Marcus Davenport is official a Minnesota Viking and he was introduced via a Zoom call on Thursday. What was the holdup in introducing him? It took ten days between the Vikings reportedly agreeing to terms with Davenport on March 13 to when he was introduced.
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the delay was due to a previous shoulder injury that “became a complication.”
“While the specific reason for the delay hasn’t been identified publicly by either side, a source with knowledge of the contract tells PFT that it includes a specific clause that points to a prior shoulder injury that apparently became a complication,” Florio reported Friday.
Davenport signed a one-year deal worth $13 million, $10 million of which is guaranteed. According to Over The Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald, another $2 million it connected to bonuses. The contract includes four void years for salary cap purposes, meaning there’s a $6.8 million dead cap hit in 2024 if he’s not on the roster.
Florio explains that the $2 million for in-game bonuses will be still be paid if he ends up on injured reserve unless the injury is a result of “deterioration, aggravation or re-injury” of Davenport’s right shoulder.
Another reason for the delay in introducing him? Davenport was on vacation, per Florio.
Davenport was a first-round pick by the Saints in 2018 and he had a career-high 9 sacks in 2021. But he had just 0.5 sacks last season, leaving him itching for a fresh start in Minnesota.
“I’m very critical, so I’ve been upset – I’m still upset – but that’s just fuel for the future. I kind of go over my play and see that I didn’t capitalize,” Davenport said Thursday. “You know, as much as I would say that I had some success in matchups and putting the pressures, like you said, I wasn’t necessarily being the smartest player to know when to capitalize and how to capitalize using my teammates, using the scheme, and just overall winning.
“I need to know my game, and I’m going to have to study other people’s games way better, because I want to dominate,” Davenport added. “So just from that aspect, just continue taking the next steps. As far as the past and for all future references, I’m really trying to let go of everything and just keep walking forward, looking forward.”
