Re-Sign or Wave Goodbye: RB Mike Davis

Mike Davis exceeded expectations in 2020, but what should the Panthers do with him?

With the start of NFL free agency just around the corner, we will take a look at each Carolina Panther who has an expired contract and breakdown how they performed this past season and whether or not they are worthy of another deal with the Panthers.

Pos: RB

Name: Mike Davis

Height: 5'9" Weight: 215 lbs

FA Status: Unrestricted

2020 Stats: 165 carries, 642 yards, 6 TDs | 59 receptions, 373 yards, 2 TDs

Analysis: Mike Davis exceeded expectations this past season as he filled in for the injured Christian McCaffrey who missed 13 games due to several different injuries. Prior to the start of the season, I was not a believer in Davis and felt the Panthers were going to struggle if something ever happened to McCaffrey. Davis proved many wrong including myself and at times, looked like he could be a No. 1 back. Although he flourished in his role in 2020, can he do the same when he's not getting as many touches and isn't able to get himself into a rhythm early in the game? That's really the only question mark that I would have on him in terms of his ability to be a solid No. 2 back. He runs hard, can make people miss in space, and can catch the ball out of the backfield just like CMC. 

Davis is a guy that has constantly been overlooked in his professional career, which is one reason why you always seem fighting and scrapping for extra yardage. From a cultural perspective, he is exactly the type of guy Matt Rhule wants to have on his roster - someone who works hard, takes the game seriously, and has a desire to win.

Re-sign or Wave Goodbye: Re-sign

We all know that if healthy, McCaffrey is the guy for the Panthers' backfield. With the amount of time McCaffrey missed this past year, it may benefit Carolina to keep a bruiser of a running back on the roster to help take some of the workload off of his shoulders. Davis may gain the attention of other teams around the league that are in need of a starting running back and may be willing to pay more than the Panthers. I believe Carolina will do their best to retain him, it'll just come down to whether or not Davis wants to remain a Panther.

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