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A transaction out of Jacksonville could have ramifications for the Giants with the Jaguars’ release Wednesday morning of wide receiver Gabe Davis.
General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll have strong ties to Davis from their shared time together with the Bills.
The Giants did not select a wide receiver in the recently completed NFL draft and, before that, did not bring in any high-profile free agents at the position.
So, in the unending quest to improve the roster, Davis should be considered a viable option for the Giants.
Davis was a fourth-round pick out of Central Florida in 2020, when Schoen was the Bills’ assistant general manager to Brandon Beane and Daboll was the offensive coordinator.
Schoen played an instrumental role in the selection of Davis, gaining intel from then-UCF head coach Josh Heupel and meshing that information with what Daboll wanted for the passing attack.
“He clearly defined what he looked for, and in the fourth round there’s that guy that checked all those boxes,” Schoen said back in 2022. “He’s done a really good job, every staff I’ve been on, clearly defining what he wants and that makes it so much easier for the personnel staff to go find those players and identify them. Again, when the value meets where we see them, you have a lot of success when you do that.”
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Davis turned out to be a tremendous pick for the Bills. He caught seven touchdown passes as a rookie in 2020 and ended up with 27 touchdowns in his four years in Buffalo.
Davis put together a sensational two-game playoff run in 2021. In an AFC divisional round game against the Chiefs, Davis caught eight passes for 201 yards, scoring an NFL-record four receiving touchdowns in an overtime loss.
He would arrive with an immediate understanding of Daboll’s offense and the versatility to fit in several receiver roles.
Davis last offseason signed a three-year, $39 million contract with the Jaguars, with $24 million in guaranteed money. It did not work out in Jacksonville, as Davis in 10 games caught only 20 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns. He finished the season on the sideline with a torn meniscus.
It figures that the past connections with Davis, only 26 years old, will lead to the Giants investigating adding him to a wide receiver room led by Malik Nabers, Wan’Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton.
Jalin Hyatt, the disappointing 2023 third-round pick, is looking to save his NFL career after a bystander role in 2024.
The Giants in free agency signed two veterans, Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Zach Pascal, for depth purposes. They also signed several receivers as undrafted free agents.
The Jaguars dumped Davis nearly 14 months after signing him and will take a $20.3 million dead-money salary-cap hit for the release.
With Brian Thomas as their No. 1 target, the Jags signed Dyami Brown in free agency and selected receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, making Davis expendable.
That could lead to a reunion with Schoen and Daboll.
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