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The New Orleans Saints reported to mandatory minicamp on Tuesday and the team will work on getting quarterback Jameis Winston comfortable with the offense after an injury cut his season short last year. The Saints are expected to have one of the best defenses in the league this season...but for the minicamp, they’re short one defensive end.
Marcus Davenport was drafted by the team in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft out of UTSA. In his four years with the Saints, he’s racked up 111 tackles, 19.5 sacks, and 6 forced fumbles. Now, an injury he sustained in college has led to the amputation of part of his pinky finger. The news was disclosed by Saints reporter for The Athletic, Katherine Terrell.
Davenport sustained the original injury in a bowl game where torn ligaments had to be repaired with a metal plate. This eventually led to several surgeries and an infection. The defensive end has struggled with mobility in the finger, and it finally got to the point where amputation was the only option.
Davenport doesn’t believe the partially missing digit will affect his ability to rush the passer in any way. He’s ready to get back into the mix of things. Aside from the latest injury, Marcus spent the offseason recuperating from shoulder surgery.
The Saints will need Davenport back if they hope to compete in the NFC
The Saints will need him back if they hope to go very far in the NFC South this year. Defending division champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have Tom Brady back from his brief retirement as they look to make a run at another Super Bowl appearance. On the bright side, at least from the point of view of Saints fans, the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers appear to be in rebuilding mode.
As for the rest of the NFC, the Dallas Cowboys are the clear favorites in the East. The Green Bay Packers may find their strangle hold on the North threatened by the Minnesota Vikings. Along with the West having three teams that could be dangerous this season, including the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams.
The Saints have an uphill climb ahead of them, but with a stellar defense and a quarterback who can accel as long as he goes easy on the turnovers, they could be a sleeper to make the playoffs.
