The New York Giants will reportedly release linebacker Tae Davis after acquiring Leonard Williams in a trade on Monday.
One of the New York Giants starting linebackers from Week 1 apparently won’t be on the team by Week 9.
According to Art Stapleton of USA Today, Big Blue will be releasing linebacker Tae Davis. Davis started Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys and lost his starting spot thereafter. This move comes with the team acquiring defensive lineman Leonard Williams in a trade on Monday.
I’m told Giants will release LB Tae Davis as the corresponding move for Leonard Williams, per sources.
Davis, an UDFA last season, started Week 1 vs. Cowboys. Now he’s being waived the week of the rematch. Signing of Deone Bucannon the final strike against Davis on the roster.
— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) October 29, 2019
The Giants benched Davis for rookie linebacker Ryan Connelly, who eventually tore his ACL against the Washington Redskins in Week 4.
Davis is a second-year pro who played in four of eight games for the Giants in 2019. He missed the Week 5 loss to the Minnesota Vikings and the Week 6 loss to the New England Patriots due to a concussion. He was a healthy scratch in the most recent loss to the Detroit Lions.
In the four games he appeared in this year, Davis racked up five combined tackles and one quarterback hit. Through 14 games (four starts) last season, he combined for 33 tackles, two tackles-for-loss, four quarterback hits, two sacks, and one pass defended.
Davis originally signed as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
The Giants sent a third-round pick in 2020 and a fifth-round pick in 2021 to the New York Jets for Williams. That fifth-round pick will become a fourth-rounder if the Giants re-sign Williams after this season. The 2016 Pro Bowler will work in with a significantly young defensive line group.
