The Vikings' Gamble on Marcus Davenport is Off to a Poor Start
The Vikings' one-year, $13 million gamble on Marcus Davenport this offseason is off to a poor start.
Davenport has been ruled out with an ankle injury for Sunday's game against the Chargers — a game that is essentially a playoff contest for both teams due to the difficulty of climbing out of an 0-3 hole. He also missed the opener and played just four snaps against the Eagles before exiting, meaning he won't have any impact on at least the season's first three games.
Back in March, Davenport signed a one-year, prove-it deal with the Vikings after five seasons in New Orleans. The No. 14 overall pick in 2018 showcased significant talent during his Saints tenure, with consistently excellent PFF grades and pressure numbers. At the same time, he missed 19 regular season games with numerous different injuries and saw his sack totals fluctuate wildly. Davenport's career-high in defensive snaps is just 533 and he has now missed short periods of time due to injuries to his toe, foot, elbow, pec, shoulder, head (concussion), and ankle.
The Vikings could really use Davenport as soon as he's able to get healthy. Without him, they've had to rely on Pat Jones II and D.J. Wonnum as their outside linebackers not named Danielle Hunter, and neither has been particularly impactful through two weeks.
"One of them day-to-day things," Davenport said this week. "We're trying to see what happens."
Head coach Kevin O'Connell doesn't believe Davenport's injury will necessitate a stint on injured reserve.
"It's been a unique situation and we're just trying to support the player," O'Connell said. "He's doing everything in his power to continue to be ready to roll, I know he wants to get out there more than anybody. My hope is that (his absence is) short-term."
The Vikings are hoping Davenport can return to practice next week and potentially play against the Panthers, but that seems to be completely up in the air at this point. The fact that Davenport tried to play against the Eagles but didn't feel good enough to contribute — and then missed this entire week of practice — is concerning.
This is part of the risk that comes with signing a player with a lengthy injury history. Davenport could still get healthy soon and play well, but if the Vikings start 0-3 without him, it'll likely be too late for his impact to really matter.
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