COSTA MESA, Calif. (AP) - Michael Davis is relieved to be remaining with the Los Angeles Chargers after what ended up being a couple of stressful days.
Davis decided to go back to Brigham Young, his alma mater, for a couple of days for offseason training while his agent assessed offers from other teams. In the end, they decided that remaining with the Chargers was the best option.
“I came up here to Utah just to try to get away from everything. I had a few teams interested, but to be honest, I wanted to stay home,” Davis said on Tuesday, the day after agreeing to a three-year deal. “I’m a Cali boy. I’m close to my family. I’m just happy that the Chargers called.”
Davis, who grew up in Glendale, California, was signed by the Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He has made 35 starts at cornerback over the past three seasons, including 14 last year. He led the team with three interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown and had a career-high 63 tackles.
Davis said it wasn’t until last season’s Monday night game against the New Orleans Saints in Week 5 that he was confident about a second contract and remaining in Los Angeles.
“Up until the Saints game, I was struggling a little bit with consistency. Then, after the Saints game, I think that’s when everything clicked,” he said. “That’s when everything came together and I started performing at my best.”
Davis will be counted on to be one of the leaders of a secondary going through plenty of changes. The Chargers will get back safety Derwin James, who missed last season with a knee injury, but cornerback Casey Hayward was released and safety Rayshawn Jenkins has agreed to terms with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
New head coach Brandon Staley told Davis on Monday that he is hoping to maximize his potential as Los Angeles transitions to a 3-4 scheme.
“It’s a little weird, but to be honest, I’m a little excited for the unknown,” he said. “I think our defense is still going to be stacked. We’re still a young defense, and I think we can come out and kick some (butt).”
While locking up one of their own in Davis, the Chargers have also continued revamping their offensive line by agreeing to a three-year contract with Matt Feiler. The veteran lineman offers versatility with starts at right tackle and left guard over the past two years for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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