Former Vikings Guard Signs with Saints
The Minnesota Vikings have had quite a chaotic decade in the offensive line room. Various players remain a rather infamous memory for fans as the team failed to fix the unit for a long time despite investing draft picks annually. In the last season of Mike Zimmer’s tenure, general manager Rick Spielman handed him converted tackle Oli Udoh as a right guard ‒ a dreadful decision.
Former Vikings Guard Signs with Saints
Still, he did perhaps better than some of his predecessors at either guard spot. None of Tom Compton, Dakota Dozier, Pat Elflein, or Dru Samia were pleasing candidates, just to name a few.
When the new regime around Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell arrived in the 2022 offseason, the duo said “no thanks” to a continued Udoh experiment and acquired a trio of right guard hopefuls. Veterans Jesse Davis and Chris Reed were signed in free agency, and a month later, Ed Ingram was selected in the second round.
Davis began training camp as the first-team right guard and ultimately lost that job to rookie Ingram. Considering Ingram’s struggles throughout his debut season, losing the job to him is not the most flattering situation.
Fast forward two seasons and Davis was once again a free agent. This time, the New Orleans Saints secured the services of the veteran journeyman, the team announced on Sunday: “New Orleans Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis announced today that the club has signed guard Tremayne Anchrum Jr., tackle Jesse Davis, placed tackle Justin Herron on Injured Reserve and waived offensive lineman Mark Evans II.”
The move came after the Saints lost offensive tackle Justin Herron for the season to a knee injury, and star right tackle Ryan Ramczyk is also out for the year. Depth was needed, and Davis can provide that.
He has gained a lot of experience throughout the years. The offensive lineman entered the league in 2015 from the University of Idaho. As an undrafted rookie, he signed with the Seahawks but failed to make the team. Davis spent the 2016 preseason with the Jets and had short stints on New York’s and Miami’s practice squads in his sophomore season.
His career kicked off in year three when he qualified for Miami’s roster and even started ten games. Between 2017 and 2021, Davis started 72 contests for the Dolphins at right guard and both tackle positions. However, it was perhaps the worst offensive line in the league, so starting on that line wasn’t quite the accomplishment it should’ve been.
In 2022, Davis competed with Ingram and lost, so the organization sent him to Pittsburgh on cutdown day for a conditional 2025 seventh-round pick. The trade primarily saved Minnesota the cap hit. In the last two campaigns, he served as a backup lineman in Pittsburgh and San Francisco but hasn’t played an offensive snap since his days in Miami.
The veteran will turn 33 in September and is a depth player at this stage of his career. If a team relies on him as a starter going forward, the offensive line is likely not in good shape. Still, experience and versatility are two valued elements for offensive linemen, and Davis can provide both, which is why he will continue to get looks as a replacement player.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt