The Chicago Bears tried to sell people on their decision to sign Mike Davis in free agency as a genuine upgrade to their backfield. He was more versatile and good between the tackles. A player who was trending up in his career after a solid 2018 as a part-time runner in Seattle. They were so confident that they handed the guy a two-year contract worth $6 million. That’s not a lot compared to other deals, but for a part-time backup it’s a pretty sizable sum, and one the Bears are already starting to regret.
Davis has watched his use in the offense dwindle with remarkable speed over the past month. He had 11 touches in the opener against Green Bay. Then three against Denver the next week and only one the following week against Washington. The past two games he has played four offensive snaps total without touching the football once. That should offer a clear indication of how much value the Bears coaching staff currently sees in him.
All told in five games he’s amassed 39 total yards and no touchdowns. This begs the question. What is the point of continuing to employ him? He’s basically just occupying a roster spot right now and there is a valid reason for the Bears to consider simply putting an end to the experiment. Not out of principle or the need to give somebody else the roster spot.
More because it could give them much-needed draft ammunition in 2020.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
Cutting Mike Davis would likely land Bears a compensatory pick
Looking ahead, the Bears have seven picks in the 2020 draft. That’s not bad, but they won’t have 1st, 3rd, or 4th round choices due to previous trades. This creates large gaps where they won’t be able to dip into the talent pool. So if they were presented with an opportunity to acquire an extra pick for basically nothing, shouldn’t they do it? That is the opportunity they have before them. Davis was a compensatory free agent, meaning that by signing him the Bears lessened their chances of securing a compensatory pick next year.
Even so, it looked like they still would end up with a 4th rounder courtesy of losing Adrian Amos to Green Bay. That went down the tubes when Arizona cut former Bears 1st round pick Kevin White who they’d signed as a free agent. Thus in order to get that pick back, the Bears would have to cut Davis, Buster Skrine, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, or Cordarrelle Patterson. Out of those four names, it’s a no brainer who the odd man out is. Skrine, Clinton-Dix, and Patterson have all played quite well to this point.
Davis offers the team nothing. His position on the roster can be easily filled by somebody else. Cutting him won’t cost much in the big picture and his exit would ultimately help the Bears in the long run.
