General manager Trent Baalke made several baffling mistakes during his stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars. One of the biggest ones was locking up wide receiver Gabe Davis in 2024. On peper, the signing made sense, as the Jags needed to bolster Trevor Lawrence's arsenal of weapons following a disappointing end to 2023. On paper, it turned out to be a disaster.
Davis ended up suiting up for 10 games and hauling in a measly 20 receptions for 239 yards with two touchdowns. It's fair to say that Jacksonville expected more when it gave him a three-year deal worth $39 million.
Of course, some signings don't look great at first but ultimately turn out to be fine. However, the new regime didn't think things were going to get better and released Davis despite the fact cutting ties with him left $20 million in dead money. Looking back, the move was destined to failed, and the Fernandina Beach native recently opened up about it.
Gabe Davis didn't get off to a great start with the Jaguars
Gabe Davis just made an appearance on the Matt & Shane Secret podcast and said that he never felt healthy after suffering an injury in the 2023 playoffs.
A second-round pick in 2020, Davis showed big-play capability during his four stint with the Buffalo Bills, averaging 16.9 yards per reception. When the Jags signed him, they expected to pair him up with Calvin Ridley, but Ridley ultimately bolted for the Tennnessee Titans when they made him a better offer than Jacksonville.
To replace Ridley, the Jags eventually drafted Brian Thomas Jr., who turned out to be a stud right off the bat. Davis was expected to be WR2, but he never hit his stride because of his knee injury.
Fast forward to 2025, and Trent Baalke got the boot. With the man that brought him to the Jaguars gone, the writing was in the wall for Davis.
Related: Worst-case scenario for the Jaguars in 2025 is nightmare fuel for Trevor Lawrence
Trent Baalke and the Jaguars made a massive mistake when they inked Gabe Davis
There's no way to sugarcoat it. Gabe Davis was dreadful during his lone season in Jacksonville. That said, you cannot fault him for chasing in when you take into account that football players have a limited window to make as much money as possible.
If anything Trent Baalke and the Jags deserve the blame for not properly betting the former UCF Knigth. In retrospect, the embattled general manager might've been desperate to turn things around after the late-season collapse in 2023. Had the team's brass done due diligence, they would've found out that Davis wasn't fully healthy or that he had a long way to go before he was back at full strength. They didn't, and he failed to make an impact.
The good news is that Trent Baalke is gone. Moreover, the new regime has been quick to clean the mess he left behind. For his part, Gabe Davis is still looking for a new home. The fact that he's not fully recovered may be holding him back, but once he's healthy, he should have no trouble latching onto a team.