Packers special teams unit gets its ‘right hand’ back, re-signing Tyler Davis

The Green Bay Packers special teams unit gets a major, and much-needed, boost with the team re-signing free agent Tyler Davis.

In re-signing Tyler Davis this past week, the Green Bay Packers special teams unit got its “right hand” back, as Rich Bisaccia put it last summer when describing Davis’ impact.

Unfortunately, Davis’ 2023 season was cut very short after he suffered an ACL injury in the Packers’ preseason matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals.

On offense, the plan was always to have Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft grow and develop through experience and being thrown into the fire to a degree. But not having Davis took away an experienced blocking presence for Matt LaFleur to potentially lean on at times.

However, Davis was always going to make the biggest impact on special teams, where he filled a variety of roles and did so at a high level.

“I feel like to some degree we lost our right hand, you know?” special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia said following Davis’ injury. “He was an exceptional special-teams player, someone that you could count on in every critical situation, count on to play multiple positions. He’s a big-bodied guy who can really run, was a double-digit tackler a year ago.”

In Bisaccia’s first offseason with the team in 2022, before he even had the opportunity to see everyone on the field, up close, and in pads, Bisaccia, like all new coaches do, watched the film from the previous season to get an idea of what he was working with, and Davis was someone who he mentioned really standing out on the film.

In 2022, Davis led the Packers in special teams snaps and played across five different phases. The only unit he didn’t contribute to was the field goal-blocking team. Otherwise, Davis was on the field. Davis also finished third in tackles on the team that year as well.

“I really haven’t gotten very comfortable with not having Tyler Davis to this point,” added Bisaccia last August, “because of who he is and how much he puts into it and how important it is to him and how he feels about the Green Bay Packers and being a part of this. So, losing him is a big blow to our unit, I think it’s a blow to our team.”

Last season was another disappointing year for the Packers’ special teams unit. Instead of making a jump in Bisaccia’s second season, they seemed to regress and finished 29th in Rick Gosselin’s annual rankings.

Bringing Davis back is a low-risk move for the Packers, but it is one that could make an impact. From a salary cap standpoint, Davis only accounts for $1.07 million against the cap if on the team, but if the Packers choose to release him, there are no salary cap ramifications.

On the flip side, if Davis makes the Packers final roster, they have a core special teams contributor who can impact that phase of the game in a variety of ways.

During training camp and the preseason, Davis will also elevate the competition on the tight end depth chart behind Musgrave and Kraft, as he’s someone who is able to compete with Ben Sims for that blocking-specific role within the offense. I also could see the Packers experimenting with Davis in the H-back role, with Josiah Deguara potentially signing elsewhere as a free agent.

One would think that Davis is excited to be back in Green Bay and have the opportunity to contribute to a team with high expectations. I also think it’s a safe bet to say that Rich Bisaccia is pretty excited as well.

Packers re-sign TE and core special teamer Tyler Davis

The Packers re-signed tight end and core special teamer Tyler Davis, per ESPN.

The Green Bay Packers re-signed tight end and special teamer Tyler Davis, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.

Financial details were not immediately available. Last year, Davis returned on a one-year deal but tore his ACL during the preseason and missed the 2023 season. Per Demovsky, Davis is expected to be back before the start of training camp.

Davis played in 31 games for the Packers between the 2021 and 2022 seasons, catching eight passes for 61 yards and making 15 total tackles.

Davis was on the field for 232 special teams snaps in 2021, and he led the team with 346 special teams snaps in 2022. Davis appeared on five special teams groups: kickoff return, kickoff coverage, punt return, punt coverage and field goals. He played 295 snaps on offense, mostly as a run or pass blocker (212).

“Whether it’s on teams or carving out a role on our offense, he’s the consummate professional. Great teammate, great human,” coach Matt LaFleur said after Davis suffered his injury last August.

The Packers are in good shape at tight end with Luke Musgrave, Tucker Kraft and Ben Sims all returning after an encouraging first season together as rookies in 2023. Davis could compete to make the roster as a fourth option and special teamer.

Packers want to keep free agents Keisean Nixon, Eric Wilson and Tyler Davis

The Packers want to keep at least three of their own free agents, per new reporting from Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The Green Bay Packers would like to keep free agents Keisean Nixon, Eric Wilson and Tyler Davis, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

All three veterans have expiring contracts and will become unrestricted free agents come the start of the new league year on Wednesday.

Nixon is a two-time first-team All-Pro kickoff returner and was the team’s starter at nickel cornerback in 2023.

Wilson has been a core special teams player for Rich Bisaccia in each of the last two seasons. He played over 500 total special teams snaps across the last 30 games in Green Bay and led the team in special teams tackles between 2022 and 2023.

Davis was a core special teamer in 2022 and looked primed for another big role in 2023 before suffering a season-ending knee injury during the preseason.

All three players returned on the Packers on one-year deals before the 2023 season.

Other unrestricted free agents for the Packers include safety Darnell Savage, safety Rudy Ford, offensive lineman Jon Runyan Jr., running back A.J. Dillon, safety Jonathan Owens, offensive tackle Yosh Nijman, linebacker Kristian Welch, cornerback Corey Ballentine and tight end Josiah Deguara.

The start of the new league year is 3:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday. The legal tampering period — when upcoming unrestricted free agents can begin negotiating with other teams — begins on Monday at noon.

Vikings 2024 7 round mock draft 6.0: Trading Justin Jefferson for QB of the future

What would a Minnesota Vikings 7 round mock draft if they traded Justin Jefferson to the New England Patriots to get third overall? Tyler Forness explores the wild possibility.

The Minnesota Vikings have a lot of different ways they can go in the NFL draft. There will be some discussion on what needs are most important but the Vikings can address most of them through both free agency and the NFL draft.

Each week throughout the leadup to the NFL draft, I will be doing different seven-round mock drafts for the Vikings as a way to explore different scenarios. You never know who might fall to you and how that could cause a ripple effect and being ready for those situations is paramount come draft weekend.

In the second rendition of our seven-round mock draft series, what could a draft look like that has the Vikings trading Justin Jefferson to get the quarterback of the future at third overall?

Mock Draft 1.0
Mock Draft 2.0
Mock Draft 3.0
Mock Draft 4.0
Mock Draft 5.0

2024 NFL draft: 6 defensive players for Chargers to watch at Senior Bowl

Here are six defensive players to keep an eye on for the Chargers at the Senior Bowl.

The pre-draft process leading up to the 2024 NFL draft is headed to Mobile, AL, for the Senior Bowl. This event is one of the biggest college football all-star games featuring the country’s most prolific prospects.

This week will draw the attention of many Chargers’ scouts to do their homework on players that could potentially be suitors for Los Angeles come April.

L.A. has selected 16 players in the past four years that have participated in the Senior Bowl, including Justin Herbert.

It all starts with three days of practice and, finally, the game on Saturday.

That said, here are six potential targets to keep an eye out for on the defensive side of the ball.

Vikings 2024 7 round mock draft 1.0: What if they can’t say no to a WR?

What would the Minnesota Vikings do if Malik Nabers was available at 11th overall? The first of many 2024 NFL mock drafts explores that idea

The Minnesota Vikings have a lot of different ways they can go in the NFL draft. There will be some discussion on what needs are most important but the Vikings can address most of them through both free agency and the NFL draft.

Each week throughout the leadup to the NFL draft, I will be doing different seven round mock drafts for the Vikings as a way to explore different scenarios. You never know who might fall to you and how that could cause a ripple effect and being ready for those situations is paramount come draft weekend.

In the first rendition, LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers somehow falls to 11th overall and that could change the way the Vikings address their roster and draft picks.

Clemson Football’s Top 5 Players from the 2023 College Football season

Here are our picks for Clemson’s top 5 players from the 2023 college football season.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program had a solid 2023 that ended with a wild 38-35 Gator Bowl win over Kentucky.

The Tigers finished 9-4 with a 4-4 record in the ACC, which fell short of expectations for many. It’s not a bad season, just one that fans had hoped for more than what they got. Even though it wasn’t perfect, there were a lot of strong performances from the Tigers on offense and defense this season.

So, who was the best of the 2023 season for the Tigers? Opinions will vary, but we’ve got our picks. Here are our top 5 players for Clemson football’s 2023 season.

3 Reasons Clemson picks up a Gator Bowl win over Kentucky

Here are three reasons Clemson will walk away with a Gator Bowl win over Kentucky on Friday.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program are a day away from their matchup against the Kentucky Wildcats in this year’s TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.

The game takes place on Dec. 29 in Jacksonville, Fla., at Noon. It is Clemson’s 50th bowl appearance and the 10th time they will participate in the Gator Bowl. Clemson (8-4, 4-4 ACC) will face a Kentucky (7-5, 3-5 SEC) team with talent on both sides of the ball, being coached by one of the best in the game, Mark Stoops.

This game can go either way, but Clemson is the favorite heading into this matchup for a reason. The Tigers have more than what it takes to win this game and end their season on a high note. Here are three reasons Clemson will pick up a Gator Bowl win over Kentucky.

Clemson statistical leaders through eight games

Who scares you most on the Tigers?

This hasn’t been the season Clemson or any outsiders envisioned. While not everyone was anticipating another national championship, it’s doubtful anyone expected that by this point, the Tigers wouldn’t even been receiving votes in polls. A bowl isn’t out of the realm of possibility, but if November is a very bad month for the Tigers, it’s probable they’ll be watching bowl season at home. Talk about dropping off.

All of that said, there still is some talent on this Tigers team, especially on defense. If anything, these players are remnants of a time in the recent past when the Tigers were feared. Many might have picked Notre Dame to lose Saturday’s game at the start of the season, but that no longer is a certainty. This is why you play the games though: You never know what can happen.

Here are the Tigers most likely to have an impact when they face the Irish:

Woods spotted in walking boot, per report

Clemson might be without one of its top defensive linemen against Miami on Saturday.

Clemson might be without one of its top defensive linemen on Saturday.

True freshman defensive tackle Peter Woods was spotted in a walking boot prior to the Tigers’ Saturday night matchup versus Miami, according to The Clemson Insider.

A former five-star recruit, Woods has played a critical role on Clemson’s defense, recording eight total tackels (one for loss) over six games.

If Woods is unable to suit up, Payton Page and DeMonte Capehart could have expanded roles alongside starting defensive tackles Tyler Davis and Ruke Orhorhoro when Clemson and Miami kick off at 8 p.m. EDT on Saturday.

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