Mike Davis

Brought in to Carolina as a depth option in 2019, Davis found himself in the lead role in the Panthers' backfield by Week 2 last season, after Christian McCaffrey suffered the first serious injury of his pro career. Davis proved up to the task of a three-down workload, posting a 30-206-2 line through the air on 33 targets over the next four games while adding 220 rushing yards on 4.8 yards per carry. He wasn't able to match that production the rest of the campaign as McCaffrey spotted in and out of the lineup, but it was enough to earn Davis a two-year deal in the offseason from the Falcons. Davis has the frame to handle significant snaps and his pass-catching skills were evident in college, but the lack of an elite trait has always pigeon-holed him as a backup since being a fourth-round pick of the 49ers in 2015. With Todd Gurley no longer in Atlanta, Davis may finally have a starting job, as the alternatives are Cordarrelle Patterson, 2019 fifth-round pick Qadree Ollison and undrafted rookie Javian Hawkins. New head coach Arthur Smith also has a track record of leaning heavily on one back, though how much of that tendency was due to having Derrick Henry at his disposal remains to be seen.

Released by the Bears midway through the 2019 campaign despite signing a two-year deal with them last offseason, Davis made five appearances for the Panthers to end the year, but was hardly featured on offense. With the benefit of an acclimation period, the veteran now figures to compete with Reggie Bonnafon and Jordan Scarlett for spare snaps behind superstar tailback Christian McCaffrey. Although the backup job would hold some upside in case of injury, historically McCaffrey has hardly ever left the field when healthy and it's not yet certain Davis will make Carolina's regular season roster.

After two seasons stuck on the bench in San Francisco, Davis traveled up the coast to Seattle in 2017 and saw a marginal increase in opportunities in a backfield that was still trying to replace Marshawn Lynch. Despite the addition of first-round pick Rashaad Penny and the emergence of Chris Carson, Davis finally got his chance in Week 4 of 2018, busting out for 101 yards and two TDs on 21 carries against the Cardinals. While that ended up being his high-water mark for the year, Davis was an effective part of the Seahawks' new committee, running with power and flashing upside as a receiver for the first time since his college days. The performance earned him a free-agent payday in Chicago, where he'll potentially step in as the new complement to Tarik Cohen in place of Jordan Howard. Davis offers more versatility than Howard, without much loss of effectiveness on early downs or short-yardage spots. Of course, the team also added David Montgomery in the third round of the draft, and the rookie will compete for many of the same snaps as Davis. Despite the change in uniform and a two-year, $6 million contract, the outlook for playing time hasn't improved all that much.

Cut loose by the 49ers last preseason, Davis wound up on the Seahawks' practice squad and eventually their game-day roster. He played six games without doing anything too noteworthy, as his mediocre mark of 3.5 YPC was still a career high. The 2015 fourth-round pick has the frame Seattle looks for in a running back at 5-9, 217, and he showed some three-down upside in college at South Carolina, but those skills have been in little evidence since turning pro. The team made a big commitment to Rashaad Penny in the draft and brings back last year's Week 1 starter in Chris Carson, so Davis seems pegged purely for a depth role if he retains a spot. He caught a career-high 15 passes last season, and he could carve out an occasional third-down role if he proves to be the back most capable of protecting Russell Wilson from blitzes.

Davis, a former fourth-round selection, joined the Seahawks in the offseason after spending last season with division-rival San Francisco. Over the past two seasons with the 49ers, Davis recorded 108 yards and one touchdown on 54 attempts to go along with 10 receptions for 53 yards in 14 games. He'll now battle with a collection of young talent to secure a reserve spot on in Seattle's backfield. Davis lacks experience which could hurt his chances, but his pass-catching ability out of the backfield could help him secure a bottom of the depth chart role in 2017.

A depth back in his rookie campaign, Davis turned in disappointing results with a 1.7 YPC on 35 rushing attempts. To add insult to injury, he suffered a hand injury and missed a good portion of the season. He entered training camp looking quicker and the results showed in his first two preseason games where gained 98 yards on just 10 carries. The strong start has made Davis a likely candidate to make the team as a third or fourth running back.

The 49ers selected Davis out of South Carolina in the fourth round this offseason. At 5-foot-9, Davis may not seem like a north-south runner, but his 220-pound frame and low center of gravity give him the ability to power his way between the tackles. He is currently behind Carlos Hyde, Reggie Bush, and Kendall Hunter on the depth chart, but a strong training camp and preseason could have him jump either Bush or Hunter. Davis is also best suited to be the every-down back should Hyde go down with an injury this season.