Recently, the 49er’s interim head coach Mike Singletary and TE Vernon Davis got into a screaming match on the sideline during a home game vs. the Seattle Seahawks. Following the argument, coach Singletary sent Davis to the locker room, benching him for the remainder of the game; they have since patched things up. This is not a great start for Davis, as I’m sure new head coach Mike Singletary didn’t plan on getting into a brawl in his first game after taking over for Mike Nolan. New coaches don’t need distractions, it just makes the job that much more stressful.

Vernon Davis has not been the weapon that the San Francisco 49er’s had thought he would be when they drafted him. Davis was the 6th overall pick in the 2006 draft and was the top tight end prospect, partially due to a strong performance at the scouting combine after running the 40 yard dash in 4.38 seconds, which was faster than most WR’s and RB’s. Being nicknamed “Cyborg” by his college teammates on the Maryland Terrapins only made 49er fans that much more excited to see such a weapon added to a lackluster offense. However, injuries plagued his first few seasons, and even now that he is healthy, his hands and route running haven’t been that great. Vernon Davis only has 196 yards receiving this season, and zero touchdowns.
You would think that a guy who is 6′3″, 250 lbs with 4.38 speed, and who was the DCIAA champion in the high jump with record of 6′5″ at his high school, Vernon Daivs would be a touchdown machine in the red zone.

In Vernon’s defense, it might not the player, it could be the system. Mike Nolan (ex-coach) was also the General Manager in 2006 when he drafted the TE prospect. Nolan seemed thrilled at the idea of having an Antonio Gates type player in his offense. At first, there was a learning curve to allow Davis to pick up the offense, but add in his inability to stay healthy, and it became very hard for him to remain a regular in the offense. The 49er’s have used him in motion to try to get mis-matches against defenses. Fans have been surprised that even with offensive cooridator Mike Martz calling the plays this season, he’s still struggling to find the big yards, and we’re wondering if the infamous “bust” tag might be attached to his name soon.

In our opinion, Vernon Davis is too good to be kept in a tight end position. With his size and speed, he should be converted to a wide receiver; Davis would be hell to cover on deep patterns, and making him a regular target would fix his butterfingers. There have been many successful converted players in the NFL, although he might not have the finesse it takes to become a consistent NFL WR.