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USATSI

Things didn't go the way Mike Davis hoped they would in 2021. The former NFL fourth-round pick made his way to his hometown Atlanta Falcons last season on a two-year deal worth $5.5 million, having played against them during his time with the NFC South rival Carolina Panthers. Davis won't get a chance to enter his contract year, however, having received a round of bad news from the Falcons only two days following the conclusion of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Davis, 29, has been released by the Falcons, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz, in a move that will save the team $2.5 million toward their salary cap. It's a cash bump that will aid in the signings of their draft picks and undrafted free agent signings -- the former including running back Tyler Allgeier out of BYU (fifth-round pick). The Falcons were also successful in re-signing offensive lightning bolt Cordarrelle Patterson in free agency, along with having Damien Williams, Qadree Ollison, Caleb Huntley and Keith Smith (fullback) on the roster.

In the end, they felt Davis expendable, despite seeing him contribute 762 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns in 2021; numbers that could make him attractive this summer to teams either still in need of a capable veteran halfback or a club that will be in need of one should they suffer injury at the position before September.

An Atlanta native, Davis was born in the city and went to Stephenson High School in Stone Mountain, Georgia -- a suburb only minutes northeast of downtown Atlanta -- before heading to South Carolina to make a name for himself at the collegiate level. He entered the NFL as the aforementioned fourth-round pick for the San Francisco 49ers in 2015, and has since also spent time with the Seattle Seahawks (his first inter-division move) before joining the Chicago Bears to begin the 2019 season -- finishing that year with the Panthers. 

Having now concluded his time with the Falcons, he'll seek another NFL home in 2022.