Gabe Davis appears on dubious list after dreadful season with Jaguars

• Hard to argue that one.

Oct 16, 2024; Watford, United Kingdom; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Gabe Davis (0) during practice at The Grove. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Oct 16, 2024; Watford, United Kingdom; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Gabe Davis (0) during practice at The Grove. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars spared no expense to bolster their roster last year. The issue is that many of the acquisitions they made in free agency didn't pan out. Looking back, the worst of the bunch probably was wide receiver Gabe Davis, who was expected to give the offense a deep threat but was instead underwhelming. To nobody's surprise, the former UCF Knight landed on a dubious list.

Dalter Wasserman of Pro Football Focus drew up a list of the best and worst signings every team made in 2024's free agency [subscription required]. He dubbed defensive lineman Arik Armstead the best while Davis earned the questionable honor of being the worst.

Regarding the veteran receiver, Wasserman argues that signing him always looked like a bad move and the worst-case scenario came to fruition.

"The signing of Davis to a $13 million per year contract was puzzling then, and the worst-case scenario played out for him and the team this season. Davis caught just 20 passes totaling 239 yards before suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 11."

As Wasserman points out, Davis was disappointing. Leaving aside his measly 20 receptions, he averaged a career-low 12.0 yards per catch. Moreover, he caught less than 50 percent of his passes and posted a concerning catch rate of 47.6, the lowest mark of his career.

Then again, Davis' numbers during his four-year stint with the Buffalo Bills weren't much better. On the other hand, the Jaguars might've had a few reasons to think his production was going to improve.

For starters, the Fernandina Beach native was reunited with receivers coach Chad Hall, who was his position coach in Buffalo. Similarly, he was going to be catching passes from Trevor Lawrence, who excels at completing deep passes. Add Davis' career average of 16.7 yards per catch, and it's easy to see why the team's brass thought it was going to work out.

Ultimately, Davis was a non-factor even before he suffered a season-ending injury that forced him to miss the last seven games of the season.

Gabe Davis will have a chance to prove he can contribute to the Jaguars

However, you look at it, giving Gabe Davis a three-year deal worth $39 million looks bad. Heck, the Jags also dropped the ball with cornerback Ronald Darby, but he was considerably cheaper. Furthermore, the front office can release him this offseason and free up cap space. The same cannot be said for Davis.

The veteran wideout is set to count $6.4 million against the cap in 2025. If they wanted to release him, it would accelerate a cap hit of $13.8 million and leave $20.3 million in dead money. This is to say that the Jags are better off keeping him around and hoping he'll bounce back than kicking him to the curb.

Working in Davis' favor is that he'll get a clean slate under Liam Coen. The new Jaguars head coach routinely got the best out of his players when he was the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He won't probably turn the former Bill into a Pro Bowler but should at least make him a dependable contributor.

If Davis cannot hit his stride under Coen, the Jags should then consider moving on from him next year. By then, releasing him won't be as cost-prohibitive as it would be in 2025. Slated to count $17 million against the cap in 2026, he would create $10 million in space if he's cut in 2026.

The bottom line is that Gabe Davis left much to be desired last year, but he'll get a chance to show he can have a positive impact next season.

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