Marcus Davenport is in Chicago, and the selling point is familiar: Dennis Allen knows exactly what he’s getting - at least in theory.
The former Detroit Lions defensive end signed with the Bears this week, landing in a spot that makes sense on paper because of his connection to Allen. The two crossed paths for five seasons with the New Orleans Saints from 2018 to 2022, with Allen serving as defensive coordinator for the first four years and then head coach in Davenport’s final season there.
That history is why Allen was asked about Davenport when he met with Bears reporters earlier this week, and he didn’t exactly hide the pitch. Allen called him disruptive, praised the way he can affect plays without always piling up flashy numbers, and stressed that Davenport understands the kind of defense Chicago wants to play.
“We drafted him in New Orleans. He’s always been a disruptive player. You can put on a lot of tape and see him in the backfield creating a lot of disruption.”
"Everybody talks about production. There’s a lot of hidden production in that he creates a lot of opportunities for other people.
He understands our mentality and mindset for how we want to play defense, and I think he’s a good fit. Obviously, the biggest thing for Marcus, and it’s been that way throughout his career, is his ability to be healthy and maintain his health.
But when he’s out there, he’s a disruptive force.”
That final point is the one that matters most, because Davenport’s recent track record has been defined by how little he’s been on the field. He played only 10 games across two seasons in Detroit. Going back to his 2023 season with the Minnesota Vikings, he has appeared in just 14 games over the last three years.
That makes the production issue easy to explain. Injuries have taken away the chances for him to stack numbers, and there simply hasn’t been much recent tape to point to when talking about backfield disruption.
His last stretch of relative health came in 2022 with the Saints, which also happened to be his last season under Allen. In 15 games and 490 defensive snaps, Davenport finished with 29 total tackles, two tackles for loss, eight quarterback hits and a half-sack. That’s not the kind of stat line that jumps off the page, even if it was enough for Pro Football Focus to rank him 26th among 119 qualifying edge defenders that year.
Allen’s point about production not always telling the whole story has some support there, but the lack of sacks still stands out. With Cameron Jordan still playing on the same defensive line, Davenport probably wasn’t seeing constant double teams, and he still didn’t record a full sack.
For Chicago, the expectation is straightforward: Davenport is being brought in as a rotational piece, and only if he can stick and stay healthy. Allen is clearly optimistic, but the reality is that he’s also trying to believe in a player who may no longer be what he once was.
Lions fans already know how that story tends to end. Bears fans may be about to find out.
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