Mike

Davis

That leaves Mikes Davis, Qadree Ollison, and Cordarrelle Patterson as the only running backs on Atlanta’s Week 1 roster. Davis will enter the season with no competition for backfield touches, making him the safest running back selection outside the first three rounds in seasonal fantasy leagues. Whether Davis -- who withered down the stretch last year as Carolina’s starter -- can hold up in a 17-game regular season is another issue entirely. Ollison would seemingly be next in line, though Patterson could see significant snaps if Davis were sidelined. A receiver by trade, Patterson had 64 rushing attempts for 232 yards and a touchdown for Chicago in 2020. He added 21 receptions on 25 targets.

Christian McCaffrey (ankle) is still at least one week away from his return and Reggie Bonnafon (ankle) was placed on IR. That leaves Cannon and Armah behind Davis for Week 5. It’s a good indication that Davis will continue to serve as the team’s workhorse. Cannon is an OK waiver add in deep leagues.

Davis was a somewhat ballyhooed UDFA out of Texas. It’s probably not a good sign that he couldn’t crack a well-below-league-average Raiders wide receiver corps. Troup was a high draft pick in Buffalo under ex-GM Buddy Nix.

Davis (6-foot, 197) was a 38-game starter for the ‘Horns, finishing his career with 200 catches for 2,753 yards (13.8 YPR) and 18 touchdowns. Primarily a vertical receiver in college, Davis has plus speed (4.48) but average all-around athleticism (32 1/2" vertical, 9'9" broad jump), and has a tendency to fight the football rather than catch it cleanly with his hands. There were also whispers of work ethic concerns at UT. Davis projects as a situational field stretcher at the next level.