Fred Davis is still a member of the Washington Redskins despite the team aggressively attempting to shop him at the deadline. The tight end appeared to be trade bait after not being active for the last two games. However, the deadline came and went and Davis is still on the roster. Now the veteran is speaking out over his place with the team and placing blame.
Davis believes his contract is playing a large part in why he has yet to see any significant amount of playing time. The veteran is working off a one-year contract after returning from an Achilles injury. He signed a deal that could be worth $3 million with $500,000 tied into the number of games he is active. Davis believes the team does not want to pay him the money in his contract. Head coach Mike Shanahan disagrees.
"One thing I try to do as a head coach now as compared to when I was in Denver, I don't look at any of those incentives," Shanahan said, via Washington Post. "I keep myself away from those things. I don't make decisions based on money."
While it is hard to believe Davis' statements are true, but it is hard to overlook them. The veteran has lost his place on the team to rookie Jordan Reed who has become one of Robert Griffin III's favorite new targets the past few weeks. Logan Paulsen has also stepped up as both a top catcher and blocker on the time. Davis admits he wanted a trade simply because he wanted to play more.
''I like it here. I was drafted here,'' Davis said. ''But at the end of the day, I just want to play. If I can't play here, then I did want to play somewhere else.''
Davis believes he should be rewarded for the loyalty he showed to the team in the offseason. The Buffalo Bills offered the veteran a two-year, $700,000 deal to leave Washington, but Davis opted to stay put. Now, he is getting blamed for nodding off during meetings and not paying attention during film study. Shanahan claims Davis is not playing because of his work ethic.
"I let him know that I expected him to practice at a certain level and have his mind ready to play in the game," Shanahan said. "We had a good conversation, and he practiced well today."
The real test will be whether or not Davis actually does see increased playing time or if he remains inactive. As of now, it appears Davis will not be with the team after the year is over.
