One year after using the franchise tag on pending free agent tight end Fred Davis, the Redskins were quiet at Monday's 4 p.m. deadline, bringing Davis one step closer to testing free agency.
The five-year veteran played in only seven games last season before tearing his Achilles tendon vs. the Giants, bringing another promising season to a premature end.
Davis took over as the full-time starter in training camp, supplanting long-time veteran and teammate Chris Cooley atop the team's depth chart.
After establishing an early rapport with rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III, Davis has his head coach's praise and endorsement.
"You'd love to see Fred back," Mike Shanahan recently told Redskins.comTV. "Any time you have an Achilles [injury] it's going to set you back. You've got to work extremely hard in the offseason, because if you can come back at 80 percent, that's still pretty good.
"You're shooting for 90 percent, but very seldom do you come back at 100 percent."
Davis's talent makes him an intriguing free agent, especially in light of the injury.
When healthy, he is one of the team's top playmakers, averaging at least 13.5 yards per catch in each of the last three seasons.
While Achilles injuries can be hard to project, Shanahan thinks the work Davis has done since October will put him back on the football field in 2013.
"I think the key to Fred coming back and playing at a high level is what he's been doing since the injury," Shanahan explained. "He's been working extremely hard so we'll keep our fingers crossed that he comes back to full speed."
Davis is scheduled to hit free agency for the first time in his career next Tuesday at 4 p.m.
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