Saints need Marcus Davenport to be their next breakout pass-rusher
 

The New Orleans Saints let defensive end Trey Hendrickson get away in free agency after he had a breakout 2020 season no one saw coming.

So now, more than ever, the Saints need defensive end Marcus Davenport to have a breakout of his own.

Davenport has shown impressive glimpses during his first three seasons. But thanks in large part to injuries, the 24-year-old has not yet made the kind of consistent impact the Saints were hoping for when they paid a steep price to trade up and land him with the 14th pick in the 2018 NFL draft. They traded away their 2019 first-rounder and 2018 fifth-rounder to move up 13 spots.

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Now they also have a big decision looming on whether to double-down on that investment. They have to decide whether to pick up Davenport’s fifth-year option by May 3, which would cost them a guaranteed $9.5 million in 2022.

That would be a significant wager, considering the Saints’ severe salary-cap constraints. And if they do it, they’ll be banking on his potential more than his production.

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Re: Saints need Marcus Davenport to be their next breakout pass-rusher
 

Carl Granderson is going to have a better year than Davenport.

Re: Saints need Marcus Davenport to be their next breakout pass-rusher
 

Uh, yea. Said everyone two years ago.

Re: Saints need Marcus Davenport to be their next breakout pass-rusher
 

Needed him to be our breakout pass rusher when we used two 1sts on him. He’s spent more time watching anime and dying his hair than he has sacking QB’s.

Re: Saints need Marcus Davenport to be their next breakout pass-rusher
 

He’s not much better dying than he is at sacking.

Re: Saints need Marcus Davenport to be their next breakout pass-rusher
 

Meh ...

Last year it was his foot, the year before it was his elbow. This is his 4th season in NO.

Marcus needs to stay on the field in 2021 and produce.

Re: Saints need Marcus Davenport to be their next breakout pass-rusher
 

BTW 9.5M is kinda cheap even for a inconsistent pass rusher.

Re: Saints need Marcus Davenport to be their next breakout pass-rusher
 

He'll need to step for a whole season to deserve an extension. Even then, he's no Caneron Jordan.

Re: Saints need Marcus Davenport to be their next breakout pass-rusher
 

I would just hate for him to go somewhere else and tear up the league like Akiem Hicks did.

Re: Saints need Marcus Davenport to be their next breakout pass-rusher
 

And it's not like he's been double teamed all the time. He had Cam on the other side.

They put Trey in there and gave him more snaps...guess what? The guy ends up being a badass.

Truth be told, I really wonder what we could've gotten had we had Trey in there more often over the last few years instead of pushing paper cut man in there all the time.

Re: Saints need Marcus Davenport to be their next breakout pass-rusher
 

His hair is fugly. Lol

Re: Saints need Marcus Davenport to be their next breakout pass-rusher
 

He has all the potential in the world and is exciting to watch because he is so explosive. If we could only keep him healthy.....well, you know!

Re: Saints need Marcus Davenport to be their next breakout pass-rusher
 

I think whilst the injury bit is a big part, I just don't see the hunger from him either.

For a guy his size and with his explosiveness, he should be embarrassing O-lineman. It's often seeing him lying on the floor that reminds me that he's even active on gameday.

I don't think the motivation is there, which is a shame because he could be one of the best if he applied it all.

Twitter is going crazy with Carl Granderson workout tape at the minute, nice to see someone sees an opening for more snaps and wants to take advantage.

Re: Saints need Marcus Davenport to be their next breakout pass-rusher
 

Re: Saints need Marcus Davenport to be their next breakout pass-rusher
 

Way less than he got elsewhere.

Re: Saints need Marcus Davenport to be their next breakout pass-rusher
 

Different scenario. Hicks was being forced to play in a role that didn’t suit his talents. Payton was obsessed with the Legion of Boom and kept trying to emulate it without the personnel to do it. In Davenports case we doubled down on an player who has been injury prone and doesn’t really scare anyone when he’s healthy.

Re: Saints need Marcus Davenport to be their next breakout pass-rusher
 

Don't forget we signed former Chief DE Kpassagnon who will be a good rotational piece. Long (6'7), only 26, athletic & has shown ability to get to QB's. In 2020 he had over 800 snaps ... half of those came from the edge.

X factor here -coach Ryan Nielsen :D.

Re: Saints need Marcus Davenport to be their next breakout pass-rusher
 

True enough. I still wouldn’t like it though ! 😜

Re: Saints need Marcus Davenport to be their next breakout pass-rusher
 

He only needs to stay on the field if he is producing.
Ain't likely.

Re: Saints need Marcus Davenport to be their next breakout pass-rusher
 

Me either! And you know it will happen.

Re: Saints need Marcus Davenport to be their next breakout pass-rusher
 

I would have kept Hendrickson to go along with Granderson. I think that would have made a terrific duo. This cat want ever live up to his draft status, at least not here. Payed way to high with 2 picks for him.

Re: Saints need Marcus Davenport to be their next breakout pass-rusher
 

I think most would agree with this idea, but the finances made it practically impossible. Halloween is my favorite Holliday BTW.

Re: Saints need Marcus Davenport to be their next breakout pass-rusher
 

Huge dude. I wonder what Nielsen can get out of him. Maybe he'll make Davenport more or a "rotational guy." Lol

Re: Saints need Marcus Davenport to be their next breakout pass-rusher
 

Can he catch? Put him in as a TE on goal line plays!

Re: Saints need Marcus Davenport to be their next breakout pass-rusher
 

J -

He has the tools to become a dominant run defender. Raw power & can catch a tackle off guard. His pass rushing ability is lacking right now but like you stated, Nielsen may be able to get more out of him than what KC was asked of him to do. I read a KC blog right after we signed him ... some tend to see him of a "clean up guy" at this stage of his career. Definitely needs to refine his game with better technique at camp.

Davenport, Kpassognon, Granderson are all somewhat "raw" but I think one could emerge as a force for us in 2021.

Re: Saints need Marcus Davenport to be their next breakout pass-rusher
 

I think these three will be more than adequate for the season with another year in the system and Kpassagnon will get a full off season to get acclimated. Then if we can mix in a good vet after the draft I'd feel comfortable with the DE's. NT still concerns me though but we generally do well with the lower odds of success from players in the middle of the draft.

Davenport says that he's 100% and is having a good off season. Fingers crossed that he stays healthy and can do more than just FLASH now and again. He needs to become a disruptor this year. He was raw but he's had time under Nielson to become a force opposite Cam.