher, but the Packers moved him back to off-ball linebacker.

Former Commanders first-round pick finds a new home

Jamin Davis has a new home.

The Washington Commanders released 2021 first-round pick Jamin Davis last week after 3.5 seasons with the team. Formerly a linebacker, the Commanders transitioned Davis to defensive end under the new coaching staff in the offseason. While there had been some progress, the Commanders chose to move on from Davis in search of more experienced help.

Now, Davis has a new home. According to multiple NFL sources, the Green Bay Packers signed the 25-year-old Davis to the practice squad.

In the previous three seasons, Davis appeared in 45 games with 36 starts, recording 269 tackles, including 20 for loss, seven sacks and one interception.

After moving to defensive end this season, Davis played in five games for Washington and finished with 13 tackles. He participated in 30% of the team’s defensive snaps through five weeks.

New coach Dan Quinn added Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu in the offseason to upgrade the Commanders’ linebacker position, which had struggled for years.

Packers sign former first-round pick to practice squad

The Packers signed LB Jamin Davis — a first-round pick of the Washington Commanders in 2021 — to the practice squad on Tuesday.

The Green Bay Packers signed linebacker Jamin Davis, a first-round pick of the Washington Commanders in 2021, to the team’s practice squad on Tuesday. The corresponding roster move was releasing linebacker Chris Russell Jr.

Davis, 25, was the 19th overall pick in the 2021 draft. He played in 50 games for the Commanders, producing 282 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 7.0 sacks, six pass breakups, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one interception. He started 36 games over his first three seasons but was released after five games in 2024.

New Commanders coach Dan Quinn attempted to convert Davis to edge rusher, but the experiment didn’t last long. The Commanders released him on Oct. 22. He cleared waivers and was a free agent.

Davis produced one pressure and seven stops over 86 snaps at defensive end this season.

The Packers announced Davis as a linebacker, suggesting he’s headed back to his original position in Green Bay. He’ll get to work behind athletic linebackers such as Quay Walker and Edgerrin Cooper while learning a new defense under position coach Anthony Campanile and defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.

Davis has played almost 2,300 total snaps on defense but has limited experience on special teams (49 snaps). He produced 82 stops and 21 pressures and missed only 13 tackles between the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

While slightly undersized at 234 pounds, Davis posted elite testing marks in the vertical leap (42″), broad jump (11-0), 40-yard dash (4.48 seconds) and 10-yard split (1.53 seconds). His Relative Athletic Score was 9.93 out of 10.0, making him one of the most athletic linebackers ever and helping fuel his rise up draft boards.

Can the Packers develop Davis — an elite athlete with legitimate NFL experience — into a capable option at linebacker in a new scheme? He’ll get a chance.

Commanders’ Dan Quinn praises Jamin Davis

Dan Quinn has nothing but good things to say about Jamin Davis.

Think back to when a Washington coach was fed up with a player and finally cut him.

It’s happened more than a few times, and for good reason. Of course, these circumstances do not occur exclusively with Washington. Players sometimes have attitudes, don’t receive coaching well, or don’t accept their role well, and it can lead to trouble.

But not so with Jamin Davis, according to Dan Quinn during his Wednesday press conference. Davis was released Tuesday, and Quinn was asked about it Wednesday.

“We activated Jordan Magee,” Quinn said. “So, just from a roster spot and, man, what a good teammate, Jamin. So, like yesterday, getting a chance to visit with him definitely left a strong impression. And sometimes there’s good that comes after the hard stuff, and he’s somebody that we’ll definitely be watching and pulling for. He really worked hard during his time here.”

It should not be overlooked that Davis went along with the coaches, attempting to learn a new position (DE) in training camp and the preseason. It is not easy to make a transition like that when your college and NFL years have been spent at another position (LB).

Quinn went out of his way to convey that attitude was not the issue with Jamin Davis. Quinn continued that it actually was not an easy decision to release Davis midseason. However, rookie LB Magee has been on IR since getting injured against the Jets in the first weekend of the preseason. So, Quinn is ready to get Magee some game reps and see what he can add to this roster the second half of the season.

“So, at the end, just, it’s always this puzzle you’re trying to put together. And there’s always hard decisions and those are ones that come up. But they’re really hard and this one was hard.”

Will Adam Peters and Quinn bring Davis back to the practice squad, where he can work on developing the skills needed to play defensive end? His final comment concerning Davis did not lead one to that conclusion.

“So, when guys move on from here, I’m hopeful wherever they go, they find the right combination, the right things to allow them to do their thing. So that’s my hope for anybody that goes on from here.”

Rams can’t pass up chance to add this former 1st-round LB who was just cut

The Commanders waived former first-round LB Jamin Davis on Tuesday and the Rams can’t pass up the chance to improve at the position

The Washington Commanders announced Tuesday that they have severed ties with 2021 first-round pick Jamin Davis, waiving him after three-plus seasons. Davis has failed to live up to expectations in the nation’s capital and after struggling to impress at linebacker, Commanders head coach Dan Quinn moved Davis to DE this offseason.

The move came after the team signed former Rams LB Bobby Wagner in the offseason. Davis did not adjust well to the switch and is now looking for a fresh start.

While some suitors may be interested in Davis, his play has likely turned many executives off from seeking his services. The Rams should take advantage of this situation as he is a clear upgrade over Troy Reeder and Christian Rozeboom.

While he has some deficiencies in pass coverage, he’s a tacking monster whose development was hampered by the multiple issues that sprung up during the tenure of Ron Rivera. Then-defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio was using a scheme that was clearly behind the times and as a result, Davis always looked one step late on the play.

Davis has been a victim of mismanagement but he’s always controlled what he could control. He attacks blockers with violent intentions, he brings ball carriers down and he’s a nightmare for QBs when called to blitz.

He reminds me a lot of the Chargers’ Denzel Perryman and for a team with a below-average run defense, Davis could be a much-needed reprieve. With Reeder and Rozeboom struggling, the Rams should pounce on this chance to improve at linebacker.

Commanders release former first-round pick Jamin Davis

The Commanders move on from 2021 first-round pick Jamin Davis.

The Washington Commanders made a surprising move on their day off. On Tuesday, the Commanders announced some roster moves, one of which was the release of defensive end/linebacker Jamin Davis.

A first-round pick from Kentucky in 2021, Davis appeared in 45 games with 36 starts through his first three seasons with Washington. He had 269 tackles, including 20 for loss in his first three years, with seven sacks and one interception.

Davis was selected to be Washington’s inside linebacker in 2021, but the team quickly realized he was better suited to play on the outside. Still, throughout his first three seasons, Davis was inconsistent at times.

The Commanders underwent a regime change in the offseason, hiring Dan Quinn as the new head coach. They signed Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu in free agency, which brought questions about how the staff viewed Davis. Those questions were answered when Washington moved Davis to defensive end/edge rusher.

While he worked hard and embraced his new role, the transition was a difficult one. Davis played in five games for the Commanders this season, recording 13 tackles and one for loss.

Of former coach Ron Rivera’s former first-round picks, only cornerback Emmanuel Forbes (2023) remains on Washington’s roster.

Why did the Commanders not play Jamin Davis in Week 2?

The Commanders had Jamin Davis inactive on Sunday after a productive Week 1.

When the Washington Commanders revealed their list of inactive players ahead of the Week 2 home opener against the New York Giants, it contained a surprise.

Fourth-year linebacker/edge rusher Jamin Davis was a healthy scratch. Davis, transitioning to defensive end/edge rusher from linebacker, played 13 snaps in the Week 1 game at Tampa Bay, making three tackles, including one for loss. Davis was sharp in his limited number of snaps.

Through two games, defensive end Clelin Ferrell has Washington’s only two sacks. None of the Commanders’ other edge rushers have applied consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks, making head coach Dan Quinn’s decision to sit him in Week 2 even more puzzling.

One day after the Commanders defeated the Giants, Quinn explained why Davis did not play on Sunday.

“We actually put up five defensive tackles,” Quinn said. “We knew we were going to have a pitch count, so to speak on [DT] Johnny Newton. We felt with [Newton], 12-15 reps for his first game, we needed an extra big guy in the rotation for that game. So, it was more by design if Johnny was going to be up, then we were going to add an extra practice squad player up to have five defensive tackles as opposed to five [defensive ends] based on the limited playing time for Johnny. So, that was by design.”

Interestingly, on Saturday, the Commanders elevated veteran defensive end Carlos Watkins from the practice squad. So, essentially, Washington chose Watkins and rookie seventh-round pick Javontae Jean-Baptiste over Davis as the fourth defensive end. The Commanders list Dante Fowler Jr. as a linebacker, but he’s also an edge rusher.

Washington knows Davis is a work in progress, but he also offers athleticism that the others in his position group lack. Why not continue to give him 15-20 pass-rushing snaps per week? It’s not like others in the position group are lighting up the stat sheet.

It will be interesting to see Davis’ usage in future weeks.