Stacy Revere/Getty Images Tavon Wilson of the Detroit Lions tackles Trevor Davis of the Green Bay Packers on November 6, 2017.
On Thursday the Atlanta Falcons added a veteran wide receiver/kick returner to the roster by signing Trevor Davis, who has spent most of his NFL career with the Green Bay Packers. Davis—6-foot-1 and 188 pounds—takes the spot that was occupied by tight end Jaeden Graham, who was placed on the injured reserve list with a season-ending knee injury.
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The Packers Traded Davis to the Raiders in 2019
Davis entered the NFL in 2016 as a fifth-round selection of the Packers out of the University of California, having played two seasons for the Golden Bears after transferring from Hawaii. The 28-year-old appeared in 31 games for Green Bay before the Pack shipped him to the Las Vegas Raiders for a conditional sixth-round pick in Sept. 2019. That season he appeared in nine games for the Raiders, then another three for Miami after the Dolphins claimed him on waivers.
All told, Davis has 43 games of NFL experience, with 16 receptions and one receiving touchdown to his credit, plus six rushes for 86 yards and another TD. He has seen more action as a kickoff and punt returner. Over the course of his career, he has utilized his 4.42 speed to return 59 punts for 593 yards (10.1 yards per return) along with 58 kickoffs for 1,297 yards (22.4 yards per return). But ball security has been an issue at times, as he has five career fumbles, including three in 2019.
Last season, Davis spent time with the Chicago Bears but was released prior to the start of the regular season. In January he inked a one-year Reserve/Future contract with the Washington Football Team but was waived shortly after the conclusion of the 2021 NFL Draft.
The addition of Davis seems to fit with the emphasis Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot has placed on improving special teams (and the return game in particular). Earlier this year the Falcons signed four-time first-team All-Pro Cordarrelle Patterson also drafted cornerback/kick returner Avery Williams in the fifth-round of the 2021 Draft, mostly on the strength of the nine touchdown returns he produced in college at Boise State.
As for Davis, here he is taking it 60 yards to the house on an end-around during his first game with the Raiders:
Jaeden Graham Was Injured in Practice on Wednesday
As for Graham, he played in all 32 regular-season games for the Falcons over the past two years. During that time, the 25-year-old Yale product caught 12 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown, while also playing extensively on special teams.
It’s not clear exactly what injury Graham suffered in practice, but Michael Rothstein, who covers the Falcons for ESPN, indicates that it’s knee issue and that it’s season-ending.
Falcons head coach Arthur Smith told McClain Baxley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that surgery will “probably” be required.
The injury could lead to a greater role for former Titans tight end Parker Hesse, who was signed by the Falcons in May. Hesse spent the past two years on Tennessee’s practice squad following a strong career at the University of Iowa.
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