The Atlanta Falcons had a disappointing season in 2021, finishing with a 7-10 record. However, despite missing the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season, there were a few bright spots.
One of them was the emergence of former wide receiver turned running back Cordarelle Paterson, who shined in his new role with the team. Patterson was able to combine his rushing ability as well as his versatility as a pass-catcher for a total of 1,166 scrimmage yards and 11 total touchdowns.
It was an unexpected breakout for the Falcons, who had seemingly planned on running back Mike Davis to lead their backfield in 2021 after signing him to a two-year deal. Things did not exactly go to plan for Davis last season, who only started in eight games for the Falcons.
It seems like the team is planning to go with Patterson as their starter moving forward, as reports emerged Monday that the Falcons are releasing Davis, which will save the team 2.5 million against their cap.
#Falcons saving $2.5M against cap by releasing Mike Davis — a proven RB whose had tons of success, particularly two seasons ago with the #Panthers, when he had over 1k scrimmage yards and 8 TDs. Atlanta drafted BYU RB Tyler Allgeier in the 5th round.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) May 2, 2022
The situation for the Falcons is a little more complicated than just saying that Patterson is the starting running back next year. While he did show success running the ball, he was also split out as a receiver at times, allowing him and Davis to play together on the field.
Without Davis, the team will seemingly plan for rookie running back Tyler Allgeier to take over that role. The BYU product was selected this weekend in the fifth round of the NFL Draft.
As for Davis, he should be able to find a role on another team, whether it’s as a backup or as a replacement starter due to injuries.
