Washington Redskins: The Emergence of Fred Davis

After his hard-nosed performances against the New York Giants in the Redskins’ home-opening win two weeks ago, and his 86-yards, one touchdown-performance last week against the Cardinals, it’s only appropriate that tight end Fred Davis gets the love he deserves.

Originally drafted in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft, Davis caught just three passes during his rookie season and his future was uncertain playing behind veteran and fan-favorite Chris Cooley.

In Davis’ sophomore season, Cooley unfortunately missed 10 games with a broken foot and Davis was called upon to step up and handle the load. Davis didn’t shy away from the opportunity, finishing the 2009 season with 48 catches, 510 yards and six touchdowns.

Last season, although nothing like 2009, Davis put up solid numbers for a back-up tight end. In 2010, Davis caught 21 passes for 316 yards and three touchdowns. And while the 21 catches may not seem like much, the fact that Davis was able to finish with a 15-yard-per-catch average and over 300 yards behind a starter that caught 77 balls is impressive.

The fact Davis has never been considered a starter in his short, four-year career has nothing to do with talent, and everything to do with the situation he was brought into.

Since implementing his offense at the beginning of last season, Kyle Shanahan has shown a liking for Davis and what he brings to the table. Head coach Mike Shanahan was overly-impressed this offseason, as Davis arrived to camp 15 pounds lighter and with a new-found focus and commitment to the game.

“Fred’s always taken it seriously,” Mike Shanahan said. “I can say, though, that he’s really had a heck of a camp. He came [to training camp] in excellent shape and hopefully continues to do well.”

The 6'3", 242-pound Davis went off on the Giants in Week 1, catching five passes for a team-high 105 yards. Showing his ability to open the middle of the field and run routes more like a receiver than a husky tight end, Davis also used his speed to amass 30 yards after the catch.

Last week against the Arizona Cardinals, Davis caught a six passes for a 86 yards—both team highs—and one touchdown. To the surprise of no one, Davis appears to be a favorite target for quarterback Rex Grossman through just two games.

Although I wouldn’t refer to Cooley as a second-string tight end by any means, I don’t think it was an accident that Davis played 58 offensive snaps on Sunday while Cooley played only 38.

On third downs against New York, Davis was usually the lone tight end, and he was the only tight end on the field for all three of the Redskins touchdowns in that game, including goal line sets.

In all fairness, Cooley is recovering from a sore knee and perhaps the coaches are easing him back rather than rushing and causing more damage, which would make sense why Davis was targeted six times and Cooley just three against New York. But with two tight ends that offer differing styles and exceptional hands, the couple appears to be one of the most threatening in the league.

In the unfortunate case that Cooley’s knee is more of an issue than expected, Redskins fans won’t lose any sleep knowing that one of the deepest positions on the Redskins roster is at tight end.

“You don’t never wanna see nobody hurt, but you can never be afraid of opportunity,” said Davis. “It’s your chance to show what you’re worth. For me, I’m a player and I grow and I play and every game, I feel like I’ll be better. Technique-wise, blocking-wise, route-wise—It feels good. Who wants to be a backup forever? It’s just my competitiveness and my drive."