Drew Davis was a key special teams cog and occasionally useful receiver for the Falcons in 2013. The team clearly missed him, because they kept him on PUP for eleven weeks of the season while he recovered from a foot injury, before finally activating him today.
The Falcons have activated WR Drew Davis from the PUP list and have waived WR Freddie Martino
— Jay Adams (@FalconsJAdams) November 21, 2014
Davis is coming back at a good time, considering Antone Smith just went on season-ending injured reserve with a broken leg. Smith was one of Keith Armstrong's most reliable special teams performer and the team's preferred gunner, a role Davis will step back into immediately assuming he's active this week.
What's less clear is whether he'll be able to help the offense, but it's entirely possible he steals offensive snaps away from Eric Weems. He has great wheels and showed some nice hands on his way to 12 receptions for 216 yards (an 18 yards per reception average) and two touchdowns last year, but his route running was mediocre and he often struggled to get open when he was on the field. At just 25 years old, there may be some improvement in the offing here, but I wouldn't count on him getting more than a couple of looks each game the rest of the way.
Martino was a 2014 undrafted free agent who appeared in one game after taking Courtney Roby's roster spot, and did not record a reception. There's a chance he'll wind up back on the practice squad, likely taking the place of former Dolphins wide receiver and current squadder Ryan Spadola if he does. While I think Martino has some promise, it's hard to look at this as anything but a net gain for the Falcons.
With Davis activated, the Falcons will just have to make room on the roster for William Moore when he returns next week against Arizona. My guess is that they'll cut ties with tackle Jonathan Scott to do so.
Welcome back, Drew Davis.