Colts: Shawn Davis release proves fans were right about concerning draft pick
By Jerry Trotta
The Indianapolis Colts have kept a fairly low profile during roster deadline day.
Aside from acquiring offensive lineman Matt Pryor from the Eagles, Chris Ballard and Frank Reich haven’t made any earth-shattering moves.
Veteran safety Sean Davis not making the final roster was a surprise given the value he offers on special teams. Could Holton Hill have been kept as extra insurance for the cornerback room? Maybe, but the group is already pretty deep.
Other than that, it’s been pretty low stakes for the Colts thus far. In fact, their biggest move came with just over an hour remaining before the Tuesday’s 4 p.m. cutoff when they released rookie safety Shawn Davis.
General manager Chris Ballard received quite a bit of backlash when he drafted Davis given the defensive back’s struggles at Florida and that he didn’t fill a huge need. Now, his release unfortunately justifies those concerns.
#Colts are releasing rookie safety Shawn Davis, who was their 5th-round pick out of Florida in April. Could end up back on their practice squad if he clears waivers.@JoelAErickson first.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 31, 2021
The Colts releasing Shawn Davis proves fans were right to be concerned.
It isn’t often you see teams release players whom they spent a draft pick on just months earlier, but it was nearly impossible for the Colts to justify keeping Davis on the roster after his nightmare showing in Friday’s preseason finale.
In the game, Davis dropped a sure interception and missed a number of routine tackles. His fate was likely sealed after that performance, but the Colts are likely open to the idea of signing him back to their practice squad.
That obviously isn’t what Ballard had hoped when he spent a fifth-round pick on Davis back in April, which is the main takeaway here.
The Colts already had Khari Willis and Julian Blackmon locked in as starters. Not to mention, George Odum, though the majority of his production comes on special teams, has logged 511 snaps at safety in his young career.
That isn’t to say we’re opposed to the idea of grooming another young safety, but there was immediate drawback when the Davis pick was made and his release just confirms that fans were right to be skeptical.
The Colts have released fifth-round pick Shawn Davis, per source.
— Joel A. Erickson (@JoelAErickson) August 31, 2021
Can Davis eventually morph into a rotational piece for the Colts? It would be foolish to rule that out, especially when you recall that a hamstring injury cost him the opportunity to develop during training camp.
That spell on the sidelines only created more reps for Andre Chachere, who was already emerging as a potential depth piece, so you have sympathize with the rookie a little bit in that respect.
Still, Davis is the first member of Indy’s 2021 draft class to get released. If you predicted that months ago, we wouldn’t have batted an eyelash.
