After spending his first four years with the Buffalo Bills, wide receiver Gabe Davis is expected to be headed for free agency.
The same can be said of Darnell Mooney and the Chicago Bears, who are likely to part ways after four seasons.
NFL.com’s Kevin Patra listed one offseason move for all 30 teams not competing in the Super Bowl, and for the Bears, it’s simple: add playmakers on offense. He listed Davis and Arizona Cardinals WR Marquise Brown as two WRs Chicago should pursue to pair with top wideout DJ Moore.
“Moore is a stud the Bears need to supplement. Adding a field-stretching veteran like Marquise Brown or Gabe Davis would fit nicely,” Patra wrote on February 6.
Would Bears Be Getting WR2 Upgrade in Gabe Davis?
Josh Allen 57-yard TD STRIKE to Gabe Davis! 😤
(via @SNFonNBC)
— Rotoworld Football (@rotoworld_fb) December 24, 2023
The 5-foot-11, 175-pound Mooney is a very different wide receiver than the 6-foot-2, 225-pound Davis. Both are four-year vets. Mooney has played in 60 games; Davis has played in 64. The Bills WR has better numbers, though.
Mooney has 213 receptions for 2,593 yards (12.2 yards per catch) and 11 touchdowns. Davis has 163 catches for 2,730 yards (16.7 yards per catch) and 27 TDs. While both have been deep threats at times, Davis is clearly the bigger red zone threat. He also has proven himself in big games, whereas Mooney hasn’t had the opportunity to play in many.
Davis missed the playoffs in 2023 due to injury, but he made his mark in previous postseasons. He has six touchdowns in seven career playoff games.
Davis has been dubbed a “playoff hero” after breaking out against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game following the 2021 season. He hauled in eight passes for 201 yards and 4 touchdowns in that game, a matchup the Bills ultimately lost, 42-36.
While Davis has not been as sure-handed as Mooney (Davis has dropped 19 passes over his career, per Pro Football Focus, while Mooney has dropped 12). But Davis could provide big-play ability Mooney has yet to display.
“Davis is your typical vertical threat out wide, averaging more than 15 yards per reception in every season of his career and coming down with a fair amount of contested catches with good high-pointing skills,” Brad Spielberger of PFF wrote on January 19.
“However, Davis doesn’t have the fastest release off the line and doesn’t snap off in-breakers with a sharpness to create separation over the middle. He’ll help stretch the field outside the numbers for an acquiring team and can have some huge outings on occasion, but he can also be absent from the box score at times.”
What Type of Contract Might Gabe Davis Be Looking to Sign?
Gabe Davis reels in the TD 🦾
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/FUlNEXIYHa
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) October 27, 2023
Davis will turn 25 years old in April, and while he has yet to have a 1,000-yard season, he has found the end zone consistently, scoring at least 7 TDs in three of his four seasons. His best season came in 2022, when he caught 48 passes for 836 yards and 7 touchdowns. In 2023, Davis finished with 45 receptions for 746 yards and 7 TDs in 17 games.
He has a career 54.5% catch percentage, which is why the Bears have to be careful not to overpay for him. So, what kind of money might Davis be looking for this offseason?
PFF has him projected to sign a one-year deal with $12 million, while Spotrac has him valued at $13.6 million annually (four years at $54.5 million). Davis will likely want to sign for more than one year, so if the Bears could get him for two or three seasons at around $12 million per year, that might be doable.
The Bears have needs other than WR, though, including re-signing top cornerback Jaylon Johnson, while also finding edge rushing help and a new center. Some of those issues will be addressed in the draft, but Chicago will very likely turn to free agency to boost the depth behind Moore. It’ll be interesting to see if they turn to Davis.
