Former general manager Trent Baalke made several blunders during his stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars. One of the biggest ones was locking up wide receiver Gabe Davis in 2024. It turned out to be a pretty underwhelming signing, and the new regime has recognized the mistake by cutting him one year later.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Jags are releasing Davis. This doesn't come as a surprise when you take into account that he was the odd man out after the team signed Dyami Brown in free agency and later made a bold trade to select two-way star Travis Hunter second overall in the NFL Draft.
Davis was set to have a cap hit of $6.4 million in 2025. His release won't free up any space and will instead accelerate a $13 million cap hit and create $20 million in dead money because it will accelerate a $13 million hit.
A second-round pick by the Buffalo Bills in 2020, Davis inked a three-year deal worth $39 million with Jacksonville in 2024. On paper, the signing made sense because the offense needed weapons, and his career average of 16.9 yards per catch was appealing. Unfortunately, the Fernandina Beach native was unremarkable.
Davis struggled with drops and posted a catch percentage of 46.7 percent, the lowest mark of his career. A knee injury cut his season short, but even before he got hurt, he was underwhelming, registering 20 receptions for 239 yards (both career lows) with two touchdowns.
The Jaguars no longer had room for Gabe Davis after adding Travis Hunter and Dyami Brown
The Jaguars entered the NFL Draft looking to raise the roster ceiling. It's fair to say that they did. But all their additions meant that they would have to move on from players who weren't producing. Gabe Davis was an obvious candidate to get the cut. In fact, the only thing that might've prevented him from getting kicked to the curb earlier in the offseason was his whooping $20 million in dead money.
However, the team chose to bite the bullet and take on the massive cap hit because they didn't think Davis was going to bounce back. Moreover, releasing him frees up a roster spot, which can go to someone who will actually contribute. You could make the case that the former UCF Knight could stay as a backup, but he would've been an expensive one. On top of that, he showed last year that he wasn't particularly great, so why keep him around?
All things considered, you have to tip your hat to James Gladstone and the Jaguars front office. Rather than keep Davis around to justify the investment the previous regime made last year, they're cutting ties with him because he doesn't fit the team vision. With him out of the way, the new regime is also showing all players that regardless of your salary, you will need to earn your job, and that's how winning teams are made.