Bills still waiting on potential WR upgrade who missed practice Friday

The Buffalo Bills have a proven starter on the practice squad, but they'll likely wait more time before elevating him.

Oct 26, 2023; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Gabe Davis (13) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

It appears that Gabe Davis's return to NFL game action will have to wait at least another week.

In a positive development, the Buffalo Bills' wide receiver logged his first official practice since signing back with the team that drafted him prior the start of the regular season. Still recovering from meniscus surgery, Davis began his second Bills' tenure on practice squad Injured Reserve.

Buffalo, which could use a boost at wide receiver with Joshua Palmer on the shelf and Keon Coleman seemingly underperforming, activated Davis on Tuesday, officially placing the 2020 fourth-round draft pick onto the practice squad.

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On Wednesday, Davis was back on the field with the team he left in free agency following the 2023 season. He also participated on Thursday.

"He practiced yesterday. I thought he looked good, did some good things," said Bills' head coach Sean McDermott during his weekly-scheduled Friday appearance on WGR 550 AM. "He won't practice today, more than likely, a little bit of inflammation from yesterday's practice, coming off the yesterday's practice there. So he'll be out today and we'll see where he goes from there."

Although Davis doesn't appear on the injury report due to his practice squad status, McDermott's update suggests the Bills aren't expecting to elevate the proven wide receiver against the Kansas City Chiefs on November 2.

Having not played in a game since last November with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Davis likely needs some time to ramp up back into game shape. It's important to remember that he didn't have the benefit of training camp this past summer.

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Despite his one forgettable season with the Jaguars, one has to think Davis can be a factor for Buffalo if healthy. The 26-year-old averaged 6.7 touchdown receptions per season with Josh Allen as his quarterback. As a willing and effective blocker, he's also a match for the Bills' intentions in the run game.

Nov 26, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Gabe Davis (13) celebrates touchdown with quarterback Josh Allen (17) during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

"I’ve known Josh now for six years, played with him for four, going on five. I don’t think there’s anything we need to talk about or really learn about each other,” said Davis after Wednesday's practice. "We have like 30-something touchdowns together. We’ve done it a lot, and it just feels like second nature at this point."

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Once he gets the green light healthwise, Davis may be able to provide exactly what the Bills' receiving corps needs.

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