Fat Elvis
05-31-2013, 10:36 PM
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/kansas-city-chiefs-rb-knile-davis-special-teams-042200757.html
The Kansas City Chiefs had one of the more eventful offseasons of any team in the NFL, revamping their entire front office and coaching staff, in addition to replacing many key positions on the field.
When the draft rolled around in April, however, several holes up and down Kansas City's depth chart still needed to be plugged. But using their second of two third-round picks on running back Knile Davis came as a shock to some.
The Chiefs had other positions of greater need at the time (inside linebacker, defensive line, safety and wide receiver) and could have gone many ways with that particular selection. Meanwhile, South Carolina's Marcus Lattimore was drafted in the fourth round by the San Francisco 49ers, 35 picks behind Davis.
The questions surrounding Lattimore had nothing to do with his talent, but rather his ability to return from a gruesome knee injury suffered last season (the second of his career). Davis, too, has a troublesome injury history, missing the entire 2011 season at Arkansas with a broken left ankle--while also being nagged by right ankle and collarbone injuries dating back to high school.
Still, the Chiefs considered Davis less of a gamble and a player that could contribute right away. But with Jamaal Charles entrenched as the team's top option out of the backfield, and both Shaun Draughn and Cyrus Gray returning this season, Davis will have to work his way up Kansas City's running back depth chart.
While he waits for his opportunity, however, Davis, for now, has been pegged as the team's top kick returner by special teams coach Dave Taub--though he had no experience on special teams in college.
Davis does come with upside, having rushed for 1,322 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2010--surrounded by his injury-plagued 2011 season and less-than-stellar 2012 campaign, in which he was never able to exude the same type of burst he once did. But his combine results in February wowed team officials across the league, posting the best 40-yard time (4.37 seconds) and bench press total (31 reps) out of all running backs.
Using the combine to prove he is indeed an NFL-caliber running back and can handle the rigors of the professional game, Davis quelled a lot of the questions surrounding him at the time (via KCChiefs.com).
"That was my goal coming off that bad season," Davis said. "I needed something to kind of resurrect my career back to where it was. I think that definitely helped."
If not for his injury history, he might have found himself at the top of a very suspect running back class in this year's draft. Instead, the Chiefs had enough confidence in Davis' ability to use a day-two pick on the running back.
Davis has worked hard to get back to full strength; and the kind of straight-line speed and power that he exhibits would actually show well returning kicks. Assuming he shakes his ball security issues, he has a chance to become a key factor for Kansas City this season.
This could be interesting (or a disaster if he keeps fumbling), but imagine a 226lb bowling ball that runs a 4.37 40....
He wouldn't need to juke you, he could just flat out run past you or through you. With that kind of speed, all he would need is one seam and he is off to the races.
The Kansas City Chiefs had one of the more eventful offseasons of any team in the NFL, revamping their entire front office and coaching staff, in addition to replacing many key positions on the field.
When the draft rolled around in April, however, several holes up and down Kansas City's depth chart still needed to be plugged. But using their second of two third-round picks on running back Knile Davis came as a shock to some.
The Chiefs had other positions of greater need at the time (inside linebacker, defensive line, safety and wide receiver) and could have gone many ways with that particular selection. Meanwhile, South Carolina's Marcus Lattimore was drafted in the fourth round by the San Francisco 49ers, 35 picks behind Davis.
The questions surrounding Lattimore had nothing to do with his talent, but rather his ability to return from a gruesome knee injury suffered last season (the second of his career). Davis, too, has a troublesome injury history, missing the entire 2011 season at Arkansas with a broken left ankle--while also being nagged by right ankle and collarbone injuries dating back to high school.
Still, the Chiefs considered Davis less of a gamble and a player that could contribute right away. But with Jamaal Charles entrenched as the team's top option out of the backfield, and both Shaun Draughn and Cyrus Gray returning this season, Davis will have to work his way up Kansas City's running back depth chart.
While he waits for his opportunity, however, Davis, for now, has been pegged as the team's top kick returner by special teams coach Dave Taub--though he had no experience on special teams in college.
Davis does come with upside, having rushed for 1,322 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2010--surrounded by his injury-plagued 2011 season and less-than-stellar 2012 campaign, in which he was never able to exude the same type of burst he once did. But his combine results in February wowed team officials across the league, posting the best 40-yard time (4.37 seconds) and bench press total (31 reps) out of all running backs.
Using the combine to prove he is indeed an NFL-caliber running back and can handle the rigors of the professional game, Davis quelled a lot of the questions surrounding him at the time (via KCChiefs.com).
"That was my goal coming off that bad season," Davis said. "I needed something to kind of resurrect my career back to where it was. I think that definitely helped."
If not for his injury history, he might have found himself at the top of a very suspect running back class in this year's draft. Instead, the Chiefs had enough confidence in Davis' ability to use a day-two pick on the running back.
Davis has worked hard to get back to full strength; and the kind of straight-line speed and power that he exhibits would actually show well returning kicks. Assuming he shakes his ball security issues, he has a chance to become a key factor for Kansas City this season.
This could be interesting (or a disaster if he keeps fumbling), but imagine a 226lb bowling ball that runs a 4.37 40....
He wouldn't need to juke you, he could just flat out run past you or through you. With that kind of speed, all he would need is one seam and he is off to the races.