Davenport signed

[Steelerlyn]

http://news.steelers.com/article/69125/

The Steelers added size and experience to their backfield today when
they signed veteran running back Najeh Davenport to a one-year
contract. Financial terms of the deal were not released.

Davenport (6-1, 247), a fifth-year veteran from the University of
Miami, spent his first four NFL seasons with the Green Bay Packers. In
39 games, Davenport has rushed for 1,068 yards and seven touchdowns on
217 carries (4.9 avg.). He also has caught 17 passes for 107 yards
(6.3 avg.).

I await your analysis..but I love this guy..just what we need? we shall see

[Steelersfan]

WTH! Why the hell did we give up a draft pick for Cobbs just to turn around and release him? I'm happy we got Davenport but this whole thing at RB makes no sense.

[Blitzburgh55]

I think its a good move but its really a great move

[Steelerlyn]

Do you think they signed him to "replace" Bettis? Willie did look (little) last night.

[AZ_Steeler]

The Steelers have been very unorthodox lately. First they trade with NE for Patrick Cobbs, then they let Chidi the ST specialist go, and now they sign another back.... :scratch:

Actually though, I kind of like this signing... just a little bit. He's not 250 pounds but he's pretty darn close! ;) This guy is a big bruiser and is what the Steelers need to close out games because they are going to run Parker into the ground with 30 carries a game!

My only concern is he has more fumbles in his short career than the Bus had in his entire career! Probably not quite as many but it's close, 7 Fumbles with 2 being lost according nfl.com. When you break it all down, the Bus had 41 fumbles in 192 games and lost 2... Najeh has 7 in 39 games and has lost 2 and when you look at how many times he has carried the ball... it's realy not to impressive.

I feel llike the Steelers are grasping at straws right now trying to find that one back to replace the Bus... Staley needs to wake up and smell the coffee and leave the donut in the box! :2cents:

[House of Steel]

Now, I am stratching my head big time here. I am tickled over signing Davenport to the Steelers. This guy comes with a grave concern for injuries.

AZ wrote:

I feel like the Steelers are grasping at straws right now trying to find that one back to replace the Bus... Staley needs to wake up and smell the coffee and leave the donut in the box!
__________________

I can't agree with you more, AZ. Great concept. Still, what made you believe the Front Office reasoning for this signing? I am lost for words cause, quite frankily, Trading for Cobbs and now this??? WOW!! Very UNSTEELERLIKE!

[PITT23]

http://www.steelers.com/MediaContent//2006/09/08/12/Davenport_69124.jpg


PITTSBURGH — The Steelers added size and experience to their backfield today when they signed veteran running back Najeh Davenport to a one-year contract. Financial terms of the deal were not released.

Davenport (6-1, 247), a fifth-year veteran from the University of Miami, spent his first four NFL seasons with the Green Bay Packers. In 39 games, Davenport has rushed for 1,068 yards and seven touchdowns on 217 carries (4.9 avg.). He also has caught 17 passes for 107 yards (6.3 avg.).

Originally drafted by the Packers in the fourth round (135th overall) of the 2002 NFL Draft, Davenport missed most of the 2005 season after breaking his ankle on Oct. 9 against New Orleans. The 27-year-old Davenport, whose first name is pronounced "NAH-jay", set a personal best with 178 rushing yards on Nov. 29, 2004, against the St. Louis Rams.

The Steelers made room on their roster for Davenport by releasing rookie running back Patrick Cobbs, who the team claimed off of waivers from the New England Patriots on Sept. 1.

http://news.steelers.com/article/69125/

So we got rid of Cobbs and so we traded away some draft picks for nothing. Thats just wonderful. Devenport could really help but on the other hand he could totally bomb and not can many carries at all.

[Steelersfan]

I merged these two threads Pitt. Lyn had posted this one in the Pittsburgh Sports section.

[suitanim]

I'm not sure how to feel about this...big back, yeah, but troubled and from one of the felonious Florida programs. Remember when this dude was in the news for taking a dump in some chicks room after he was wasted? Not exactly a high character type, if you know what I mean...

[AZ_Steeler]

I'm not sure how to feel about this...big back, yeah, but troubled and from one of the felonious Florida programs. Remember when this dude was in the news for taking a dump in some chicks room after he was wasted? Not exactly a high character type, if you know what I mean...

you mean like http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k250/azsteeler/smilies/toilet.gif but without the toilet!!! :hilarious:

I had forgotten all about that... my mind is officially made up. I'm not pleased with this signing one bit, the dude has a case of fumble-itis and he has some baggage that he's brining along too! I have no idea what the FO is thinking :dunno:

[Koopa]

i guess it's a good signing......lastnight willie convinced me he is capable of carrying the load because he finally did something good against a good defense......as for the draft pick it was just a conditional draft pick and since cobbs ain't gonna do good for us the pick is probably a pointless 7th rounder

[House of Steel]

Cobbs trade was very pointless. I just don't understand why the heck the FO pulled that stunt.

[SteelerFan87]

I didn't like the Cobbs trade then, and I like it even less now. I thought we had enough non-starting caliber running backs without having to get some undrafted guy from the Pats. And now, after trading to get him, we just release him and sign someone else? Davenport is pretty good, but not somebody I'd depend on. Didn't they already have that with Staley? So who's going to be the short yardage back? Duce, Verron, or Najeh?

[BlitzburghRockCity]

This baffles me too. Granted we'll run Willie into the ground with 30 carries a game, but why not give Verron a chance to be a short yardage power back and see what he does. Between the 2 of them, they both have shown to run with great power.

None the less, he brings some experience and definate size so we'll see.

[Steelerlyn]

So in our backfield we have a "Duce" and a "Dookie?" Hope they don't stink up the joint. Isn't Davenport more injury prone than Staley? It's a one year deal, he has a chance to prove himself, we'll see what happens.
:dunno: :dunno: :dunno: :dunno: :dunno: :dunno: :dunno: :dunno:

[BlitzburghRockCity]

Yeah we won't lose much if it doesn't work out..but Iwouma was a ST beast and I just can't see the logic in letting him go.

[SteelersfaninPhilly]

Parker, Staley, Haynes, Davenport. Why the hell do we need four backs?

[Steelersfan]

I guess because nobody but Parker has shown they want the job. I'm a little surious as to why we kept Staley myself. I like the guy and would love to see him to good but it makes no sense to keep him with his salary and then not play him.

[AZ_Steeler]

I think the keeping of Staley might have something to do with how he responded with he Bus last year and now the Steelers feel obligated to keep him around :dunno: That's just my thoughts though..

[House of Steel]

I think the keeping of Staley might have something to do with how he responded with he Bus last year and now the Steelers feel obligated to keep him around :dunno: That's just my thoughts though..

That is what Dan Marino was pointing out on the NFL Today. I think you are right on the money, AZ. I think it isn't a bad idea, but I am still worried about that salary cap crunch. He is taking up too much money to be standing on the sidelines still. I don't know, I am pretty much neutral now on this topic.

[BlitzburghRockCity]

If the cap didn't go up as much as it did when we signed the new CBA I wonder if we'd have really kept Duce after all this...

[Steelersfan]

I would say no. We wouldn't have the cap room to keep him.

[AZ_Steeler]

If the cap didn't go up as much as it did when we signed the new CBA I wonder if we'd have really kept Duce after all this...

That's a good question that we will probably never know the answer too. Since you're twisting my arm for an answer ;) I would say Yes simply because Duce has the experience. He might have showed up with a few of twinkies around his waist and chest, but the bottom line is he has the experience and veteran leadership... although I don't think showing up to camp out of shape is showing great leadership!

I feel the FO wasn't sure how Parker would be coming off a season nobody expected him to have, plus haynes hasn't show he can carry the load and is a great third down back! Had the Steelers let Duce walk, the RB position would have looked really scary with who they already had and the rookies they drafted.