Of the 21 players to receive the franchise tag this offseason, Washington Redskins tight end Fred Davis was one of the first to sign his tender, putting pen to paper on March 16, the day after franchised Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson signed a five-year, $48.5 million extension.
But Davis is unlikely to receive a multi-year extension before the July 16 deadline, our pal Rich Tandler of Comcast SportsNet Washington writes Tuesday.
A 2008 second-round pick out of USC, the 6-foot-4, 258-pound Davis has 131 receptions for 1,648 yards and 12 touchdowns during his 55-game career with the Redskins.
Davis was having a breakout season in 2011, hauling in 59 passes for 796 yards with three touchdowns, before he was suspended for the final four games of the 2011 season for violating the league's substance abuse policy.
The fear of another suspension could be behind the Redskins' cautious approach to committing to Davis on a long-term basis. The 26-year-old says those drug issues are behind him, but the proof will be in the pudding (actually, the proof will be in the, well, you know.) He can further ease those fears with a monster season on the field.
But Davis isn't helping his agent's case by making headlines for acting as his own lawyer in an ongoing civil suit with a local club promoter.
The Redskins are always willing to spend money to add or keep players. It speaks volumes that they've been unwilling to do so yet on Davis.
