The Dallas Cowboys could be implementing significant roster turnover in 2024, especially at the wide receiver position. Save for CeeDee Lamb, there is basically no guarantee that any of the team’s receivers will be coming back.
Jalen Tolbert has been linked to a trade, while Michael Gallup and Brandin Cooks have been labeled cut candidates. What the Cowboys exactly do remains to be seen, but if they are looking to upgrade one of the WRs to complement Lamb, there may not be a better choice than Buffalo Bills WR Gabe Davis.
Davis has been a consistent deep threat for Buffalo for the past four years, becoming one of the best “No. 2” receivers in the NFL. While Lamb certainly provides big-play potential, it’s more thanks to his ability to earn yards after the catch.
Davis, on the other hand, is almost an old-school vertical option. The Cowboys didn’t really have that this past year, although Cooks and others tried to assist in that way. Whether the team is going forward with head coach Mike McCarthy or not, getting QB Dak Prescott this kind of weapon just makes sense.
Davis’ First Four Years with Bills
It did not take Davis long to make his mark with the Bills. Despite not being drafted until the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft, Davis earned plenty of opportunities as a rookie that year.
Pro Football Reference shows that he caught 35 passes for 599 yards in his first year, averaging 17.1 yards per catch. That would essentially set the standard YPC for his first four years, as his career average is 16.7.
His best year so far was in 2022, when he caught 48 passes for 836 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns. He’s been remarkably consistent, though, as his “weakest” 2021 campaign still saw him rack up 549 receiving yards and six touchdowns.
Heading into 2023, his drops had become a concern. After 8 in his first two seasons, Davis dropped nine balls in 2022. However, the former UCF standout has mitigated those problems and has just three drops this year.
Davis is a perfect example of risk versus reward. He will not help Dallas in terms of the short-to-medium gains that offenses need, but he will provide a big-play threat that stretches the field and sets up other players to pick up those 10-20 yard gains.
Sounds like a perfect complement to Lamb.
What a Cowboys Contract Could Look Like for Davis
In this hypothetical, a reason Davis works is because he’s more affordable than options like Cincinnati Bengals WR Tee Higgins. Davis has been a clear talent, but his numbers haven’t inflated market projections at Spotrac.
The site says that he will be due for $13.5 million a year on his next deal. That’s actually less than Gallup’s cap hit in 2024, and just $3.5 million more than Cooks’. The primary point of that is not what the Cowboys should pay Davis, but that they have the space to make it work.
Dallas may want to avoid the back-loaded contract strategy that is now burning them with Gallup, though. While Davis is an exciting option, he has yet to have a proper breakout season. He deserves an eight-figure salary, but the Cowboys might want to take a different approach on deals going forward.
