Bills WR Gabe Davis: Big Raise, New 'X-Factor' Role?
Gabe Davis has new money in his bank. And now a new 'x' by his name.
The Buffalo Bills' receiver is entering the final season of his rookie contract with an influx of earned money and a fresh label slapped on him by CBS Sports. The network selected an "X-Factor" for all 32 NFL teams, and it is Stefon Diggs' understudy who gets the role for Buffalo.
Says CBS:
Davis was expected to take a huge step forward as Buffalo’s No. 2 receiver behind Stefon Diggs last season. In the Week 1 game against the Rams, he shined, hauling in four catches for 88 yards and a touchdown. But he also got injured during that game, missed Week 2, and then never really got on track the rest of the year. He ended up playing a career-high 91% of the team’s offensive snaps, but saw his catch rate hit a career-low 51.6% as he hauled in 48 catches for 836 yards and seven scores. Now healthy and headed into Year 4 of his NFL career, can Davis become a true No. 2? We’re about to find out.
The fourth-round draft pick in 2020 exceeded expectations early, highlighted by his record-setting, four-touchdown playoff performance. But after a lackluster 2022 littered with drops and inconsistent production, he is scheduled to be a free agent next offseason.
Davis is getting a performance-based raise this season, but also needs to return to form to cash in a year from now. If their "X-Factor" produces, the Bills could finally reach their potential ... and their Super Bowl goal.
Still looking to assert himself behind Diggs, his play last season - underwhelming relative to fans' expectations - earned him a raise this season. In the NFL's Proven Performance Escalator program, which is designed to help players drafted outside the first round earn a bit of extra money at the end of their rookie deals, Davis qualified for a salary bump.
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