Newly Signed Veteran is Clear Favorite to Replace Special Teams Ace Nate Ebner

Getty Cody Davis will be asked to fill big shoes with the New England Patriots in 2020.

Nate Ebner was a huge part of the New England Patriots’ locker room and its special teams unit. His departure left a massive void that Cody Davis was likely signed to fill. The Boston Herald’s Karen Guregian sees Davis as the likely frontrunner for this void, which is one of many the Patriots must plug.

Ebner left the Patriots this offseason to sign a guaranteed $2 million deal with former coach Joe Judge with the New York Giants. That is significant money for a special teams ace, and it was obviously an offer the Patriots didn’t extend to him, and it was one Ebner couldn’t refuse.

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Meanwhile, the 30-year-old Davis, who has played for the Los Angeles Rams and most recently the Jacksonville Jaguars, will come in looking to make an impact on the field and off of it with a team that could be looking for some new faces of leadership.

Cody Davis’ On-the-Field

Athleticism has never been an issue for Davis. While he has spent most of his career playing special teams and only played defense in spots, he has big-time speed. Coming out of Texas Tech, Davis ran a 4.41 40-yard dash to grab the attention of some talent evaluators.

He made 13 tackles in 2019 for the Jaguars and his speed makes him a constant threat to bring down returners. He’s also been very durable during his NFL career. Davis has missed just 14 games in seven NFL seasons, and the bulk of that (nine games) came in 2017.

He played in all 16 games in each of the last two seasons.

Cody Davis’ Leadership

In losing Ebner, the Patriots know they lost more than just an on-field performer, and it seems they targeted a player with his own high levels of leadership.

In 2013, Bleacher Report’s Garrett Baker wrote:

Davis really has some impressive traits that will make NFL organizations happy. In 2012, he was a finalist for the National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete Award and was also named to the Capital One Academic-America First Team. He maintained a 3.7 GPA as an undergraduate student and a 4.0 GPA as a graduate student.

To continue his impressive 2012, he was honored as Coaches’ Selection Second-Team All-Big 12 Conference. He also served as a team captain for the Red Raiders.

In the NFL, Davis hasn’t disappointed. He was a team captain with the Jaguars, and it’ll be interesting to see if he can earn the same kind of respect with the Patriots.

Competition for the Lead Role on Special Teams

The Patriots also signed Adrian Phillips this offseason, and he could play a role on special teams, although there is a chance he could make an impact on defense as a strong safety.

Phillips is less of a specialist than Davis, and that could work in the latter’s favor as it pertains to the special teams role. Look for Davis to produce in his space as he has throughout his NFL career.

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