If the name Mike Davis does not ring any bells, you are clearly not a good San Francisco 49ers fan! OK, maybe that’s unfair. The Seattle Seahawks have promoted the one-time 49ers running back from their practice squad to the 53-man roster to add some needed depth. He is likely to be active when the 49ers host Seattle in two weeks.
The Seahawks running back situation has been a mess, and now they have lost C.J. Prosise to an ankle injury. Thomas Rawls has been the team’s leading rusher, although that entailed 27 yards on ten carries last week against Arizona. JD McKissic came on behind him and will compete with Davis for opportunities.
The 49ers drafted Davis back in 2015, spending a fourth round pick on the South Carolina running back. An injury landed him on injured reserve as a rookie, but he got back on the field that year as the 49ers designated return option. He probably should have stayed on IR, as he averaged 1.7 yards per carry, rushing 35 times for 58 yards. He did not do much better in 2016, rushing 19 times for 50 yards (2.6 yards per carry). The arrival of John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan coupled with signing of veteran Tim Hightower, the drafting of Joe Williams, and the signing of UDFA Matt Breida resulted in Davis getting cut shortly after the draft.
The Seahawks host the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football this week. My guess is Rawls remains the primary ball-carrier, and that won’t change a week later when they travel to face the 49ers. Davis will get some work, but I would expect him to work primarily on special teams.