Today in Patriots History
The Aughts
August 22, 2005:
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots acquired wide receiver Andre’ Davis from the Cleveland Browns today in exchange for an undisclosed draft selection.
www.patriots.com
The New England Patriots acquired wide receiver Andre’ Davis from the Cleveland Browns today in exchange for an undisclosed draft selection.
CLEVELAND — Wide receiver Andre' Davis, pushed to the bottom of Cleveland's depth chart, was traded to the New England Patriots by the Browns for an undisclosed draft pick Monday. For New England, …
www.fosters.com
Wide receiver Andre' Davis, pushed to the bottom of Cleveland's depth chart, was traded to the New England Patriots by the Browns for an undisclosed draft pick Monday.
For New England, Davis adds a veteran presence to an already deep receiving corps. He arrived at Gillette Stadium Monday to begin practicing with the Super Bowl champions.
Davis had been mentioned in trade talks for several months. He became expendable after the Browns drafted rookie Braylon Edwards, and Antonio Bryant and Dennis Northcutt both emerged during training camp.
Davis also had lost his job as Cleveland's No. 1 kick returner to rookie Joshua Cribbs.
Strength in numbers. When it comes to the Patriots' receiving corps, at least they continue to add the numbers.
In a move that came as a surprise on several levels, the Pats acquired receiver/returner Andre? Davis from Cleveland yesterday in exchange for a (non-conditional) fifth-round pick in 2006.
Davis joins a crowded scene on the depth chart, both at receiver and on special teams. However, most of the team's returners (Bethel Johnson, Chad Morton, David Terrell, P.K. Sam, Tim Dwight) have had trouble staying on the field, so coach Bill Belichick made the move to bolster the ranks. He said it wasn't because he was displeased with the current corps.
The move was good news for Davis, who was on the outs with coach Romeo Crennel in Cleveland, but it potentially could be bad news for some Patriots. Heading that list is Johnson, the 2003 second-round pick who has battled maturity issues and currently is recovering from offseason foot surgery.
Johnson currently is on the physically unable to perform list and is eligible to sit out the first six weeks of the regular season (and maybe more) without counting against the roster. Free agent returner Chad Morton (ACL surgery) is in the same boat.
Davis virtually has the same skill set as Johnson, only he's bigger (6-foot-1). A second-round pick out of Virginia Tech in 2002, Davis has played in 39 career games and started 19 times. He has 93 catches for 1,412 yards (15.2-yard average) and 13 touchdowns, and he has a 21.3-yard average and a touchdown on 88 kickoff returns. Last season, he tied an NFL record with a 99-yard touchdown catch, but he also missed seven games because of a toe injury.
Davis comes at a low risk to the Pats, who had two fifth-round picks in 2006 to play with. Davis also is in the last year of his contract, with a modest $481,250 salary in 2005. Davis reportedly received permission from the Browns to seek a trade, but he downplayed those issues yesterday.
The New England Patriots have added more depth to their wide recever corp, acquiring Andre' Davis from the Cleveland Browns for an undisclosed draft pick.
www.espn.com
The team that never seems quite satisfied with its roster, no matter how deep it appears to others, has struck again, as the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots on Monday morning acquired speedy wide receiver Andre' Davis from the Cleveland Browns for an undisclosed draft choice. ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports that pick is a fifth-round selection in the 2006 draft.
Davis, 26, had been the subject of trade speculation for several months, with the Seattle Seahawks regarded as the team most interested in his services. The Seahawks twice tried to deal for Davis in the offseason. They attempted to have the Browns include him in the deal that brought quarterback Trent Dilfer to Cleveland, then raised the possibility of a deal again last month.
A three-year veteran, Davis averaged 26.0 yards per catch in 2004, but appeared in only seven games because of a toe injury. Browns first-year head coach Romeo Crennel said recently that Davis was having only an average training camp and the signing of first-round wide receiver Braylon Edwards to his first contract after a lengthy holdout knocked him further down the depth chart.
A former Virginia Tech star, Davis is the third veteran wide receiver signed by the Pats since the end of last season, joining David Terrell and Tim Dwight. When healthy, he is an explosive player, as evidenced by a career average of 15.2 yards per reception. Davis was a second-round choice in the 2002 draft.
"He's got some size. He's a fast guy," Belichick said of Davis. "He's got some experience on special teams. We'll put him into the mix and see what he can do."
In 39 career appearances, including 19 starts, Davis has 93 receptions for 1,412 yards and 13 touchdowns. His ratio of one touchdown every 7.2 receptions is excellent. Davis can also return kickoffs and has a 21.3-yard career average and one touchdown. He tied an NFL record for longest touchdown reception in history with a 99-yard catch against the Cincinnati Bengals last Oct. 17.
More to be added later, there's a game to be watched
