If you want to understand exactly how much the Washington Commanders have given up on former first round picks Jamin Davis and Emmanuel Forbes Jr., look no further than the Week 6 showdown against the Baltimore Ravens.
According to ESPN’s John Keim, both Davis and Forbes were “healthy inactives” for what’s arguably the game of the year so far — not just for the 2 franchises but for the entire NFL as it pits Washington rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels against Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson, a 2-time NFL Most Valuable Player.
It’s the type of “all hands on deck” game that coaches, players and fans live for. And the Commanders decided Davis and Forbes needed to sit.
The Commanders were 4-1 and on a 4-game winning streak headed into “The Battle of the Beltway” against the Ravens.
“What makes the game even more tense is that Washington is surprisingly sitting two healthy players,” Newsweek’s James Brizuela wrote on October 13. ”
Davis Has Been Disappointment for Commanders
Even with a fresh start with a new head coach in Dan Quinn and a new general manager in Adam Peters in 2024, Davis has continued to come up short for the Commanders.
Most notably, through 4 games in 2024, he had 12 tackles and zero sacks — not what anyone wants out of an edge rusher the franchise spent the No. 19 overall pick on in the 2021 NFL draft.
Washington has already turned down the fifth year option on Davis’ rookie contract that would have paid him $14.4 million in 2025. Still, Davis might have more value than just any random backup. If the Commanders could get anything back in return for Davis by the November 5 NFL trade deadline — anything — that might be looked at as a win.
In 2022, Davis started 15 games for the Commanders and finished with a career-high 104 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 9 TFL and 2 fumble recoveries. He missed four games with injury in 2023 but still had 89 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 8 TFL, 4 pass deflections and 2 forced fumbles.
Forbes Already Seems Like Bust in Second Season
It’s tough to say the jury is still out on Forbes, who was the No. 16 overall pick out of Mississippi State in the 2023 NFL draft.
Forbes had a rough rookie season. According to PFF, Forbes graded out at 50.9%for the season in 14 games with 6 starts — he was one of the NFL’s worst cornerbacks against the run (28.6 percent) and wasn’t much better against the pass (57.6 percent).
Things didn’t get any better in his only action in 2024 in the season-opening loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In that game, he was on the field for 33 plays and targeted 3 times and gave up 3 receptions at an average of 12.7 yards per catch. He was also called for a face mask penalty and for pass interference.
Forbes started the season as a backup to Benjamin St. Juste, who started all 16 games for the Commanders in 2023. Free-agent signee Michael Davis is the other starting cornerback and started 74 games for the Los Angeles Chargers over the last 5 seasons.
Forbes tore the UCL in his thumb against the Buccaneers and had to undergo surgery. He hasn’t played since.
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