On Friday, news broke that the Tennessee Titans would be declining the fifth year option on wide receiver Corey Davis. Considering that the move would’ve cost the team around $16M, I’d say that was the right call to make.
Davis was drafted fifth overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. Even then, selecting Davis that high raised a few eyebrows. Many thought Mike Williams was the class of that year’s receiver group. In hindsight, the decision looks a lot less shocking as neither guy has burst onto the scene the way we thought they would. Still, when you’re selected that early at such a sexy position, expectations are going to be high.
In his three seasons since, Davis has amassed 142 catches for 1,867 yards and six touchdowns. Some among the Titans fan base are calling him a bust at this point – I’d say take a look at context.
In 2019, the Titans offense was 7th in completion percentage, 3rd in passer rating, and only threw eight interceptions all season. What does that say? The same thing the eye test says – just watch the 2019 Titans and you’ll see a team that was efficient throwing the ball with Ryan Tannehill when they had to, but the run game was so good that they didn’t have to throw it all the time.
The Baltimore Ravens were the only team in the NFL to attempt and to complete fewer passes than the Titans. The Titans, as a whole, were 297/448 in 2019. Of those 297 completions, Davis was responsible for being on the receiving end of 14.4% of them.
The average number of completions across the top 10 passing offenses in the NFL is 396.7. If you project Davis’ piece of the pie across that number, you’ll come to 56 catches for 784 yards. Pretty decent numbers for a WR2, and that’s assuming his chunk of the production sticks around 14%. If you put him in the top passing offense in the league (at least in terms of completions), the Atlanta Falcons, you’re looking at 70 catches and just under 1,000 yards for Davis….again….1,000 yards for a WR2 that’s taking just 14% of the production. That’s actually a better stat line than the Falcons’ actual #2 WR in 2019, Calvin Ridley.
That’s pretty damn good.
So, yeah – you’re not going to see those eye-popping stats in part because of the offense that Davis plays in. And, if you’re the team running that type of offense, you’re not going to pay your #2 wide receiver $16M to catch 43 balls! Am I the only one that sees that this is NOT an indictment of Corey Davis’ potential? That it’s more about his piece of the pie? Hell, there’s even still the possibility that he goes out there in 2020, kills it, and inks himself a new contract with the Titans.
He has that sort of potential as a play-maker. But, what sets him apart from other receivers is his willingness to block, and the tenacious way in which he executes on blocks. Davis also has the championship character you want in a player. Outside of the hamstring injury that hindered the start of his career, he’s been durable and available. The guy’s an all-around good wide receiver. He’d be a valuable asset to any offense in the NFL – just not for $16M.
So, to that sect of Titans fans, stop calling Corey Davis a bust just because he’s not producing like Julio Jones and DeAndre Hopkins. It’s just not true.
Catch up on the latest episode of The Unofficial Titans Podcast here.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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