Despite displaying some declining skills the past couple of seasons with the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos, tight end Vernon Davis would love to continue playing in the NFL for another half-decade if possible.
Davis conveyed this desire speaking with Josina Anderson of ESPN:
Impending free agent TE Vernon Davis told me he would still like to play another “4-5 years” if possible. #Broncos
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) March 6, 2016
Once considered to be one of the most dangerous playmakers in the league, Davis’ production fell off a cliff the past two seasons.
He suffered through his worst season as a pro in 2014 with the 49ers, catching just 26 passes for 245 yards with two touchdowns. He then followed it up with another miserable campaign in 2015, split between San Francisco and Denver, when he caught 38 passes for 395 yards with zero touchdowns.
Davis caught just one pass during Denver’s Super Bowl run, acting as an afterthought and little-feared decoy for the Broncos.
Even more damning for him is the fact that his problems with drops (and alligator arms) have come back in a major way the past two years, including a couple of times during the playoffs.
No doubt the tight end will land on an NFL roster this spring, but the free agent won’t be hotly pursued, nor should he expect a gaudy contract.
While he may still have much of the speed that helped him burst onto the scene as a rookie out of Maryland in 2006, a decade later he is lacking many of the other traits that made him so dangerous.